The Places In Between
by Rory Stewart
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Book Reviews of The Places In Between
Book Review: Thought provoking extraordinary adventure
Summary: 4 Stars
One gets the impression upon reading this book that if one were to meet Rory Stewart, he would be an opinionated and stubborn. Between the lines of the Places in Between the reader discovers a man who often ignores local advice in favor of his own opinion. Other times he disregards thuggish guards (once resulting in a fight). I think this story even reveals Mr. Stewart to be eccentric. And it is perhaps these same qualities that make the author uniquely qualified to undertake such a journey. For it is only by his pluck and wits that a man could survive such a trip. Often the author succeeds only by his stubborn determination. Nearly every step of his journey is taken against the advice of locals. Mr. Stewart pushes his luck across Afghanistan and the results are outstanding.
While the writing is practical and unembellished Mr. Stewart uses his page well by educating the reader on Afghani politics and folkways. AnMr. Stewart maintains his objectivity in his story withholding who he sides with in the current conflict. By so doing, he pushes us to see a more complex issue than western media provides and leaves the ultimate determination to the reader.
Politics aside, the book is a stand-alone adventure worthy of the best. Somehow this is the kind of writing that makes Hemingway seem bloated and pompous. Mr. Stewart asks only the reader's attention rather than adoration and in turn earns our respect. Thoroughly enjoyable and heartfelt.
Book Review: Adventure ... But Not Travel
Summary: 2 Stars
After reading this you begin to understand why the travel literature describing Afghanistan is not quite as extensive as, say, the Loire Valley.
Instead of gourmet food ... no food. Instead of classic, striking scenery ... no scenery (I'm not kidding: look at the first photograph in the section of illustrations). Instead of folksy innkeepers and vintners ... a hostile population caught between their religious obligations of hospitality and their distaste for anyone outside their tribe.
So, when Stewart, gets misty eyed about his adventures - at the end of the book - I wasn't quite willing to suspend my disbelief and accept his emotion at face value.
This is the kind of journey undertaken by someone of a very contrarian frame of mind. Each time he is mocked - each time he is forewarned of danger around the next bend - each time someone suggests that he might be out of his mind - it just adds more fuel to his motivation.
I imagine he would have been willing to die to display his fortitude.
It's an adventure. No question about that.
But is it the stuff of great travel? To my mind, it is not: since there is no assurance that it could ever be replicated. It's something that someone did to prove himself to other people. So, I think we should give Rory Steward a brisk round of applause, and then talk about real travel - which is something that can be done by more than just 1 person.
Book Review: A bit of history, a bit travelogue, a fantastic journey through an exotic land..
Summary: 4 Stars
Upon coming across some fellow British in a remote town in Afghanistan, writer and traveler Rory Stewart mentioned how he came to be there, alone and on foot, in the middle of a place as remote as Afghanistan. The reponse of this hardened Special Forces soldiers was "you're nutters," or "you're freaking crazy." Crazy perhaps, but a wonderful adventurer nonetheless. Following in the footsteps of Robert Kaplan, another travel writer who analyzes and incorporates the ethnicities, history, and sociology on the areas they write about, Stewart delivers an important addition to the information out there on Afghanistan.
Following a journey taken by the ancient Emperor of India Babur, Rory Stewart ventures from Halat near the Iranian border to Kabul, relying on the hospitality of strangers in poor villages in between and what he could carry on his back. This trip, described in elegant and honest detail, is fascinating in its examination of Afghanistan's turbulent history and its current ethnic and sociological choas. Stewart describes a world and a culture completely foreign to Westerners in all its vivid color and grim darkness. The book is short, and reads very quickly, because Stewart is a wonderful writer. The tale he tells, and its insights, should make it required reading for anyone going to Afghanistan, or for anyone who wishes to read more about a intriguing land and its people. Recommended.
A.G. Corwin
St. Louis, MO
Book Review: Still Room for Explorers
Summary: 4 Stars
If you ever wondered what it would have been like to live in the age of explorers, Rory Stewart reminds us that some of the world is still dangerous, still unexplored (even if it is mapped), still tribal rather than national, and still primitive. The route from Herat to Kabul, Afghanistan is one of those place.
I admire the author for following in the footstops of the 16th century conquerer Barbur. However, what really makes this book interesting are the surprises along the way. Here is a country which, within the past 20 years has seen administration by Russia, the Northern Alliance, the Taliban, and the United States, yet it has never departed from what it always was, a loose conglomeration of warring tribes and factions fighting to survive. The Afghans live in a land which grows no grass, has little agriculture, even less animal husbandry, but an abiding faith in history and its ability to survive.
I won't spoil the surprises for you, but suffice it to say that he almost dies more than once, is almost killed more than once, and descibes it all without the least bit of sensationalism or self congratulation.
With other reviewers, I'm at a loss to tell readers what was so enjoyable about the story. However, it compels you on.
P.S. I give it four stars because I fear Amazon grade inflation. True masterpieces are five stars. To me, a really good book deserves 4 stars.
Book Review: Becomes very repetitive
Summary: 3 Stars
I found this book interesting in the beginning. I must say I admire the courage of Mr. Stewart. To walk through Afghanistan during such turbulent times was so risky, perhaps even foolhardy. Clearly he lived to write about it. I just wish the book could have been more interesting for all the trouble he took. The description of his dealings with Ismael Khan in Herat were quite good, and it is very revealing about the strongmen who are in charge outside of Kabul. However, once he gets on his way in his journey to retrace the steps of Babur, the story becomes monotonous. He reaches a village, he requests food and shelter, and is given it because it is a very strict custom in Afghan culture (apparently across all ethnic groups) to treat travelers well. You definitely learn that Afghans do take that responsibility quite seriously, although most of the time very grudgingly, as the same situation happens again and again. You will read about it, again and again. Mr. Stewart gets a dog on the way. He finds some beautiful ruins, one of the highlights of the book. He meets Hazaras, who are more hospitable. He meets Pashtuns, who really aren't all that friendly, which makes sense given the fact that there is a war on and the Taliban is made up of Pashtuns (not saying that all Pashtuns are Taliban). Overall, it got rather boring. I was hoping for more incite into Afghan culture, but it wasn't really there.