“The Helmand-Sistan region is one of the most inaccessible parts of Afghanistan, a country noted for its remoteness even at the best of times. The Baluch of Afghanistan, furthermore, are one of the least studied ethnic groups in Afghanistan. This makes the work of the late Ghulam Rahman Amiri a major breakthrough. Not only does it make available a wealth of original data otherwise unavailable, it is the first study of an ethnic group in Afghanistan from the perspective of a native of that country. It comes therefore without the intellectual baggage and theories that so many western ethnographers might bring to their subjects. Amiri’s book is all the more valuable therefore, as much for its perspective as for the huge wealth of raw material made available to the scholarly world for the first time.” • Warwick Ball, Independent Scholar, editor of Afghanistan Journal and author of The Archeological Gazetteer of Afghanistan

“Amiri's book is a true gift. Wonderfully comprehensive in its scope and detail, it brings Sistan and its people to life, covering a remarkably broad range of topics. All students and scholars of Afghanistan will need to have it on their shelves.” • Thomas J. Barfield, Boston University and President, American Institute of Afghanistan Studies