The Places in Between Audiobook By Rory Stewart cover art

The Places in Between

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The Places in Between

By: Rory Stewart
Narrated by: Rory Stewart
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In January 2002, Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan, surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers. By day, he passed through mountains covered in nine feet of snow, hamlets burned and emptied by the Taliban, and communities thriving amid the remains of medieval civilizations. By night he slept on villagers' floors, shared their meals, and listened to their stories of the recent and ancient past. Along the way Stewart met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders, and foreign-aid workers. He was also adopted by an unexpected companion: a retired fighting mastiff he named Babur in honor of Afghanistan's first Mughal emperor, in whose footsteps the pair was following. Through these encounters, by turns touching, confounding, surprising, and funny, Stewart makes tangible the forces of tradition, ideology, and allegiance that shape life in the map's countless "places in between".©2006 Rory Stewart (P)2006 Recorded Books LLC Adventure Travel Adventure Funny Inspiring Thought-Provoking Suspenseful Middle East Iran

Editorial reviews

Why we think it's Essential: Imagine a stout-hearted adventurer weaving a magical tale by the campfire, and you'll get a sense of Rory Stewart's account of his solo walk across Afghanistan. Full of memorable characters, evocative settings, visceral danger, and valuable insight. — Steve Feldberg

Critic reviews

"An engrossing, surprising, and often deeply moving portrait of the land and the peoples who inhabit it." (Booklist)
"The well-oiled apparatus of his writing mimics a dispassionate camera shutter in its precision." (Publishers Weekly)
"If, finally, you're determined to do something as recklessly stupid as walk across a war zone, your surest bet to quash all the inevitable criticism is to write a flat-out masterpiece. Stewart did. Stewart has." (The New York Times)

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Cultural Insights • Historical Context • Excellent Narration • Fascinating Journey • Enlightening Perspective

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This work is worth its word count in gold. Rory’s journey through Afghanistan is fascinating and otherworldly to the average American. The lawlessness of 2003 Afghanistan as well as the brutal environments turn a walk into an odyssey. The narration is excellent and I would consider this one to have very high replay value.

Stupendous travel log

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An incredible story beset by a mic with too much gain. Every time he tells a story about someone who shouts (and he gets shouted at a lot in his walk across Afghanistan during the war) the audio is distorted.

Overmodulated

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Rory has, with his old mastiff, that famous pluck and resilience, of the great explorers. He has poets heart, a philosopher’ mind and a warrior’s spirit. How dare the English fail to make him leader of parlament.

The Noble dog, Babylon

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outstanding literature recount of a journey that captures the mind , awakens the soul , and entraps your emotions. the author is by far one of the finest . the auration by the writer is gripping and impactful.

captivating, soulful, submersive

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If you want to gain some insight into the country of Afghanistan and the problems of resolving the power struggles in the Middle East, this book is a must-read. Rory Stewart not only brilliantly narrates the story of his walk across this enigmatic country, he also characterizes the way the well-meaning interference of Western nations has done little good and much bad for the stability of the area. But beyond that, the story is gripping, passionate, and compassionate, a true hero's quest in the style of the ancient epics. I have listened to this book four times, and I could listen to it many more. The pace of Stewart's narrative mimics the walking pace, and the listener feels like a silent companion to his journey. One of the best books I've ever read.

Understanding Afghanistan.

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