The intrepid adventures of a real-life Indiana Jones - explorer extraordinaire and founder of Operation Raleigh - are described in this book. The greater the challenge, the more eager Blashford-Snell is to attempt it. Having learned the nuts and bolts of leadership at Sandhurst, the next 15 years were dominated by three epic expeditions: a scientific exploration of the Blue Nile through unmapped and unknown territory, which involved being shot at by natives, beaten by rapids and terrified by crocodiles 15 feet long; the carving of a route across the inhospitable Darien Gap between Panama and Columbia in the face of vicious wildlife; and the coursing of the Zaire River from the middle of Africa to the Atlantic in giant inflatable boats in pursuit of a cure for the terrible disease known as river blindness. In the wake of these expeditions, John set up Operation Drake for young non-Army men and women. Endorsed by the Prince of Wales, it became Operation Raleigh, and is still exploring today. So is Blashford-Snell - his latest trip was the much publicized search for the giant elephants of Mongolia.