The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan

310 Pages·2011·2.2 MB·English

by  Barker Kim

Copyright © 2011 by Kim Barker
The names and identifying characteristics of some of the people mentioned in this book have
been changed to protect the privacy and preserve the confidences of those individuals and
their families.
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Doubleday, a division of Random
House, Inc., New York.
www.doubleday.com
DOUBLEDAY and the DD colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Jacket design by Emily Mahon
Jacket photograph by Jared Moosy/Redux
Photo retouching by Benjamin Weisman
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Barker, Kim, 1970–
The Taliban shuffle : strange days in Afghanistan and Pakistan /
Kim Barker.—1st ed.
p. cm.
1. Afghan War, 2001—Press coverage. 2. Barker, Kim,
1970– 3. War correspondents—Afghanistan—Biography.
4. War correspondents—Pakistan—Biography. 5. War
correspondents—United States—Biography. 6. Afghanistan—
History—2001– 7. Pakistan—History—21st century. I. Title.
DS371.4135B37 2011
958.104′7—dc22 2010024348
eISBN: 978-0-385-53332-4
v3.1
To the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan,
who are still waiting for the punch line
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Map
PART I KABUL HIGH
Welcome to the Terrordome
CHAPTER 1
Montana
CHAPTER 2
American Idiot
CHAPTER 3
There Goes My Gun
CHAPTER 4
One Way or Another
CHAPTER 5
March of the Pigs
CHAPTER 6
Monkey Gone to Heaven
CHAPTER 7
Message in a Bottle
CHAPTER 8
Let’s Get Radical
CHAPTER 9
Hell Yes
CHAPTER 10
My New House
CHAPTER 11
Barely Legal
CHAPTER 12
PART II WHACK-A-STAN
Under Pressure
CHAPTER 13
Highway to Hell
CHAPTER 14
God Save the Queen
CHAPTER 15
Stray Cat Strut
CHAPTER 16
Lucky Star
CHAPTER 17
Suspicious Minds
CHAPTER 18
Rebel, Rebel
CHAPTER 19
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
CHAPTER 20
London Calling
CHAPTER 21
Deadbeat Club
CHAPTER 22
Eye of the Tiger
CHAPTER 23
Bad Liver and a Broken Heart
CHAPTER 24
Young Americans
CHAPTER 25
When the Man Comes Around
CHAPTER 26
Hotel California
CHAPTER 27
Epilogue: Take It or Leave It
Acknowledgments
About the Author

KABUL