“The Fall of Kabul: A Soldier’s Story. Was it Worth it?” 

This compelling series takes us into the intimate folds and fallouts of the soldiers' lives, those who were there as the West scrambled to bring its people home from a conflict which had consumed vast resources and tested both the skill and will of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and shook the very core of the ally’s ideological dreams and certainties. 'Kabul 2021 – Leaving it Behind: The Soldiers’ Stories' is not just an account of the end of a mission; it's about the journey homeward and the emotional baggage carried back, chief amongst it the question which has dogged every soldier after every modern conflict, “Was it worth it”? 

In this series of deeply affecting and intimate conversations, international broadcaster and journalist Nadira Tudor unravels the threads of the events that led to one of the most pivotal moments in modern history uncovering the layers of hope, disillusionment, camaraderie, and isolation – the essential fabric of their shared yet unique experiences. The stories we hear are through the eyes of those who stood on the frontlines. We seek understanding and reflect on humanity in all its complexity and resilience. We seek closure. They seek closure. 

Each episode is a powerful mosaic of raw, emotive narratives. We explore the deepest fears, unspoken sacrifices, and the heavy burden of moral quandaries, illuminating the intense human drama that unfolds in the shadows of war.

These personal accounts go beyond conveniently rational narratives to reveal the human experience – the hopes, the fears, and the moral dilemmas faced. Their voices bring a raw, unfiltered dimension to our knowledge of the conflict.

It seeks not just to question 'Was it worth it?' but to understand the cost of such conflicts on the human spirit. It's an invitation to comprehend the intangible – the emotional scars, the memories that haunt, and the quest for peace, both within and beyond the battlefield.

ABOUT THE HOST

Nadira Tudor has worked as a crisis communications trainer and a media consultant for various militaries all over the world and NATO for over 10 years.  Between 2009 and 2015, one of her recurring roles was to support training during the Afghan conflict pre-deployment. She found herself travelling all over the world to take part on exercises both on location and table-top exercises, role-playing often as a local Afghan journalist - several times in Poland, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Canada, all over the UK and at least 12 times in the field in Kenya.  During that time, she was privy to many a soldier’s story, allowed to hear their private conversations, invited into their physical and psychological worlds. She developed a deep understanding for them as human beings beyond the uniform and her eyes were opened into the pain of conflict and efforts required to work with these immense responsibilities of life and death. 

Having worked globally as a journalist, producer, presenter, and broadcaster, she dedicates this series to all those soldiers who have lost their lives because of the Afghan conflict. The book will intertwine her own observations, memories and understanding of the life, hearts, and minds of the soldier. In so doing she learned a lot about herself, a small, brown, privately educated daughter of Bengali migrants whose work has taken her to events and lives all over the world and made her witness to many of the misunderstandings and antagonisms of race and culture which increasingly plague the 21st century. 

It is her way of saying thank you.  Thank you for the privilege of insight.  And thank you for the unquestioned protection whilst working alongside you to help prepare you for such a conflict.