Fifty years of Afghanistan, told through one hotel that never closed its doors — from the BBC's Chief International Correspondent.
In 1969, the luxury Hotel Inter-Continental Kabul opened its doors: a glistening white box, high on a hill, that reflected Afghanistan's hopes of becoming a modern country, connected to the world.
Lyse Doucet — then a young reporter on her inaugural trip to Afghanistan — first checked into the Inter-Continental in 1988. In the decades since, she has witnessed a Soviet troop withdrawal, a devastating civil war, the US-led invasion, and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban, all from within its increasingly battered walls. The Inter-Con has never closed its doors.
Now she weaves together the experiences of the Afghans who have kept the hotel running to craft a richly immersive history of their country. It is the story of Hazrat, the septuagenarian housekeeper who still holds fast to his training from the hotel's 1970s glory days — an era of haute cuisine and high fashion, when Afghanistan was a kingdom and Kabul was the “Paris of Central Asia.” Of Abida, who became the first female chef after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. And of Malalai and Sadeq, the twenty-somethings who seized every opportunity offered by two decades of fragile democracy — only to see the Taliban come roaring back in 2021.
Through these intimate portraits of Kabul life, the story of a hotel becomes the story of a people.
Praise
“Plays to all Lyse Doucet's strengths. Clarity, empathy, depth of knowledge and innate grasp of fine detail.” — Michael Palin
“Simply unforgettable.” — Elif Shafak
“Beautifully written.” — Peter Frankopan
“Ingenious… Lyse Doucet writes with verve and insight, and a clear warmth of feeling for Afghanistan and its people.” — Kamila Shamsie, author of Home Fire
“What a beautiful book… An extraordinary introduction to Afghanistan, and a tribute to one of the finest correspondents of our time.” — Rory Stewart, author of The Places in Between
About the author
Lyse Doucet is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, a familiar voice from the world's frontlines for over three decades. She has reported from Afghanistan since 1988.
Perfect for readers of
Peter Hopkirk's The Great Game, Zahra Joya's The Vanishing Girl of Kabul, Rory Stewart — and anyone who loves history told through people rather than dates.
