wilfrid thesiger in the empty quarter in the 1930s and 405, and i think they recognised something thatlected a sense of their own sense of being marginal in british society. and so it was a form of escape. and yes, it was exploration, yes, they carried out these extraordinary adventures and, discovered routes across the empty quarter and the peninsula that were unknown until then. but they were seeking some kind of comfort. solace of some kind? yes, solace. you talk about the empty quarter in the middle east, this vast, pretty hostile terrain. what was your own experience like when you first got a feel for it, when you first got there? what was your reaction? it's the most beautiful place i've ever been. like entering the world of a dream another planet. it feels entirely unlike anything i've experienced. the shifting sands, the shadows. the sheer grandeur, the enormity of the place. the sparsity of the plates. we come from a very relatively low—lying green island next to the sea. and this is another part of what i think appeals particularly to british explorers. it's completely unlike