Dust of War
Editions Robert Laffont, 1985
Co-written with Christophe de Ponfilly, Albert Londres Prize 1985.
When the song of arms passes, comes the time of tears.
Wars pass through history like whirlwinds. For the Soviets, the war in Afghanistan lasted ten years; for the Afghans, it continues. Beyond the event, this book tells the terrible story of the men plunged into war. On both sides, the combatants and their loved ones confide in the great reporters, both winners of the Albert Londres Prize.
Through their encounters, Ponfilly and Laffont paint a vast fresco of the absurd, where the gazes of men who killed each other without ever knowing each other meet.
This exciting adventure takes us to the USSR, Pakistan, Kabul and clandestinely to the provinces of Afghanistan.
A year of investigation for an exceptional document.
Le Monde: "A relentless indictment of the obscenity of war."
VSD: “A magnificent piece of work. The spirit of great reporting in its purest form.”
Le Figaro: “Christophe de Ponfilly and Frédéric Laffont have tracked down, in both camps, the stigmata of the absurd Soviet-Afghan conflict. A formidable exercise, admirable result.”
