Kathmandu

• Thomas Bell spent years living and working in Nepal, and his experiences form the foundation of this richly detailed account of Kathmandu. The book looks beyond the city’s familiar temples and tourist attractions to examine its complex social, political and cultural history.

  Bell traces the city through successive periods of reinvention, from its ancient religious traditions and royal past to communism, democracy, consumerism and modern urban development. He also considers the environmental and political challenges that have accompanied Kathmandu’s rapid growth.

• Thomas Bell is a British journalist and writer who moved to Nepal after university. He worked as a correspondent for The Daily Telegraph and The Economist, covering Nepal’s civil war and later working as a political officer for the United Nations during the country’s peace process.

Kathmandu presents the city as a place where centuries-old traditions coexist with dramatic modern change. Bell explores its temples, gods and goddesses, caste traditions, aristocratic culture and royal history alongside the forces of communism, democracy, consumerism and globalization.

Drawing on his own experiences and observations, Bell moves between personal encounters and the wider history of Nepal. His account examines the political upheavals and social transformations that have shaped Kathmandu while also capturing the everyday character of its streets and people.

The result is an accessible and deeply researched portrait of a remarkable Himalayan city—one that explores not only what Kathmandu looks like, but how its history, politics and culture have shaped the city it has become.