Books
by Rory Stewart
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Politics on the Edge |
Conservative by tradition, thrown out by Johnson after serving valiantly as MP for Cumbria and in many Ministeries, Stewart's political memoirs are eye-opening on how government works – or rather, as he illustrates here, does NOT work. Here we have a truly useful politician, genuinely believing in public service and in getting on with doing the job in hand, up against the self-seeking, power-hungry mediocrities governing the country. He writes brilliantly and is often very funny but OHHHH.....poor country!
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 111 Winter 2024) |
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The Places In Between |
Stewart walked across the middle of Afghanistan in 2002, over snow-covered mountains and desert, relying on letters of introduction to persuade poor and suspicious villagers to provide him with shelter and maybe a piece of naan bread. The distinct tribal areas he crossed are often involved in ancient vendettas and are now the focus of ill-conceived reforms from the West. A fascinating portrait of a country in continual change, thoughtful and very entertaining.
(Victoria Grey-Edwards - bwl 47 September 2008) |
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The Places in Between |
In 2002, a man - with dog - retraces the Emperor Babur's journey between Herat and Kabul. His ability to speak the language brings encounters which illuminate the impact of decades of turmoil and modern Islam on the people's lives. At the end, I understood much better why Afghanistan's 'conquerors' are doomed to fail but it is the human, sometimes funny, realities of a remarkable man's journey which stay in the mind. And there is a stunning surprise at the end.
(Tony Pratt - bwl 57 Summer 2010) |
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