This man is an adventurer whose life was thrilling and full of twists. He doesn’t have time to feel sorry; adventure sweeps him away…
He traversed the 20th century, and even today, his name evokes the Red Sea, adventure, and trafficking. He didn’t want to follow the herd; it was his choice. It was largely fulfilled, and when we see the bourgeois comfort of this herd, we understand and agree with his choices.
Henry de Monfreid was an extraordinary man, and our sanitized, standardized society numbed by the dumbing down of television programs would find it difficult to follow or imitate him.
Today, adventure is synonymous with Mediterranean clubs where everything is planned, without surprises and without uncertainties. The herd, as Henry de Monfreid used to say, unfortunately, he was a visionary, and reading his book is a window to a refreshing escape, provided one chooses the rocky path instead of the highway, getting lost in the countryside rather than frequenting beaches where the sea has become a paddling pool.
An adventure book? Yes, but also a book to encourage us to take the leap and dare to venture into the unknown.
Thierry Jan
