Regular contributor Mac ruminates on the world of travel & some of his adventures along the way  This time round he’s reading and enjoying A Sense of Place , Great Travel Writers, Talk About their Craft, Lives and Inspiration by Michael Shapiro.

Here are some of Mac’s favourite excerpts when the author is interviewing english writer Eric Newby of A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush fame:-

• We had an interview with Mr Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. He gave us a wonderful letter … [however] At Christmas time … most places were closed. They went to the Kanpur Club to see if they could be put up for the holidays showing them Mr Nehru’s letter. They were told Mr Nehru is not a member of the club !

• The Libya Embassy told them they could not go to Libya. Newby’s Wife Wanda suggested he write Kaddafi … He received back from Kaddafi a huge envelope saying “Please be our guest.” But when they wanted to go there was an assassination attempt on Kaddafi and a Libyan assassinated a police woman in St James Square, London !

• Newby in WWII spent thirteen months as a prisoner of the Germans in Italy before escaping in Sept 1943. A sympathetic Italian commandant let him go and the Germans beat to death the commandant. A Slovenian couple with anti fascist sympathies sheltered Newby, who in turn became infatuated with their daughter Wanda who was trying to teach him Italian ! When it became unsafe for him to stay there he found shelter in the maternity ward of a nearby hospital. When the Germans closed in, Wanda’s father risked his own life taking Newby to a mountain hideout. Ultimately Newby was recaptured and returned to prison but survived war. After the war Newby returned to thank the family, court Wanda and they were married & settled in England !!