The real-life adventure follows Eric Newby CBE MC, a second world war prisoner, former special forces soldier, and fashion photographer (an interesting career path in itself!), and his diplomat friend, Hugh Carless CMG, as they drive a station wagon from London to Kabul, Afghanistan, via Iran – a journey of some 5000 miles (around 8000 kilometres) through Europe, Turkey, Iran, over the course of a month and all without any support vehicles. We think this itself is an impressive feat of planning and navigation in the era before GPS, mobile phones, or breakdown assistance!