The Taliban Shuffle

Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan

By: Kim Barker

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Now a Major Motion Picture titled Whiskey Tango Foxtrot starring Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, and Billy Bob Thornton.

From tea with warlords in the countryside to parties with drunken foreign correspondents in the “dry” city of Kabul, journalist Kim Barker captures the humor and heartbreak of life in post-9/11 Afghanistan and Pakistan in this profound and darkly comic memoir. As Barker grows from awkward newbie to seasoned reporter, she offers an insider’s account of the region’s “forgotten war” at a time when all eyes were turned to Iraq. Candid, self-deprecating, and laugh-out-loud funny, Barker shares both her affection for the absurdities of these two hapless countries and her fear for their future stability.

Great Stuff

I enjoyed every minute of this audio book. It gives a feeling that you're getting the 'real' story about the wars and lives in Afghanistan. Yes, there is humor. But Kim certainly is not diminishing the seriousness of the issue in any way. I would say the humor of some of the situations reflects the reality of life which is too often focused on the fighting and not nearly enough on how we (U.S.) are affecting life where our military goes.

Thanks Kim. Great work.

Chris Reich

Unique Take on a War Story

Any additional comments?

I thought it was extremely unique to hear what kinds of trials a woman in the journalism field faces while a foreign correspondent in a Muslim country. The unique situations and Kim's wry wit add a very unique twist on the war stories I am fond of reading.

informative

This felt less about partying and more about how to potentially mend foreign policy. I enjoyed listening to this remarkable story.

Better than the movie Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

As much as I enjoy Tina Fey, the movie "based on" The Taliban Shuffle is an entirely different story than Kim Barker's fascinating and detailed true story of being a reporter in Afghanistan for several years. There is neither the Margot Robbie character nor Billy Bob Thornton's General. Even the title makes no sense. (I had to explain the military phonetic alphabet to my adult sister.) I urge you to read / listen to The Taliban Shuffle instead. Imagine Barker's (not Baker's) life in a war zone. Well, don't imagine it, listen to or read her stories. The audio version was well done in all respects. We listened to this book during a long drive and then plugged into our RV speakers to finish the final two hours. I enjoyed them both...but they are not the same story.

LOVE!!!

Loved this book so much! It's her story so don't read it looking for a history of the war. It's what she experienced and it's colorful and beautiful.