I am currently reading this amazing memoir by Frank Gardner, the BBC security correspondent who survived an horrific attempt on his life with life changing injuries. The book of course describes the event in question and the subsequent battles He had to face, however there is much more to this book. Without giving anything away, Frank tells of his early life, university years studying Arabic - of which one was spent living in Egypt, with more tales of travelling, partying and the range of people he met along the way through to his adult years and professional life. His views on the world in general but particularly the Arabic world are deep and composed.
Blood and Sand reads like you are in a room chatting with Frank, it is hard to put down and fascinating in so many ways, the descriptions of people and places fill one's mind with imagery - highly recommend if you like biographies, travel and current affairs.