The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Kim Barker

Mar 2011 · Sold by Anchor

About this ebook

A true-life Catch-22 set in the deeply dysfunctional countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan, by one of the region’s longest-serving correspondents.

Kim Barker is not your typical, impassive foreign correspondent—she is candid, self-deprecating, laugh-out-loud funny. At first an awkward newbie in Afghanistan, she grows into a wisecracking, seasoned reporter with grave concerns about our ability to win hearts and minds in the region. In The Taliban Shuffle, Barker offers an insider’s account of the “forgotten war” in Afghanistan and Pakistan, chronicling the years after America’s initial routing of the Taliban, when we failed to finish the job.

When Barker arrives in Kabul, foreign aid is at a record low, electricity is a pipe dream, and of the few remaining foreign troops, some aren’t allowed out after dark. Meanwhile, in the vacuum left by the U.S. and NATO, the Taliban is regrouping as the Afghan and Pakistani governments floun­der. Barker watches Afghan police recruits make a travesty of practice drills and observes the disorienting turnover of diplomatic staff. She is pursued romantically by the former prime minister of Pakistan and sees adrenaline-fueled col­leagues disappear into the clutches of the Taliban. And as her love for these hapless countries grows, her hopes for their stability and security fade.

Swift, funny, and wholly original, The Taliban Shuffle unforgettably captures the absurdities and tragedies of life in a war zone.

Ratings and reviews

A. Both. Kim is a journalist but she has drawn this book as a memoir of her time in Afghanistan and Pakistan, during the decade of 2000. Q. What did you think of her book? A. It's fascinating. She has a lot to say about her interactions with all of the other folks in those areas, areas which were very volatile at the time, and still are. She's not afraid to describe how she was treated as a female in these Islamic countries, nor how hypocritical attitudes can be toward women in these same countries. Q. Did you learn anything? A. There was much to learn from this book, regarding these countries, their problems, and their interactions with the U.S., other western nations, and India. Kim knew or knows many of the political personages in these countries. She never really got too close to the Taliban itself, though one of her journalist friends did so, and was promptly kidnapped and held for ransom. But, though she had to rely on her "fixers," she worked her way into the inner sanctums of the political environments of these countries. Also, of course, you learn much about Kim herself, as a person. Q. So you recommend the book? A. Definitely, without reservation. Kim is a unique person and writes well. She keeps the story moving along. It never gets tedious or boring. If you look beyond the headlines, you might wonder really what's going on over there. Although Kim's is not the only perspective, she does provide a unique perspective on these areas during these times.

Never understood any of the politics in these countries until this read, now it makes me sad and angry. So glad I read it

Honest perspective given with humor.

About the author

Kim Barker was the South Asia bureau chief for The Chicago Tribune from 2004 to 2009, based in New Delhi and Islamabad. Her book about those years, The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a dark comedic take on her time in South Asia, was published by Doubleday. The movie version, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, was released in 2016, starring Tina Fey, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, Margot Robbie and Billy Bob Thornton. Barker is now a metro reporter at The New York Times, specializing in investigative reporting and narrative writing. Before joining The Times in mid-2014, Ms. Barker was an investigative reporter at ProPublica.