The Places In Between
by Rory Stewart
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Book Reviews of The Places In Between
Book Review: A Scotsman, a mastif and a feudal nation
Summary: 5 Stars
When the United States first invaded Afghansistan one of my friends wondered aloud if we intended on keeping it as a colony. I quipped that we already owned a mountainous desert area full of people that have a religion that we don't understand - we call it Utah. (with apologies to my Mormon friends out there)
After reading this book I truly realize the depth of our misunderstanding of the situation in Afghanistan. I keep up on the news better than most. I've spoken with veterans who have returned from Afghanistan. Yet, as I read Stewart's account of his walk across Afghanistan just weeks after the fall of the Taliban, I realized that this truly is a foreign culture - as alien to me as any on the planet. I am amazed that the mission in Afghanistan has been as successful as it has been.
Stewart introduces us to the variety of cultures that Afghanistan possesses. He also makes us see that the very concept of an "Afghanistan" is nebulous at best. His commentaries on the United Nations are biting and ring of truth. While the news has commented that Afghanistan is a feudal society, I always took their word "feudal" to be code for technologically backward. Stewart experienced that it truly and literally is feudal and for some parts of Afghanistan, life is like stepping into a time machine and going back in time to the Middle Ages - both politically and technologically.
Stewart's book is a joy to read. While I wonder at the sense in walking by yourself across a war-torn nation during the dead of winter (with the exception of some companions who were forced upon him by concerned governments from time to time and an adopted mastif dog he picked up along the way), I am pleased that he did. His impressions of what he witnessed and experienced were wonderfully conveyed. Stewart is truly a gifted writer.
This book is truly a wonderful experience. I cannot recommend it highly enough. What a great read to finish up the year with!
My final grade: A+
Book Review: A book well named with a pun
Summary: 3 Stars
I believe that anyone who reads this book will be rewarded by the descriptions, the story, or both, but be warned; it is not a great work and the author has named it well, with a revealing pun. In fact it is what is in between that you feel the most in this book. What Stewart leaves out, what does not happen, what he chooses not to describe; that is what becomes most apparent. Was this his intention? It's never clear. If so, it's quite well done. If not, the book is not really much more than a hiking story in a chaotic landscape. The sleight of hand continues as he distracts us with the tales of the dangerous and unpredictable Afghans, but really presents a story of a man on a hike, in bad weather, with too little preparation and too great expectations. Despite the frequent character sketches, we learn very little about the people or what is going on. Is that the lesson, or is it just that that is all there is to this tale? Are we being pointed at the gaps in our understanding or is this another, albeit well written, "Englishman in the Orient" novel? One that resonates with us because of our current concerns in that part of the world, but which would be only a quaint and little read tale, otherwise. Again, we are led to believe that the relations the book is about are with the Afghan people, but in fact, the only moving story is his attachment to a dog, Babur, which he effectively leaves to strangers. In the end, the main virtue of the book may be that it leaves you wanting to know more. Finally, Stewart tells us about his reading; the conqueror Babur wrote an Afghan travelogue of his own, which Stewart quotes at times. Perhaps this too ties to the title, as we are pointed at contemplating the places in between one Babur and another. Stewart's book is already a fast fading snapshot in political terms, so you can read it as a conversation with a friend about his Afghan hike, or you could read Kipling. Maybe it's best to do both and think about the places in between.Book Review: A Cold but Not Too Lonely Walk
Summary: 4 Stars
It's amazing that anyone would even attempt this... walking across Afganistan in the winter with a war going on. It is quite staggering, how many different ways he could die... war casualty, fights with officials, accidents, frostbite/exposure, starvation, food poisoning...
The desolate landscape is hard to envision, although the photos helped. How does one step forward in 4 feet of snow? Temperatures are cited well below zero at night, so besides unease provoked by well armed people he's sleeping with, how does he sleep with undoubtedly cold wet feet?
The descriptions do not bring the walk, the towns or the people alive. Abdul Haq was the only character drawn in a memorable way. Stewart comes to know others, be they guards, hosts or aid workers that surely had a story, but there is dirth of text about them. Some things mentioned in passing crave more desciption, such as the soldiers with eyeliner or how his food is prepared. Not only are women nearly absent from the text, their absence is not discussed by Stewart.
The book disappoints not by what is in the text, but how much more should be there. A few of the drawings and quotes from historic texts helped elaborate, but most appeared to be filler.
Perhaps it's not fair to to Rory Stewart that I had just finished reading Paul Theroux's Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Capetown, about an equally dangerous journey before reading his book. Theroux is a master in travelogue writer. While The Places In Between, is highly readable, is not up to the Theroux standards for this kind of writing.
For me, this is a 3 star book, but I'm giving it 4 stars because of what the author accomplished, more than what he wrote about it.
Book Review: A Classic Of A Different Sort
Summary: 5 Stars
Travel/adventure books are read for many reasons; excitement, curiosity, the desire to be along on an adventure one can never make for oneself. But rarely, rarely do you expect to be deeply moved. Rory Stewart's ability (and simple courage) to get on the ground in Afganistan and literally put his life at risk day after day sets him apart from most writers of this genre. What takes this book to a whole different level though is his ability to allow us to connect and gain some glimmering of understanding for people drastically different from us. The problem many readers will have with this book is the adventure Stewart goes through is very grim. I don't refer here to the horrible weather conditions he experiences in crossing the Afghan mountains in the middle of winter, but to the people and social conditions he experiences on his trek. Misery and suffering are everywhere. Violence is casual,arbitrary, and sudden. Ethnic, tribal, and village societies are complex. Common, everyday interactions are intricate and frequently leaden with potential danger. Tragedy and physical destruction abound. His description of poverty stricken villagers destroying an archaelogical site of immense importance in order to sell artifacts at ridiculously low prices to distant antique dealers is heart breaking. Stewart survives with his wits and luck, barely. He recounts human greatness and depravity, simple life-saving kindness and sadistic cruelty. This is the best writing I have come across on Afghanistan. I can't recall another travel/adventure type book which has affected me as deeply. You are to be pitied if you can't be moved by this book. Yes, Stewart was crazy to do this, but the book justifies him. This is a classic but not one with the ingredients for widespread popularity. I will put this alongside Newby's "A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush", the two books reflecting the tragedy and comedy of the human condition in Afganistan and in all of us.Book Review: Outstanding Must Read book
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an extraordinary book. How many people do you know who would set off alone on foot across Afghanistan just after 9/11 armed with a stick? I had just read Three Cups of Tea so it was not unlikely for me to gravitate to this book, after seeing Rory on a CNN interview. What I did not expect was the sheer grit of the book and the man. This is not a comfortable book to read. It's a highly uncomfortable book to read. This is no walk in the park. This is a journey with a very brave determined soul to delve into the culture of Afghanistan at a critical time in its history (though, honestly, when did Afghanistan not have a critical time in its history?) who does not take the easy way through. Indeed, he opts for a seldom seen path from west to east during winter. The overarching takeaway from this book is the stunning realization of how fractured and compartmentalized and decentralized Afghanistan is as a nation. Juxtapose our current American "plan" to make sense of the country and one realizes the abject absurdity of the endeavor. What has taken years to split apart (indeed, was it ever a cohesive body, ever? I doubt it) will take generations to bring together. There is no there there. Sad reality. Instead we see citizens fighting and hating each other, killing each other, randomly switching sides depending on who is paying them this month. It's a heartbreaking tragedy, a nightmare reality. And dangerous as all get out. The rare kindnesses shown one savors. The rest is a rigid suffering unlike anything I personally have ever read. The biggest heart might well belong to the mastiff and even that ends badly. In spite of this I believe anyone interested in the international affairs of the US of A owes it to themselves to read this book and ensure anyone in policy-making positions reads it as well. It's a wake up call from someone who paid the price to educate us. Thanks, Rory. I'm sorry about Babur.