![]() ![]() He served with both the SOE and the SAS during World War 2. This introductory sentence from Wikipedia gives a sense of a life rather different to yours or mine! Major Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger, CBE, DSO, FRAS, FRGS, also known as Mubarak bin London (Arabic for “the blessed one from London”)(3 June 1910 ‘“ 24 August 2003) was a British explorer and travel writer. Thesiger ‘œhad the man’s courage to live out the boy’s dream.’ And ever since I read Arabian Sands, I have dreamed of one day making a journey in Thesiger’s footsteps. ![]() His photography was superb, particularly when you consider that he took fewer photographs in an entire expedition than I do on a single day. His prose is simple and measured, thoughtful and honest. The harder the life, he believed, the finer the person. He lived ascetically, and scorned modern convenience, speed and luxury. Thesiger pushed himself hard to test himself. And when he died (I was cycling through South America at the time), I felt sad that I never had the opportunity to meet him. They encouraged me to think ambitiously but simply about making big journeys. It was his books who inspired me to join (very briefly!) his old Boxing Club at university. ![]()
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