War & Peace & War

‘Andrew North has a deep empathy and understanding for Afghanistan and has seen sides of it – both good and horrifying – that very few international observers have encountered’ – Rory Stewart

In early 2022 ,veteran journalist Andrew North was kidnapped by the Taliban. By the time he found himself imprisoned in a jail cell, he had been reporting from Afghanistan for two decades, coming to know hundreds of Afghans along the way. This book brings together both his and their stories.

Farzana was banned from attending school as a child, but education would take her further than she could have imagined.

Bilal’s dream of becoming a journalist came true, but at a cost.

While Abdul’s ambition to become a doctor was thwarted, Jahan’s prospects transformed radically for the better.

And in a quiet province, the life of a boy called Naqibullah was shattered.

Witness to both the country’s transformation and the mistakes that eventually led to its collapse, in War & Peace & War North vividly evokes a country where foreign powers and internal forces have been on a collision course for over two centuries.

Author Biography

Andrew North is an award-winning British journalist and former BBC foreign correspondent in Afghanistan, Iraq, India and the United States. He first reported from Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and was based in Kabul for many years. He has covered conflicts across Asia and the Middle East and contributed to a wide range of international publications, including The Economist, The Guardian, The Independent, Nikkei Asia and Foreign Policy. In his spare time, he sketches. His artistic reportage work has been recognised with a Webby nomination.