The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan
by Lyse Doucet
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"The story of a hotel. The story of a nation. When the Inter-Continental Hotel opened in central Kabul in 1969, it reflected the hopes of Afghanistan: a glistening white edifice that embodied the country's dreams of becoming an affluent, modern power. Five decades later, 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 show more 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 Mir, the supervisor who for five decades has witnessed diplomats, soldiers, journalists, and politicians visit the hotel. It is the story of Fatima, who stayed at the Inter-Continental long before the arrival of the Taliban, and who fondly recalls its early glamour. 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 vivid exploration of daily life in one of the most dangerous cities on earth. It captures the soul of Afghanistan from within the walls of the Kabul Inter-Continental."-- show lessTags
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Member Reviews
In 1969 the Intercontinental hotel chain opened a flagship on a hill overlooking Kabul. The hotel left the ownership of the chain and, as Afghanistan was rocked by wave after wave of troubles, served as a beacon of civility. However a hotel is only the product of its staff and the stories of many of those are explored here, their hopes, their dreams and the reality of life in a city that has been torn by war so many times in the last fifty years.
This book is both informative but also a joy. Doucet has spent much time in Kabul as a foreign correspondent and she has gained the trust of many individuals who have told their stories. That's what makes the book so special, it it the resilience of the proud Afghans. I loved the women trying to show more make their way in a society that is currently banning them from many areas, the youth desperate to better their lives for the sake of their families and the old faithfuls still keen to work at what they know best. show less
This book is both informative but also a joy. Doucet has spent much time in Kabul as a foreign correspondent and she has gained the trust of many individuals who have told their stories. That's what makes the book so special, it it the resilience of the proud Afghans. I loved the women trying to show more make their way in a society that is currently banning them from many areas, the youth desperate to better their lives for the sake of their families and the old faithfuls still keen to work at what they know best. show less
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Globe and Mail | Canadian Non-Fiction: November 22, 2025
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Afghanistan
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Library Non-Fiction
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Books With Complete Sentence Titles
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Awards and Honors
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Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Kabul, Afghanistan
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 958.104 — History & geography History of Asia Central Asia: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzebekistan Afghanistan 1919-
- LCC
- DS375 .K2 .D68 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Asia History of Asia Afghanistan Local history and description
- BISAC
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- 106
- Popularity
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- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.21)
- Languages
- English
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 4
