Eating Mud Crabs in Kandahar

A collection of stories from twenty-three war correspondents who share their experiences through the lens of food and meals during times of conflict. Each narrative takes place in locations like Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and other war zones where these journalists carried out their reporting duties. The correspondents detail memorable meals shared with locals, fellow reporters, soldiers, and even insurgents - from elaborate feasts to meager rations eaten in desperate circumstances. Their accounts go beyond just describing the food itself to capture conversations, cultural exchanges, and human connections forged over shared meals in extreme conditions. The book intersperses recipes throughout, documenting dishes encountered by the journalists in various conflict zones. These recipes serve as tangible links to specific moments and places, while providing context about local customs and daily life during wartime. Through food-centered storytelling, this collection reveals how sharing meals can create moments of normalcy and humanity amid chaos and violence. The narratives demonstrate how food serves as both a universal connection point and a window into the complex realities of war-torn regions.

Readers found the war correspondent stories engaging but uneven in quality. Many noted the personal, intimate perspective on how conflict zones affect daily life and food culture. Likes: - Detailed sensory descriptions of meals and settings - Focus on human connections rather than combat - Stories that reveal local customs and hospitality - Kim Barker's Afghanistan piece received frequent mentions as a standout Dislikes: - Some stories lack depth or feel superficial - Uneven writing quality between different contributors - Several readers wanted more cultural context - Food angle sometimes feels forced into certain pieces Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (22 reviews) Representative review: "The concept works better in some essays than others. When it clicks, like in the piece about sharing meals with Kurds in Northern Iraq, it provides a unique window into how people maintain humanity in extreme circumstances." - Goodreads reviewer

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🦀 Author Matt McAllester won a Pulitzer Prize in 1997 for his coverage of the TWA Flight 800 crash while working at Newsday. 🍲 The book's title comes from journalist Barbara Demick's experience eating mud crabs with North Korean refugees in China, not from Afghanistan as the word "Kandahar" might suggest. 📝 Each chapter features a different war correspondent's personal story about food in conflict zones, revealing how meals can create moments of normalcy and connection in dangerous situations. 🗞️ Contributors to the book include Pulitzer Prize winners, celebrated war photographers, and renowned journalists from publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Time magazine. 🕊️ The book demonstrates how sharing meals in war zones often leads to deeper conversations and better reporting, as people tend to open up more when breaking bread together.