Forged By Time, A Memoir of Survival, Sacrifice, and Hope, One Life, Five Regimes, Countless Trials

What if everything you had built disappeared overnight?

What happens when a child grows up under the shadow of war, survives five different political regimes, serves alongside U.S. and Coalition forces for nearly two decades, and then loses everything in a single moment?

FORGED BY TIME is more than a memoir. It is the true story of survival, sacrifice, resilience, and the unbreakable human spirit.

Born into the devastation of war in Afghanistan, Azizurahman Shirzad (Aziz Polad) witnessed a lifetime of conflict, hardship, and transformation. From a childhood shaped by rockets and uncertainty to becoming one of Afghanistan's leading biometric specialists working alongside U.S. military and international forces, his journey is one of extraordinary courage, perseverance, and hope.

When Afghanistan collapsed in 2021, everything changed.

Forced to leave behind his homeland, career, memories, and the life he had spent decades building, he began again from nothing in America. Yet even after losing almost everything, he refused to lose the one thing no one could take from him—hope.

Through unforgettable personal experiences, this powerful memoir offers readers a rare inside perspective on modern Afghanistan, the sacrifices made alongside international forces, the human cost of war, and the remarkable strength required to rebuild a life from the ashes.

Inside this unforgettable memoir, you'll discover:

• A childhood shaped by war and survival

• Life under five different political regimes

• Nearly 18 years serving alongside U.S. and Coalition forces

• The rise of Afghanistan's national biometric program

• The dramatic collapse of Afghanistan in 2021

• The desperate evacuation from Kabul

• Beginning life again as a refugee in America

• The lessons, losses, and hope that emerged from one extraordinary journey

This is not simply the story of one man.

It is the story of a generation.

It is the story of a nation.

It is the story of what remains when everything else is taken away.

If you enjoy powerful true stories, military memoirs, survival narratives, biographies, and inspiring journeys of resilience, FORGED BY TIME will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

Azizurahman Shirzad Aziz Polad / عزیزالرحمن شیرزاد عزیز پولاد