Blue Is the Colour of Heaven: A Journey Through Afghanistan

by Richard Loseby

This is the story of an astonishing adventure that began in the mind of an eight-year-old boy, obsessed with 'looking for the Afghan' and ended with a perilous dash to safety. Avoiding land mines and bullets, he spent months travelling through Iraq and Iran negotiating a way into Afghanistan. Joining forces with the war-weary Mujahedeen, he found unexpected allies and unforgettable friends.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Middle East

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 25, 2003

About the author

I am a writer and a traveller, and sometimes the two come together in a joyous fusion of words that I have the utmost satisfaction in choosing. I've been fortunate enough to be published worldwide on three of these occasions, most recently with HarperCollins for a book called A Boy of China - the search for Mao's lost son.

For more information contact me on https://www.facebook.com/losebybooks/

Reviews

[Arooj · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that is more than a travelogue.The author has tried to connect himself with the muslim world by crossing the treshhold of entirely new culture.The controversies of east sparked by foreign hands and continues by internal intrigues attractes auther the most .He makes an attempt to find the true soul of humanity hidden somewhere beneath the rigid concept of turban.
I wish i could meet Richard Loseby.

[Lee Belbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was uncomfortable, but fascinating. I have to hand it to Richard to travel in Iran during Komeni and Afghanistan at the end of the Russian invasion. Absolutely stark raving crazy. I figure he made it through due to fitting in with colthing, Farsi and downright determination. But there was a hell of a lot of luck involved. I continually wondered how much the author put other lives at risk by his determination to get through to Pakistan. Afghanistan hospitality is understandable given the hardships the country involves. It is simply and well written. 7/10.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

[Simon Armitage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated 8/10 An interesting and unusual read insofar as is written by a Kiwi who grew up wanting to visit Afghanistan. By the time he got there by a rather circuitous route, Afghanistan had been ravaged by warfare and travelling the back (or main roads) was somewhat fraught. Dealing with the local militia or warring factions was always a risk as Europeans were neither loved or trusted by the various regimes. As an insight from an outsider this is worth a read, and not as harrowing as many that are written by locals whose lives have been devastated by events beyond their control. Perhaps not the best written book, but worth the read.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different beautiful interesting travel book. I think the author was a bit crazy and unnecessarily risky, but I give him credit for following his dream and giving us an interesting and very different perspective of Afghanistan.

[readkrautread · Rating 2 out of 5]

To think that nothing has changed since he wrote this book.