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Travels in a Dervish Cloak

by Isambard Wilkinson

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Greg said: " I don’t often read travel books – but I’m glad I read this one. And soon, it was hard to avoid making comparisons with Eric Newby, Fitzroy Maclean and John Masters. But why bother? Bard Wilkinson, so different to them, I’d hazard a guess, and wise be I don’t often read travel books – but I’m glad I read this one. And soon, it was hard to avoid making comparisons with Eric Newby, Fitzroy Maclean and John Masters. But why bother? Bard Wilkinson, so different to them, I’d hazard a guess, and wise beyond his years, has his own distinctive style; perceptive, calm, compelling, great humanity and an engaging absence of ego.

One is immediately drawn into why this part of the world got into his blood during his youth – and remains there. Later, he returns as foreign correspondent for The Daily Telegraph. His brushwork describing sensory aspects such as sights, sounds and smells, is richly hued. Moreover, passages about places, Chitral in particular, a visually stunning part of northern Pakistan, and some of the characters he encounters, are both fascinating and enchanting. (The redoubtable Wilfred Thesiger wrote that an aspect of Chitral was ‘probably the finest view I had ever seen in my life’.) The author describes much that, to my surprise, still exists as I had seen it as a mere passer-by in 1970 – though tragically the relentless encroachment of toxic political and religious influences now threaten to extinguish the magic of its diversity and tolerance.

As foreign correspondent, he inevitably is witness to scenes that are savage, vivid and shocking. Nevertheless, he distances his cameos from hyperbole and melodrama. I think this is part of the author’s innate modesty and courage; there is no doubt that some of his experiences involved great risk. If you went looking for serious trouble in his bailiwick at the time, it wouldn’t take you long to find it. Well, it was often his job. And sometimes this also involved interviewing some quite nasty people.

Again, he characteristically skates over the dangers of a stint in Afghanistan which terminates in a military hospital in Camp Bastion, Helmand province, due to a daunting illness which had plagued him for years. (Whilst there, he witnessed an ungrateful Taliban patient running amok ‘trying to kill the first person at hand’.)

I was impressed by the author’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the region’s history, culture, traditions, and personalities – which, quite apart from anything else, makes this a must-read for those requiring invaluable insights in the region and some of its personalities.

I read this nicely crafted and poignant book with a mix of nostalgia, envy and respect, feeling rather sad to reach the final full-stop. It is surely delightful and enthralling reading for anyone interested in travel in a way rarely done today. ...more "

Oct 14, 2017 09:10AM · see review