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Rory Stewart

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Books Written by Rory Stewart

Stewart walked over 500 miles solo across Afghanistan in January 2002, just weeks after the fall of the Taliban, accompanied for much of it only by a retired fighting mastiff he named Babur. A former British diplomat, soldier, cabinet minister, and now podcaster, he brings an unusual combination of physical daring and genuine historical and political depth to everything he’s written, refusing to reduce the places he covers to simple narratives.

The Places in Between is the essential starting point and the book most responsible for his reputation — a rare combination of genuine physical risk and real intellectual seriousness about a country most Western writers only understood from a distance.

By Lisanne Swart · 4 books · Adventure & Political Nonfiction · Updated August 2026

Quick answer

Rory Stewart is best known for The Places in Between (2004), his account of walking across Afghanistan, along with Occupational Hazards (2006), Can Intervention Work? (2011), and his political memoir Politics on the Edge (2023). The Places in Between is the essential starting point.

Jump to a book

01
Travel · AdventureStart here

The Places in Between

Rory Stewart · 2004

In January 2002, just weeks after the Taliban’s fall, Stewart walked over 500 miles solo across Afghanistan’s mountainous interior in deep winter snow, relying on his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the hospitality of villagers he met along the way.

Widely hailed as a modern classic of travel writing — the book combines genuine physical peril (Stewart was assaulted, shot at, and stalked by wolves) with unusually deep historical and cultural knowledge of the region he was crossing.

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02
Memoir · Politics

Occupational Hazards: My Time Governing in Iraq

Rory Stewart · 2006

Stewart’s account of serving as the coalition deputy governorate coordinator of two provinces in southern Iraq at just 30 years old, navigating tribal politics, insurgency, and the chaotic reality of post-invasion reconstruction.

A rare firsthand account of occupation governance written by someone who actually held the job — candid about the gap between policy intentions in Washington and the reality on the ground.

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03
Politics · Foreign Policy

Can Intervention Work?

Rory Stewart · 2011

Co-written with Gerald Knaus, this book directly debates the case for and against Western military intervention, drawing on Stewart’s own firsthand experience in Afghanistan and Iraq to argue for a more limited, realistic approach.

Structured explicitly as a debate between two differing perspectives, useful for readers who want Stewart’s on-the-ground experience distilled into direct policy argument.

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04
Memoir · Politics

Politics on the Edge: A Memoir from Within

Rory Stewart · 2023

Stewart’s account of his nine years as a British Member of Parliament and cabinet minister, offering an unusually candid insider’s view of the dysfunction, ambition, and absurdity of contemporary British politics.

A departure from his earlier travel and conflict writing into a memoir of domestic political life — notable for its willingness to criticize the system Stewart was himself part of.

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Watch: Rory Stewart: The Places in Between

Rory Stewart discusses walking across Afghanistan in the winter of 2002 and what the experience taught him about the country’s deep regional differences.

Where to start with Rory Stewart

If you want his defining book

The Places in Between remains his most acclaimed and widely read work.

If you want his time governing abroad

Occupational Hazards covers his experience as a coalition administrator in post-invasion Iraq.

If you want his political memoir

Politics on the Edge is his most recent book, covering his years as a British MP and cabinet minister.

Frequently asked questions about Rory Stewart’s books

How many books has Rory Stewart written?

Rory Stewart has written several books, including The Places in Between (2004), Occupational Hazards (2006), Can Intervention Work? (2011, co-authored with Gerald Knaus), and his political memoir Politics on the Edge (2023).

What is the best Rory Stewart book to start with?

The Places in Between. It’s his defining and most widely acclaimed book, and the one most responsible for his reputation.

Did Rory Stewart really walk across Afghanistan alone?

Yes. In January 2002, just weeks after the fall of the Taliban, he walked over 500 miles across Afghanistan’s central mountainous interior in deep winter, largely alone aside from local hosts along the way and, for much of the journey, a dog he adopted named Babur.

Written by Lisanne Swart

Lisanne curates books for curious readers at lisanneswart.com, publishing original reading lists, author deep-dives, and honest recommendations since 2021. Read more about Lisanne.

More from the shelf

Reading listBest Adventure and Travel BooksJourneys worth the risk.
Reading listBest Books About World AffairsReporting from where it’s happening.
Reading listBest Memoirs and BiographiesLives told with real directness.
Author indexBooks by AuthorEvery writer on the shelf.

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