In 1868 the British government mounted an extraordinary bid to rescue a clutch of European hostages in the Ethiopian highlands. They built a Red Sea port, then a railway across the coastal plain, and finally imported 44 Indian elephants and commissioned 26,000 local people to serve the soldiers and carry their heavy guns into the heart of Africa. A hundred and fifty years later, John has been following their route, partly on foot with a donkey, and has been comparing Eritrea and Ethiopia then and now. He found today’s people spirited and charming, living in dramatic and extremely challenging lands. It was history and adventure combined!

About John
John Pilkington is one of Britain’s most experienced explorers and public speakers. In 1983, after journeys in Africa and Latin America, he made an 800-kilometre solo crossing of the western Nepal Himalaya, and told the story in his first book, Into Thin Air. His interest in Asia grew further with the opening in 1986 of the border between Pakistan and China, making it possible – for the first time in forty years – to retrace virtually the whole of the Silk Road. He was one of the first modern travellers to do so, and wrote about the journey in An Adventure on the Old Silk Road. This was followed in 1991 by An Englishman in Patagonia, recounting eight months in this enigmatic southern tip of South America.

John made his name in the 1980s as a travel writer and photographer, and more recently has become known for his thought-provoking, richly illustrated talks and his adventure travel documentaries for BBC Radio 4. He has spoken to over 1,000 audiences in six countries, and holds the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)’ Ness Award for popularising geography and the wider understanding of the world.