Radio Free Afghanistan

“Impassioned … . It is the subtleties that make Radio Free Afghanistan perhaps the best of the memoirs of Afghanistan so far published, simply for Mohseni’s perspective on the quixotic and ultimately failed American effort to bring democracy and rid the country of the Taliban … he must take a place in the pantheon of editors and publishers who have successfully navigated the toughest working environments in journalism.” – Financial Times

“Mohseni nimbly balances moving reflections on his connection to his homeland with fascinating insider information on running a media empire. It’s a fascinating firsthand lens on 21st-century Afghanistan.” – Publishers Weekly

“A moving account of light brought to the Afghan audience, tragically eclipsed.” – Kirkus Reviews

“It may seem an overstatement to call a book about a radio station a hero’s journey, but that is how this memoir by Mohseni, chairman and CEO of Moby Group, Afghanistan’s largest media company, reads … . Mohseni is also an excellent observer of small details, such as when he describes soft-shell Afghan almonds, which he grew up loving. With the Taliban now back in control of Afghanistan, Mohseni’s fascinating tale is more relevant than ever.” – Booklist

“Radio Free Afghanistan is the extraordinary memoir of a remarkable man. It is also the ultimate insider’s guide to the recent history of Afghanistan: witty, wise, frank and perceptive, more than any other book recent book it reveals the reasons for the failure of the western attempt to impose democracy in Afghanistan and gives an incredibly intimate portrait of the men and women who have shaped that tragic history.” – William Dalrymple

“Saad Mohseni did more to change Afghanistan than any single person, and more than all the diplomats and soldiers combined. This fine book tells the story of how one man and the company he created brought a benighted country into the modern age.” – Dexter Filkins, author of The Forever War

“Saad Mohseni is one of the most remarkable figures in modern Afghanistan–brave, entrepreneurial, with a knack for imagining the impossible–he transformed the Afghan media landscape and brought serious news, and exceptional entertainment to millions in the most testing circumstances imaginable.” – Rory Stewart, author of The Places in Between

“A start-up tale like no other. Saad Mohseni’s memoir is a skeleton key not only to the war in Afghanistan but to global media, diplomacy, and development in the twenty-first century. A gift for historians, both passionate and knowing–and a page-turner to boot.” – Nick McDonell, author of Quiet Street

“The amazing Saad Mohseni has been a voice for freedom in Afghanistan for two decades. His new book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the long, painful battle for a modern Afghanistan in which I’m convinced Saad and his friends will eventually triumph.” – David Ignatius

Saad Mohseni was born in London to Afghan parents in 1966 and lived in Japan, Australia, Uzbekistan and Pakistan before returning to Kabul in 2002 after the U.S. invasion. He is the co-founder, chairman, and executive officer of Moby Group, Afghanistan’s largest media company and has brought top-tier news and media content to emerging markets for the past two decades. He was named an Asia Game Changer by the Asian Society and in 2011 was one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World.” Mohseni serves on board of the International Crisis Group and is a member of the International Advisor Council for the Middle East Institute. He lives in London and Dubai.