A Long Road to Progress - Dispatches from a Kiwi Commander in Afghanistan

As commander of the New Zealand troops in the Bamiyan Province of Afghanistan, Colonel Richard Hall gained a unique insight into the lives of Kiwi soldiers serving in a harsh climate amid daily threats, as well as into the lives of the locals - from the female governor trying to establish order in a patriarchal society to the farmer scratching a living from an inhospitable land, to the orphaned girls destined to be sold into marriage at a young age. He vividly and movingly recalls his experiences, but also explains the vision he tried to implement on behalf of his country. He tackles the complex issues involved when a Western army seeks to encourage good governance and to support development in a deeply Islamic country. And he offers an astute perspective on working with NZ troops, American soldiers, corrupt Afghani officials and intransigent aid organizations, while tackling crippling poverty, insurgent attacks, impossible terrain and severe weather...