When Abdullah Sharif left Afghanistan in 1976, his mother could wear a miniskirt on the streets of Kabul without fear. Afghanistan was a thriving republic with a hopeful future.

In 2007, after 30 years, Sharif returned to his homeland for a short visit. What he found horrified him. A once-peaceful, progressive nation lay in ruins, exhausted after decades of conflict. The sight was heartbreaking, but inspired Sharif to do all he could to restore the country. He joined the US State Department in 2009 to return to Afghanistan and serve his adopted and native countries.

An aviation engineer as well as a trained diplomat, Sharif brings a keen eye to US reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, while his childhood experiences and understanding of local culture help him see those efforts from an Afghan perspective.

The result is an insightful, thoughtful, and sometimes heartrending portrait of a nation pushed to the limit. Sardar provides an insider's view of US/Afghanistan relations, reminding readers Afghanistan wasn’t always a nation of chaos and violence.

A follow-up to the book Sardar: From Afghanistan's Golden Age to Carnage, Return to Kabul delves into the sociopolitical issues that have affected the country over the years, the distinct problems faced by those working to restore the land to harmony and opulence, and reflections on family heritage and cultures from an Afghan-American perspective.

After two civilian deployments in a country that was nearly unrecognizable from the last time he had been there, Sharif shares his personal memories and insights about Afghanistan's past, present and future.