Laszlo Almasy
Country
Hungary
Birth - Death
1895 - 1951
Occupation
Explorer
Description
Former member of the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops in the First World War. In 1926, drove from Egypt to the Sudan along the Nile, which was the impetus for his dessert exploration. Began exploring the Libyan dessert by airplane as a member of the Zerzura Club . On numerous expeditions, he and others established contacts with new tribes and discovered and catalogued prehistoric sites. In the second World War, became a spy for the Germans, then subsequently became a spy for the British. Was forced in exile to Egypt on charges of treason after the war. Letters discovered in 2010 confirm his homosexuality. Much of the story line and events in the book and Oscar-winning movie 'The English Patient' was based on his life.
