Pearl, Arms and Hashish

Book excerpt: Nobleman, writer, adventurer and inspiration for the swashbuckling gun runner in the Adventures of Tintin, Henri de Monfried lived by his own account 'a rich, restless, magnificent life' as one of the great travellers of his or any age. Infamous as well as famous, his name is inextricably linked to the Red Sea and the raffish ports between Suez and Aden in the early years of the twentieth century. This is a compelling account of how de Monfried sought his fortune by becoming a collector and merchant of the fabled Gulf pearls, and was then drawn into the shadowy world of arms trading, slavery, smuggling and drugs. Hashish was the drug of choice, and de Monfried writes of sailing to Suez with illegal cargoes, dodging blockades and pirates. This compelling book is a unique and detailed portrayal of a colourful and dangerous world that has now disappeared. It allows us to share in the exhilarating adventures of a legend whose love for the sea and zest for life run across every page.