Return, Afghanistan =

the long version

"For more than a quarter of a century, Afghanistan has been devastated by war, drought and famine. Her people have been exiled and displaced, and her culture eviscerated. In this volume, Afghan-born photographer Zalmai returns after twenty-four years in exile, to rediscover his homeland at a crucial moment of transition. Working in rich color, and frequently using a panoramic format that embraces the vastness of the sky and sand, Zalmai immerses us in the ravaged landscape and the bustle of reconstruction. 'My project tries to capture the resilence of a people who have rarely known peace, their optimism in the face of overwhelming odds and the real worry that the country remains on a knife-edge and could easily slip back into a nightmare from which it is still trying to escape.' His work in Afghanistan has been supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Return Afghanistan features a preface by High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers, and an historical essay by Ron Moreau, which discusses the Afghanistan's history, the undertaking of reconstruction, and the psychology of return."--Cover.