William Dalrymple

William Dalrymple is the author of eight acclaimed works of history and travel, including, most recently, Return of the King: The Battle for Afghanistan 1839-42, currently a No.1 bestseller in India. He divides his time between New Delhi and London, and is a contributor to The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, and The Guardian.

Déjà Vu

The Last Days of the Americans in Afghanistan

How William Dalrymple came under the protection of a warlord whose ancestors helped throw the Brits of Afghanistan—and how he found parallels to the American invasion.

William Dalrymple

Afghanistan

‘A War for No Wise Purpose’

The West invades Afghanistan and retreats in defeat. William Dalrymple asks what we can learn from history.

William Dalrymple

Goodbye to My Hero

William Dalrymple remembers legendary travel writer and British war hero Patrick Leigh Fermor.

William Dalrymple

A Passage to Literature!

Welcome to Jaipur for the coolest and most inspired literary festival in the world. Festival founder William Dalrymple writes in Newsweek about how it all got started—and how it’s become a destination.

William Dalrymple

Road Tripping With Sufi Mystics

Nearly a year ago British author William Dalrymple set off on a world tour with Sufi mystics and stoned Bengali musicians to promote his new book, Nine Lives. He tells the story of his hilarious adventures from getting them through customs to calling forth a deity in Australia.

William Dalrymple