What the British spy saw changed the history of Afghanistan and Iran | William Dalrymple | 5x15

William Dalrymple is an award winning historian as well as a broadcaster, critic and art historian. In 1986, while still at college, he set off to follow on foot the outward route of Marco Polo from Jerusalem to Mongolia and wrote a highly acclaimed bestseller about the journey, In Xanadu, when he was twenty-two. The book won the 1990 Yorkshire Post Best First Work Award and a Scottish Arts Council Spring Book Award. He followed this up with City of Djinns (1994), From the Holy Mountain (1997) and The Age of Kali (1998). In 1999 he changed genres and began writing history books. White Mughals was published in 2003 winning the Wolfson Prize and the Scottish Book of the Year Prize. He has been the South Asia correspondent of the New Statesman since 2004. He is also one of the co-founders and co-directors of the annual Jaipur Literature Festival. 5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each. Learn more about 5x15 events: 5x15stories.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/5x15stories Facebook: www.facebook.com/5x15stories Instagram: www.instagram.com/5x15stories