No mountaineer, Newby set out with a friend to explore the formidable peaks of the Nuristan Mountains in northeast Afghanistan. His witty, unorthodox report is packed with incidents both ghastly and ecstatic as he takes us where few Western feet have trod.

Newby belongs to that enduring set of English travelers who investigate the world for their own amusement and then, to our great profit and pleasure, share their experience with us. This beguiling tale is a classic of travel adventure.

"One of the most unusual books of exploration and travel in years. And one of the best written." (The New York Times)