PLACES IN BETWEEN
by RORY STEWART · first published 1970
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Travel account of walking across Afghanistan in 2002, valued for giving context beyond the news and vivid detail on remote places like the Minaret of Jam; suits readers curious about the country and its history.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
In January 2002 Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan--surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers. By day he passed through mountains covered in nine feet of snow, hamlets burned and emptied by the Taliban, and communities thriving amid the remains of medieval civilizations. By night he slept on villagers' floors, shared their meals, and listened to their stories of the recent and ancient past. Along the way he met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers. He was also adopt
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I highly suggest reading `The Places in Between` (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95643.The_Places_in_Betw...) about something similar.
on “Man Walks Nearly 3000 Miles Through China” ↗…geographic, and hydrologic history of an area that most would write-off as desert wasteland. It gave me a portal into the complexity of an ordinary place and how it is viewed through the lens of a genius. The Places In Between - Rory Stewart An introduction to how radically different and complex societies outside-the-fold of the Western world can be, and how ancient many of their traditions and way of life are. It also reminded…
on “Ask HN: What book(s) changed your life?” ↗Yes, Rory Stewart's book "The Places In Between" is a great read. His recounting, for example, of visiting the impossibly remote Minaret of Jam (built in the 12th century!) is fascinating.
on “Walking Stewart” ↗