WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2026

The Sunday Times Bestseller
The Times, Financial Times, Guardian, Observer and Economist Book of the Year
Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction

A sweeping and immersive history of modern Afghanistan - the first book from one of the world's leading war correspondents.

'Simply unforgettable' ELIF SHAFAK
'Terrific' THE TIMES
'Incredible' PETER FRANKOPAN
'Powerful and charming' FINANCIAL TIMES
'Utterly compelling' PHILIPPE SANDS
'Masterly' TELEGRAPH
'Ingenious' KAMILA SHAMSIE
'A must-read' SUNDAY TIMES
'Beautiful' RORY STEWART

In 1969, the Hotel Inter-Continental Kabul opened for the first time: a glistening white box, high on a hill, that symbolised Afghans' hopes for a more prosperous future.

In the decades since, its staff have kept working through multiple coups, a Soviet occupation, the US-led invasion, and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban. The Inter-Con has never closed its doors.

Here, Lyse Doucet offers a vividly human history of modern Afghanistan through the lives of the people who have kept the Inter-Con running.

It is the story of a hotel, and the story of a people.

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Shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards
Shortlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize
Shortlisted for the RSL Christopher Bland Prize

'Haunting, hopeful and occasionally harrowing . . . much more than a history. It is a love letter to Afghanistan and its people.' Sunday Times

'Full of warmth, wit, and a lovely eye for the human stories that make the hotel not just a monument to tragedy, but also love and resilience.' Financial Times

'Beautifully written and observed . . . One of the finest journalists of her generation.' Observer

'Wonderfully human . . . A masterly evocation of a supremely complex decade in Afghanistan's history.' Daily Telegraph

'A monument to Afghan resilience and to the bravery and persistence of its staff . . . Witty, observant and sometimes heartbreaking.' Guardian