August in Kabul

America's Last Days in Afghanistan

De: Andrew Quilty

Narrado por: John Robertson

Told through the eyes of witnesses to the fall of Kabul, Walkley award-winning journalist Andrew Quilty's debut publication offers a remarkable record of this historic moment.

As night fell on 15 August 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. After a 20-year conflict with the United States, its Western allies and a proxy Afghan government, the Islamic militant group once aligned with al Qaeda was about to bury yet another foreign foe in the graveyard of empires. And for the US, the superpower, this was yet another foreign disaster. As cities and towns fell to the Taliban in rapid succession, Western troops and embassy staff scrambled to flee a country of which its government had lost control. August in Kabul is the story of how America's longest mission came to an abrupt and humiliating end, told through the eyes of Afghans whose lives have been turned upside down: a young woman who harbours dreams of a university education; a presidential staffer who works desperately to hold things together as the government collapses around him; a prisoner in the notorious Bagram Prison who suddenly finds himself free when prison guards abandon their post. Andrew Quilty was one of a handful of Western journalists who stayed in Kabul as the city fell. This is his first-hand account of those dramatic final days.

‘A compelling, thought provoking must-read about the days leading up to the fall of Kabul and its aftermath from a photo-journalist who spent almost a decade living in Afghanistan, capturing both its sorrows and its joys.' YALDA HAKIM

©2022 Andrew Quilty (P)2022 W. F. Howes Ltd

A New Lens of Perspective

Great overview and cultural perspective of the events that led up to and proceeded the August Taliban takeover of Kabul. The names and storylines were slightly difficult to follow and keep straight in the beginning but concluded well by the Epilogue. Journalism well done.

A mostly accurate historical account

The author did his due diligence and provided an extremely accurate and factual account of what happened in Afghanistan in August 2021. There are a few inaccuracies, ie referring to Michael Yon as Marcus Yon, as well as some fundamental pronunciation errors, such as how the narrator mispronounces Kabul and Dari, along with some incorrect military references but all in all, it’s well worth the listen.