Author: Doucet, Lyse

Afghanistan

Published on 3 September 2026 by Cornerstone (Penguin (Cornerstone)) in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 448 pages
129 x 197 x 28 | 378g

Winner of the Women’s Prize for Non-FictionThe Sunday Times Bestseller The Times, Financial Times, Guardian, Observer and Economist Book of the YearA 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 STEWARTIn 1969, the Hotel Inter-Continental Kabul opened its doors: a glistening white box, high on a hill, that reflected Afghans’ hopes of a modern, democratic future.

In the decades since, its staff have endured two coups, a Soviet occupation, the US 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 passed through its battered halls.

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

Shortlisted for the Nero Book AwardsShortlisted for the RSL Ondaatje PrizeShortlisted for the RSL Christopher Bland PrizeLonglisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionHaunting, hopeful and occasionally harrowing . . . much more than a history. It is a love letter to Afghanistan and its people.’ Sunday TimesFull 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 TimesBeautifully written and observed . . . One of the finest journalists of her generation.’ ObserverWonderfully human . . . A masterly evocation of a supremely complex decade in Afghanistan’s history.’ Daily TelegraphA monument to Afghan resilience and to the bravery and persistence of its staff . . . Witty, observant and sometimes heartbreaking.’ Guardian