The Photographs
Images from the journey, captioned as they appear in the book and keyed to the chapter they belong to. Use the arrows, your keyboard, or swipe.
Chapter 1 — Preparations & Departure
Bucephalus, our used 1961 Land Rover
Chapter 1 — Preparations & Departure
Bucephalus at Apprentice Training School, Crewe Locomotive Works. Being examined by instructors to make sure everything is ‘Shipshape and Bristol fashion’
Chapter 1 — Preparations & Departure
Bucephalus at Bulfan. Valerie, Aunty Hilda & Pat in the foreground. Graham & Uncle Bob at the back
Chapter 1 — Preparations & Departure
Hurried re-loading of Bucephalus outside #18, Danbury Street before departure
Chapter 3 — The Autoput, Serbo-Croat Police & the Balkan Frontier
Outside Hotel Sebastopol, exchanging addresses with Mr Kaman Shapov
Chapter 3 — The Autoput, Serbo-Croat Police & the Balkan Frontier
Just short of the Austro-Yugoslav frontier, a brief respite. Catching up with our diaries and log
Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
Selimiye Mosque
Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
View of Sultan Ahmed Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque)
Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
The main prayer hall under the great dome
Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
Under the magnificent dome of the Sultan Ahmet
Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
Tilework at the Sultanahmet Mosque
Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
Topkapi Palace, just above the Sirkeçi District
Chapter 5 — The Rover Agents & the Grueling Shift to the Levant
Uncle Bob and I, outside the Istanbul Hilton
Chapter 5 — The Rover Agents & the Grueling Shift to the Levant
Washing in a mountain stream in the Taurus mountains
Chapter 6 — The Mountains of the Sun God & the Faith of Damascus
With villagers at Payas just off the beach
Chapter 6 — The Mountains of the Sun God & the Faith of Damascus
Breakfast among the ruins of Baalbek
Chapter 6 — The Mountains of the Sun God & the Faith of Damascus
The tomb of Salahuddin Ayubi
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The guard post in Jerash
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The colonnade plaza in Jerash
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The colonnade plaza in Jerash with the ruts made by cartwheels clearly visible
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
On the road to the Dead Sea (1,372’ below sea level). Here crossing Sea Level. Graham and I on the slopes
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
Floating on the brackish waters of the Dead Sea. Left to right: Patricia, Valerie, myself and Patrick
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The Dome of the Rock
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
Quranic verses atop the Dome of the Rock
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The prayer gallery surrounding the As Sakhara, just below the golden dome of the Dome of the Rock
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
Masjid Al Aqsa
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
Inside Masjid Al Aqsa
Chapter 8 — The Arab Legion & the Midday Heat of Rutba
Graham preparing stew for lunch
Chapter 9 — The Southern Marshes, the Rain of Basra & the Persia Mountains
With the Marine family at Bait Marine
Chapter 9 — The Southern Marshes, the Rain of Basra & the Persia Mountains
Tony Marine
Chapter 11 — The City of Roses & the Throne of Jamshid
Tomb of Sa’adi
Chapter 11 — The City of Roses & the Throne of Jamshid
Staircase at Persepolis – Medes bearing gifts
Chapter 11 — The City of Roses & the Throne of Jamshid
The burial vaults of Achaemenian Kings – the burial chamber of Darius the Great on the right
Chapter 11 — The City of Roses & the Throne of Jamshid
Shaikh Lutfullah Mosque, Isfahan
Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Ali Qapu on the right and looking towards the Masjid e Madre Shah
Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Interior of the Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque
Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Masjid e Mader e Shah, Isfahan
Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Main entrance to Madraseh Chaharbagh
Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Madraseh Chaharbagh
Chapter 14 — The Last Miles of Iran — Bam to the Pakistan Frontier
L to R: Patrick, Bob, Graham (behind Bob), Valerie, Faruq (standing), Patricia & Hilda — 19 miles (31 km) south of Quetta
Chapter 16 — 7,008 Miles — the Final Leg to Karachi
L to R: Graham Boyes, Patricia Vaughan, Talat Khan, Hilda Kersey, Anjum Zafar, Valerie Boyes, Dr. Robert W Kersey, Faruq Khan, Patrick Vaughan
Chapter 17 — The Return Begins — Peshawar to Kabul
Heading due west to Landikotal & Torkham, past the regimental crests — Khyber Pass
Chapter 18 — Across the Afghan Interior — Kabul to Herat
Chihil Zina, Qandahar. From L to R: a local tour guide, Valerie, Faruq, Patrick, Aunty Hilda, Patricia
Chapter 18 — Across the Afghan Interior — Kabul to Herat
Camp just short of Herat. Uncle Bob fixing breakfast at the rear of Bucephalus, whilst Valerie attends to her hair and I have a wash in the irrigation channel
Chapter 22 — Neyshabur & the Road to Tehran
Patricia and I retrieving our suitcase from the locals
Chapter 23 — Tehran & the Road to the Caspian
Patrick driving — next to him Aunty Hilda — Patricia and Faruq partially visible, Summer 1964
Chapter 24 — The Caspian Coast to the Turkish Frontier
Patricia & Valerie in the shadow of Mt Ararat with Anatolian nomads
Chapter 25 — Turkey — Erzurum, the Black Sea & the Hospitality of Elmadag
Black Sea beach at Trabzon. L to R: Graham, Valerie, Faruq, Patrick, Aunty Hilda and Uncle Bob, and Patricia on the bonnet
Chapter 25 — Turkey — Erzurum, the Black Sea & the Hospitality of Elmadag
Our hosts at Elmadag