The Places In Between by Rory Stewart

[Kristel]

The Places in Between, Read this book for GeoCAT and because I thought it was a PBT 100 NF but I was wrong on that last point. This is the travel writing of Rory Stewart, a Scotsman (Born in Hong Kong, raised in Malaysia and Scotland). Wiki describes him "British academic, author, diplomat, documentary maker and Conservative politician presently serving as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)." In 2002, he walked across Afghanistan shortly after the Taliban were defeated. I enjoy travel writing. This is also a feat of endurance as walking across Afghanistan in the winter was an additional danger besides the fact that he walked across a country of many different tribes and peoples with varying loyalties alone and his dog Barbu he picked up along the way. Barbu was the first Mughal emperor who also walked across Afghanistan in the same route. I gained knowledge of the history of the area, the peoples, and the geography. I also learned about the author. Interesting man, born in 1973, has accomplished a lot in his life.

[Booknblues]

I really enjoyed this book when I read it. I went on to read The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq about his time spent as deputy governor of Amarah and then Nasiriyah, provinces in the marsh regions of southern Iraq. Which I found interesting as well.