Lyse Doucet
The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan
When the Inter-Continental Hotel opened in Kabul in 1969, it embodied Afghanistan’s hopes of becoming an affluent, modern country. Five decades later, it is a dilapidated, shrapnel-damaged shell that has endured civil war, terrorist attack, the US occupation and the rise, fall, and rise of the Taliban. But its decaying grandeur still hints at the enduring hopes of ordinary Afghans that they will one day live in peace and prosperity.
The BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet has been staying at the Inter-Continental since 1988 and has come to know many of the hotel’s staff while reporting from Afghanistan.
Their stories are at the heart of “The Finest Hotel in Kabul”, Lyse’s captivating, deeply humane debut non-fiction book in which she charts the recent history of Afghanistan through the lives of those staff members.
We are delighted to welcome Lyse to discuss this microcosmic and deeply moving book, and reflect on an embattled country she loves.
