Books & more: Polish Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a country of many peoples. And the ISAF mission has added a few more for whom Afghanistan's fate and history were significant. "Polski Afghanistan" visually tells the story of the Afghanistan that was formative for Poland. For 13 years, the Poles were militarily present in Afghanistan. The photographic book documents this in archetypal images.

In March 2002, 160 soldiers stationed in Bagram made the start: logisticians, engineers, soldiers from the special forces unit GROM.

And soon it was more than just combat for the Poles. 194 aid projects were implemented in Ghazni province. Medical care for the civilian population was part of this.

In "Polski Afghanistan," two journalists document the entire story of war and human togetherness. Marcin Ogdowski and Marcin Wójcik were on-site, taking photos and experiencing it.

The result is a book that shows exceptionally intense images: "Polski Afghanistan" is also a book about the transformation of the Polish army in those 13 years.

They show the whole story of the Polish contingent in the land of the Hindu Kush. The book's text is entirely in Polish, making it somewhat difficult for non-Poles to understand. But the excellent images speak for themselves.

Remembering those who stayed in the field: 43 soldiers and 2 army workers fell there. Over the years, there were 866 injuries, with 361 of them requiring treatment for more than a week.

Marcin Ogdowski and Marcin Wójcik have published the book, whose release was also supported by Helikon-Tex.

"Polski Afghanistan" by Marcin Ogdowski and Marcin Wójcik was published in 2014 by WAR BOOK. 240 pages, fully illustrated, in Polish. 49.90 Zl. The book is expected to be released in English sometime in 2015.