No Place Like Home: A New Beginning with the Dogs of Afghanistan

by Pen Farthing

When Pen Farthing brought two dogs home from his tour of Afghanistan, little did he know what he had begun. Twelve months later, he has left the Marines, after 20 years service, to run his charity full time. But he barely has a chance to miss life in action, as he is inundated with requests from marines and soldiers to give more rescued dogs the chance of a new life in the West. Whether it's little Helmand, Fubar or Beardog - or the unruly litter known as the Char Badmashis or Four Hooligans - Pen does his upmost to give these dogs the chance they deserve. It is a frustrating and sometimes dangerous process, and while some dogs make it out to safety, others, tragically, do not. But a look out the window to see his own Afghan hounds, Now Zad and Tali, with bright eyes and glossy coats tells him it's all worthwhile. Like his "Sunday Times" bestseller "One Dog at a Time", "No Place Like Home" is the story of one man's courage and persistence in the face of often insurmountable odds. It will warm - and break - the hearts of dog lovers everywhere.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Dogs, War, Middle East, Memoir

308 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Pen Farthing's work, the charity Nowzad and their efforts to rehome dogs in Afghanistan. I've read two of his other books, and this one has been on my to-read list for ages. I decided finally to just splurge and add it to an order, because it's almost impossible to find his books without special ordering them.

Another brilliant book, and I highly suggest liking Nowzad on Facebook to see the wonderful updates and work from this charity. Of course five stars!

[Enrique028]

These guys and what they are doing is just fantastic. I couldn't possibly add anything else that I didn't say regarding their labour after reading the first book. In this one Pen Farthing treats us to the sort of adventures that his pack of Afghan refugees get to while adapting [or not] to life in the UK and his and his wife efforts to help the soldiers , regardless of which country they are from, to save and relocate the Afghan strays they get attached to while on duty in Afghanistan. It's definitely inspirational. And a beautiful story that I hope keeps going on for years to come! And hopefully there will be a third installment!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This follows on from One Dog At A Time - ex marine Pen Farthing rescued 2 dogs from Afganistan and came to live with him. The books picks up from where the previous one ended and catalogues Tali and Nowzads rehabilitation. Pen seems like such a lovely bloke and writes really well - it made me laugh and again it made me cry just like I did at the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed it - even though I am not a great dog lover. Lets hope he keeps up the good work with the Nowzad Dogs charity.

[ℜoxie -₮he ℛeader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book literally had me in floats of tears and at times laughter an amazing tale of one mans dream whilst in the army over there to save abused dogs in Afghanistan.

Pen Farthing is a hero, a legend!

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring tale of former soldier who rescues stray dogs in Afghanistan and re houses them.as well as setting up a charity too... 2nd book ive read and loved them both.

[M.L. Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog at http://mlsparrow.wix.com/mlsparrow

Much like the first book, this is an uplifting true story that makes you believe in the goodness of some people and it really makes you wish there were more people like the author in the world. I found the writing style more jarring in this book than I did in the first one, perhaps because it felt like less was happening in this story. The writing was very simple, which is fair enough, but I felt like there was a lot that the editor could have cut out because it slowed the story down... 

Still, I enjoyed reading about the Afghan dogs and their journey to a better life and how the charity set up by the author set about helping other soldiers rescue the dogs they bonded with. I don't feel the need to read any more of his books, but I've already checked out the charity website and will be keeping up to date with what's going on.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second book on the Dogs of Afghanistan. The first one focused on life in a combat zone and the struggle to save some of the dogs and get them out of the country.

This book focuses what happens after the rescue. Rescuing a former fighting dog brings with it a set of challenges. Soon they have a pack of 5 dogs with three of them from Afghanistan. Managing the dogs, work and a charity was a lot of work but between Pen and his wife, Lisa, they worked it out.

Good read.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

So moved by tales - whether in writing, film or told in person - of those who do such good for the voiceless.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to catch up on the work of the charity and of course the dogs .

[Rachit Rawat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all three books by Pen Farthing. Must read by animal lovers.

[Kim Normoyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish it. Not my kind of book. Just didn't want to pick it back up

[Rose Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really interesting stuff in this. Not what I would consider great writing, but the story is true and engaging.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this review and more please visit my blog :)

Wow! I was blown away by this. I think that the courage Pen showed to stand up and make sure that dogs in Afghanistan can have better lives with the soldiers they bonded with is incredible. I’m not ashamed to say that a lot of the stories had tears streaming down my face. I loved the stories of Nowzad and Tali and how they coped with adjusting to life in the UK. Something I found particularly distressing was the lack of medicine available for Afghan animals. It brings home for me that my vets are just a phone call away, so much so that it’s easier to get a vet appointment than one for a doctor. One of my cats definitely wouldn’t survive in the situations those dogs had to and I wouldn’t want either of them to.

This is a non-fiction story so the characters are actual people and judging them harshly would be rude. Saying that the British soldier who had a dog brought over and then abandoned him once he was in quarantine made me so angry. We have enough abandoned animals as it is, we don’t need more. At least Pen and Lisa took him in and he can have the life he was promised.

On a happier note the people that had become so devoted to their war pets that they had them transported from afghan to their normal lives should be commended. It takes a lot to look after an ordinary pet but these have seen, heard and possibly injured by things that we wouldn’t want another human to be a part of. The bond between man and dog is something special and the people we learn about reading this prove that.

Overall this is a heartbreaking yet uplifting book that tells you the difficulties of owning an Afghan animal and how the charity Nowzad Dogs tries to help by raising funds and arranging transportation into other countries. The writing tells it like it is with no fancy flourishes and if anything that enhances the tales because there’s no sugar coating. I’m really glad I read this because I’m now aware of a problem that I didn’t even know existed.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I finished this in a 48-hour span?

This second book by Pen Farthing comes after One Dog At A Time: Saving The Strays Of Helmand An Inspiring True Story, and this is about Farthing's life back in England, with the four dogs he has. That, and juggling his time between dog duty, dog training duty, work duty, and his charity duty.

I sympathized with Farthing on all his Nowzad (the dog) woes, but at the same time, and feel like saying "I'm dealing with a similar dog", (despite the fact that my "nightmare" dog is probably half or a third of the size of Nowzad, and is a local dog)... My nightmare dog is an angel most of the times, doesn't snatch food, doesn't fight, but let him see a dog while he is on the leash, or let him see a dog or another person when he is inside the car, then he goes ballistic. But I digress.

However, this time around the book felt a little slow compared to the first book. Perhaps it is because of his relatively "civilian" life in this second book, that it didn't feel as exciting? In the first book, his "missions" at his base were a novelty and thus fun to read about, I guess...

The Kindle formatting looks good as well. I read the first book as a paper book, and the second as a Kindle book, and I'm glad to say that the Kindle format looks good too.

Farthing runs his own charity. Nowzad Dogs.

[Kristina Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though a sequel, this has quite a different feel to the first book. The original focused on a Marine in Afghanistan as he tried to combine his tour of duty with caring for a few strays he'd adopted. Now back in the UK, this book continues the story of how he and his wife set up their charity, attempted to domesticate their Afghan dogs, and juggle their military careers with running their Afghanistan rescue dog operation.
This isn't a sentimental read though. Farthing served in the Marines for over 20years, doing his best to improve the situation in Afghanistan, and continues to do so. He recognises that he cannot solve everything but focuses on what he can achieve.
That said, the stories of some of these dogs will break your heart.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author has a down to earth style with some humour but doesn't overdo it. This was a realistic, enjoyable true life account of how he rescued an Afghan stray from a dog fight, while serving in Afghanistan in the Army. Despite it being against Army rules to keep any dog on an Army base he not only keeps it but also works out how to bring the dog back to the UK. And not just one dog!! Nowzad is the first but there are many more...Tali, Patch and others.

In this book Pen Farthing tells about the end to his Army career, his growing involvement in the charity and Nowzad's visits to both Crufts and The House of Lords. A really enjoyable realistic account.

[Becki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just going to be a quick, short review.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME is an interesting and intriguing quick read. I enjoyed following Pen Farthing's journey with bringing two of his dogs (who he met whilst on tour in Afghanistan) home, and the running of his charity (Nowzad Dogs). If you are a lover of dogs and all their quirks then you will enjoy reading this. It's also an interesting insight into how someone settles into life after being in the armed forces.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fame the follows the Nowzad dogs once they arrive in the UK is tremendous and ends up leading them into all sorts of seemingly impossible situations only to watch them surprise everyone with just who they are.
A funny, charming, heartwarming story that is also ringing with sadness at the loss of RPG and AK.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful read for people who want to know what happened after Pen and Nowzad came home, but lacks the structure of a good non-fiction story.

[Carrie-anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, straight away i fell in love with Nowzad! great for any dog lover and people in the rescue business :)

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming and tear-jerking all at the same time!
What a fantastic person Pen is!

[Diane Depew · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely, continuing story of a royal marine, Pen Farthing, to save the dogs of Afghanistan.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good to read the follow on from the last book and I respect the author and wife for their compassion and determination to make a difference where they can.