Drinking Arak Off an Ayatollah's Beard: A Journey Through the Inside-Out Worlds of Iran and Afghanistan

This is sort of a travelogue in Iran and Afghanistan which sounded great and I appreciate that the author dove into the culture but I was bored with the infusion of Shahnameh (Book of Kings) throughout the book.

What a wonderful travelogue through Iran and Afghanistan. A great way to gain insight to the history and culture of the area.

Written by Nicholas Jubber and subtitled A Journey Through the Inside-Out Worlds of Iran and Afghanistan this work follows the author on his travels through these two nations (with a quick detour to a couple of other `stans) this work is centred on his explorations of the cultures of these nations via the link of the 11th century poem/epic entitled Shahnameh (Book of Kings).The book is mainly centred on the authors time in Iran where he spent most of his time living with a local family in Tehran who, seemingly, are upper middle class types and certainly educated. He travels to other parts of the country as with Tehran as his base and much of the book involves tales of his observations and interactions and adventures with this family. Now admittedly if this book was set in the UK, New Zealand or the US I wouldn't give a tinkers cuss about their daily life, but given the book is set in Iran it is interesting.As the author works his way around the country and thence into the `stans for a brief foray in and finally to Afghanistan he is able to impart an on the ground tale of the situation in these nations at the time of his writing. It's not terribly given to creating a mood of optimism it has to be said but at least the authors lack of any rose coloured glasses means his highs are more genuine. And without spoiling it there is definitely a bevy of high points contained herein.Beyond his interactions with locals and his travels to what are, admittedly, pretty exotic locales, the main crux of this work is the aforementioned Shahnameh - a work within which we are led to believe contains not only a great history but also many stirring tales and, indeed, much of the philosophy of Persian culture in the way the stories are told. Seemingly combining the Histories of Herodotus, the Iliad of Homer and the works of Plato et al. It is certainly now on my `to do' list. Having said that, the author himself inadvertently advertises the main weakness of using this poetic work as the tie that binds his work and that is the simple fact that few Westerners `dig' poetry these days, Western culture long having moved on in terms of popular entertainment. And therein lies the rub - banging on about an ancient epic which is constantly referred to as a poem isn't exactly a great hand hold to throw your readership. It just doesn't connect quite enough, and that's coming from someone who has read his fair share of `classics' of the ancients.But all that aside I stand firmly behind my four stars for this book. Firstly there is the whiff of the exotic, secondly there is the not inconsiderable educational factor of this book and it's all wrapped up in a pretty non-judgemental idiom that remains firmly rooted in the human. Certainly not your average piece of travel literature and that is perhaps one of the things it has going for it the most.

This is an interesting combination of travelogue and history. Armed with an 11th century epic poem, Nicholas Jubber travels to Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 CE, the Shahnameh (Book of Kings) consists of some 60,0000 couplets - about four times the length of the combined Odyssey and Iliad. The Shahnameh is both mythical and historical: it contains the stories of the shahs from the prehistoric Gayomart to the fateful reign of Yazdegerd III which saw the Arab invasion of 637 CE. Although the Shahnameh is considered heresy by Islamic mullahs because of its celebration of Iran's pre-Islamic past, it is revered by many Iranians.The stories and verses, harking back to pre-Islamic Zoroastrian beliefs, pop up in paintings, puppet shows, everyday proverbs, contemporary thrash metal lyrics, and even lurk behind religious festivals. The tale of the legendary hero Rostam was recited by soldiers to bolster their courage during the Iran/Iraq war.The Shahnameh becomes Nicholas Jubber's passport into households in Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia: the epic is a unifying factor from a past when this part of the world was part of the same empire and shared the same Persian culture.After a brief visit to Central Asia (including backgammon in a brothel), and after earning to walk like an Afghan (in a straight line, and taking bigger steps) Nicholas Jubber heads off to Afghanistan. He wants to trace the steps of Ferdowsi, who took his epic to Sultan Mahmud. Alas, Nicholas Jubber's journey took him through Helmand Province and into Taliban country, where he had to pretend to be mute to try to hide his foreignness.In Afghanistan, too, the Shahnameh sheds light. An Afghan mujahid tells Nicholas Jubber that `If you read the Shahnameh, you can understand why we will never let foreigners rule our country'.I enjoyed this book, and to some extent the quirky title sums up why. If you are interested in reading a book about this region that draws on its shared cultural history, then this book may interest you.Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this interesting ,informative book.The author spends a lot of time in Iran and comes up with a colorful portrait of Iranian society with a particular focus on young people.He spends a little time in Central Asia and Afghanistan and while the books interest never flags , you sense he's more at sea here.Juber is obsessed with The Shanamemeh which I've heard of but never read.He clearly believes The Shanameh is relevant and helps you understand the countries he visits.I can't say whether he's right or wrong.In all events, ARAK is a fun, if not particularly deep read.

A book which let me down a little, but then Nicholas Jubber's preceding book set the bar very high. Nonetheless, he does confirm that every person who visits Iran and the capital Tehran sees and senses a different country and a different city. Jubber is to be praised, though, for his unrelenting pursuit of the Shahnameh, one of the finest epics ever written, and all too neglected by western scholars. Its influence on and place in western literature still begs to be explored.

An interesting combination of travelogue and history. A memoir of an English man in his mid-twenties living in Iran and visiting Afghanistan, and discovering a culture he never expected. The contradictory nature of Iran is explored with Ferdowsi's Shahnameh (an epic poem about Persia's ancient kings written about 1000 years ago) as its axis; through his understanding of the Shahnameh, and its importance to Persians, he comes to better understand Iran itself as well as Iran's place in the Middle East.A wonderful read and, as an Iranian it is a true representation of the current culture and way of thinking in Iran today...

A specific approach about life in Iran and Afghanistan concentrated on the Shahnameh and Ferdowsi. Could have been more about the politics of both countries.

It is an interesting insight into a part of the world simplistically written off but whose cultural links go back before western europe made any sense. Jubber's book reveals how the Iraneans still hold onto their heritage eventhough it isn't immediately evident in the street. a wonderful read and, according to an Iranean, it is a true representation of the current culture and way of thinking in Iran today

Iran is a very complex and richly cultured country and this book gives a good insight into the daily life of it's people. A really great read - it's like being there.