What We Are Reading Today: August in Kabul 

Short Url
Updated 26 December 2022
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: August in Kabul 

Author: Andrew Quilty

As night fell on Aug. 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. After a 20-year conflict with the US, its western allies and a proxy Afghan government, the militant group was about to bury yet another foreign foe in “the graveyard of empires.”

Andrew Quilty was one of a handful of western journalists who stayed in Kabul as the city fell. The book offers his first- hand account of those events, according to a review on goodreads.com

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.

To the world, Kabul in August looked like Saigon in 1975. 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 harbors dreams of a university education; and a presidential staffer who works desperately to hold things together as the government collapses around him.


What We Are Reading Today: Three Revolutions by Simon Hall

Updated 20 August 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: Three Revolutions by Simon Hall

Simon Hall’s “Three Revolutions” tells together for the first time Lenin’s 1917 return to Russia, Mao’s ‘Long March’ of 1934-35 and Fidel Castro’s return to Cuba in 1956.

Told in tandem with these are the corresponding journeys of three  journalists - John Reed, Edgar Snow and Herbert L. Matthews - whose electric testimonies from the frontlines would make a decisive contribution to how these revolutions were understood in the wider world.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Knowledge Lost’

Photo/Supplied
Updated 19 August 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Knowledge Lost’

Author: MARTIN MULSOW

Until now the history of knowledge has largely been about formal and documented accumulation, concentrating on systems, collections, academies, and institutions.

The central narrative has been one of advancement, refinement, and expansion. Martin Mulsow tells a different story.

Knowledge can be lost; manuscripts are burned, oral learning dies with its bearers, new ideas are suppressed by censors. “Knowledge Lost” is a history of efforts, from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, to counter such loss.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Birds of Belize’

Photo/Supplied
Updated 18 August 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Birds of Belize’

  • “Birds of Belize” is the essential illustrated pocket guide to this birder’s paradise

Authors: STEVE N. G. HOWELL AND DALE DYER

Belize is one of the world’s premier birding destinations, home to a marvelous array of tropical birds and beautiful habitats ranging from verdant rain forests and extensive wetlands to rolling pine savannas and the country’s famed barrier reef. 

“Birds of Belize” is the essential illustrated pocket guide to this birder’s paradise. 

It covers all regularly occurring bird species found in the region and features facing-page plates and text that make field identification easy.

 


What We Are Reading Today: Wasps of the World

Photo/Supplied
Updated 17 August 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: Wasps of the World

  • “Wasps of the World” provides a breathtaking look at the diverse characteristics, habitats, and lifestyles of these extraordinary insects

Authors: SIMON VAN NOORT AND GAVIN BROAD  

Wasps have been around since before the dinosaurs and are one of the world’s largest insect groups. 

More than 150,000 species have been identified, and while the black-and-yellow insect with a cinched waist may be the most familiar, most wasps are 
tiny parasitoids that use other insects for food. 

“Wasps of the World” provides a breathtaking look at the diverse characteristics, habitats, and lifestyles of these extraordinary insects.

 


What We Are Reading Today: LatinoLand by Marie Arana

Updated 17 August 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: LatinoLand by Marie Arana

“LatinoLand,” by Marie Arana, explores the diverse politics and historical roots of Hispanic Americans.

It is a compelling and insightful exploration into the diverse tapestry of Latino culture in the US. 

Arana, with her profound understanding and personal connection to the Latino experience, crafts a narrative that is both illuminative and deeply resonant, according to a review on goodreads.com

The book is not just a mere compilation of statistics and historical facts; it’s a vibrant journey through the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the Latino community.

Arana draws on her own experience as the daughter of an American mother and Peruvian father who came to the US at age nine, straddling two worlds, as many Latinos do. 

She delves into the socio-political challenges facing Latino Americans, from immigration policies to economic disparities, without losing sight of the individual stories that illuminate these issues. 

Arana’s work shines in its celebration of the cultural contributions of Latino Americans to the fabric of American society

The book “unabashedly celebrates Latino resilience and character and shows us why we must understand the fastest-growing minority in America.”