Finest Hotel in Kabul: A richly immersive history of Afghanistan from the BBC's Chief International Correspondent

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION

 

PRAISE FOR THE FINEST HOTEL INKABUL

 

"The Finest Hotel in Kabul plays to all Lyse Doucet's strengths. Clarity, empathy, depth of knowledge and innate grasp of fine detail. Her subject is not just a hotel, but a hotel that tells the story of four decades of Afghanistan's proud and sometimes unbelievably painful history. This is a most readable account of joy, despair and resilience in one of the world's most fascinating countries." --Michael Palin, actor, comedian, and bestselling author of Erebus

 

"Lyse Doucet has turned bricks and mortar into flesh and blood and in so doing lifted this biography of a glittering hotel into a lyrical, devastating, powerful homage to the powerless. In The Finest Hotel in Kabul we follow the fortunes and misfortunes not of those making decisions, but of the cooks, the receptionists, the wedding guests, the servers. It is intimate, aching, tragic and inspiring. When I began this book I had Afghanistan in my head. By the time I finished it was in my heart. Doucet's descriptions are glorious, her use of language evocative. Her people are fully formed, alive and breathing. This is a thrilling achievement, a beautiful book. I'm off to re-read it. To revisit the finest hotel in Kabul!" --Louise Penny, bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series

 

"An incredible book--vivid and beautifully written, it captures the soul of Afghanistan through an age of hopes and heartbreak, as well as one of constant change. A tender, wise and quietly devastating book." --Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads

 

"A book brimming with deep insight, courage and conscience. Everyone should read this. Astonishingly beautiful, subtle and simply unforgettable." --Elif Shafak, author of There Are Rivers in the Sky

"A story of a country and a people, told with knowledge, insight and tenderness. I've been waiting for a Lyse Doucet book for a long time and what she has produced here is testament to her humanity as well as her journalistic eye." --Mishal Hussein, Sunday Times bestselling author of Broken Threads

 

"If you want to know the story of Afghanistan, of its people, its passion, its betrayals and ancient traditions, read this book. Lyse Doucet has written this amazing story, the same way she reports for the BBC from trouble spots around the world, with accuracy and splendid attention to detail, with excitement and hard truths. But above all she goes behind the political scenes to the people who frequent or work at The Finest Hotel in Kabul and brings us a story rich in intrigue and history. The princes and kings and wannabe deal makers have come and gone from this country that can't keep itself out of the news. But the hotel desk manager knows what most of the world missed; Lyse Doucet chronicles that tale, and with an abiding faith in the Afghan people, sings a song of love throughout this remarkable book." --Sally Armstrong, award winning author, journalist and human rights activist

"The Finest Hotel in Kabul offers an unflinching and intimate portrait of contemporary Afghanistan, from the hopeful days following the fall of the Taliban's first regime to the chilling return of fear under their second rule. At the heart of the story is a woman who prepares food with her hands, yet in doing so, is quietly shaping the future. As the Taliban return, laughter fades, and like thousands of other women, she is pushed to the margins. This book is a powerful historical account of lives lived in the crossfire of conflict and power, a story too rarely heard, and too often overlooked. Broken promises of peace for a people who have lived, generation after generation, in the shadow of war and politics." --Zahra Joya, founder of Rukhshana Media

 

"As with the voice, so with the book: distinct, original, humane, powerful and utterly compelling." --Philippe Sands, author of East West Street

 

"What a beautiful book--inventive, compassionate, witty, brilliantly structured. An extraordinary introduction to Afghanistan, and a tribute to one of the finest correspondents of our age." --Rory Stewart, author of Politics On the Edge and The Places in Between

 

"An ingenious method of storytelling, and what a story the Inter-Continental Kabul has to tell. Lyse Doucet writes with verve and insight, and a clear warmth of feeling for Afghanistan and its people." --Kamila Shamsie, author of Home Fire

 

"Inside The Finest Hotel in Kabul beats the heart of Afghanistan. Lyse Doucet, who reveals herself as a master storyteller, welcomes us to Kabul's iconic Inter-Continental hotel. . . . She gently places us in the care of the many Afghans, on whose shoulders The Finest Hotel in Kabul rests, and it's through the beauty of her writing that we discover the very soul of Afghans. . . . The depth of Lyse's knowledge, and the power of her writing reveals a country many have seen, but few truly know." --Kathy Gannon, Canadian journalist and author of I is for Infidel --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.