Books of My Life: Explorer Benedict Allen on what he's learnt from his adventures


Hareth Al Bustani
  • English
  • Arabic

In the fourth episode of Books of My Life season two, host Hareth Al Bustani interviews British writer and explorer Benedict Allen.

The real-life Indiana Jones, Allen has nearly died nine times, adventuring everywhere from the Amazon to the Arctic. Keen to minimise his impact on local communities and surroundings, he never takes any GPS equipment and builds local expeditions from the ground wherever he goes.

Allen has also written a dozen books documenting his exploits.

He recalls being inspired by the stories of Dr David Livingstone, Peter Matthiessen and Wilfred Thesiger, people he says had a dream and were prepared to take risks to make it come true.

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

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Canada

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Saudi Arabia

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World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

Updated: September 26, 2024, 6:01 AM`
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