The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A Peoples History of Afghanistan

(Paperback)

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The story of a hotel. The story of a nation. When the Inter-Continental Hotel opened in Kabul in 1969, it reflected the hopes of the country- a glistening white edifice that embodied Afghanistan's dreams of becoming an affluent, modern power. Five decades later, and the Inter-Continental is a dilapidated, shrapnel-damaged shell. It has endured civil wars, terrorist attacks, the US occupation, and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban. But its decaying grandeur still hints at ordinary Afghans' hopes of stability and prosperity. Lyse Doucet, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, has been staying at the Inter-Continental since 1988. She has spent decades meeting its staff and guests, and listening to their stories. And now, she uses their experiences to offer an evocative history of modern Afghanistan. It is the story of Hazrat, the octogenarian receptionist who for five decades has been witnessing diplomats and journalists, mujahideen and US soldiers, passing through the hotel's doors. It is the story of Abida, the first female chef to work in the Inter-Continental's famous kitchen after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. And it is the story of Sadeq, the 24-year-old front-desk worker who personifies the ambitions of a new generation of Afghans. The result is a remarkably vivid account of how ordinary Afghans have experienced half a century of disorder. It captures the soul of Afghanistan from within the walls of the Kabul Inter-Continental.

Author Bio

Lyse Doucet is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent. Over a career spanning four decades, she has reported from countries including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel and Syria, leading the BBC's coverage of events including the invasion of Afghanistan, the Arab Spring and the Syrian Civil War. She received an OBE in the Queen's Honours list in 2014, and was admitted to the Order of Canada in 2019. Lyse has been reporting on Afghanistan since 1988, and still visits the Inter-Continental whenever she is in Kabul.