One of the most exciting and unknown stories that the Second World War left us was the one that starred a group of romantic explorers who in the thirties had founded the Club Zerzura and traveled the Libyan desert in search of the mythical oasis where the army of King Cambyses of Persia was lost. His knowledge of the desert thanks to his cartographic work in North Africa made these explorers, such as László Almásy and Ralph Bagnold , targets coveted by the Allies and the Axis to prepare their intervention in Libya and Egypt.
This episode is the one told by Saul Kelly in his work The lost oasis. Almásy, Zerzura and the desert war , a book that mixes exploration and military history to bring to light facts that were decisive for the outcome of the Second World War That is why we have interviewed the author so that he can tell us about this fascinating history and about these explorers who were involved in the most important war conflict of the 20th century.
Why have so many Europeans been obsessed with finding Zerzura throughout history?
The book focuses on a group of explorers who founded the Club Zerzura and traveled through the Libyan desert to find the mythical oasis. What was the link between them?
Ralph Bagnold and László Almásy are the main protagonists of The Lost Oasis . Could you tell us a little about them?
In the book we can find spies, explorers, double agents and betrayals. Why were Egypt and Libya so important to the Axis countries?
Many are more familiar with László Almásy than with Ralph Bagnold thanks to the movie The English Patient , which was a critical success. Is the film a faithful record of his life or is it just fiction?
Among the explorers, we find Dorothy Clayton, also called “Peter”. In The English Patient , we have another explorer, Katharine Clifton. Why does a well-positioned woman decide to join an arduous desert expedition with several men?
Zerzura has never been found, has Do you think this oasis has a real basis in relation to history?
We thank Saul Kelly for taking the time to answer these questions and we hope that the story of László Almásy, Ralph Bagnold and the other members of the Zerzura Club can be recognized as a episode of the Second World War that was crucial for its outcome.