I had great pleasure in meeting and photographing Frank Gardner OBE at his lecture at Marlborough College.
In June 2004, while reporting on what should have been a routine assignment in Riyadh, his life – never mind his ability to travel the world – was nearly brought to a violent end by Islamist gunmen. Incredibly, Frank not only survived being shot six times at point blank range but also, against all the odds and through force of will, has found himself looking towards those far horizons once more. He’s not only been slalom skiing in the Alps, scuba diving in the Red Sea and explored the jungle in northern Thailand. And he is also reporting once more from far-flung destinations like Afghanistan and Colombia – and this is a man who no longer has the use of his legs…
Born in 1961, Frank Gardner is the BBC’s full-time Security Correspondent, reporting for television and radio on issues of domestic and international security. A fluent Arabist, with a degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies, he was previously the BBC’s Middle East Correspondent based in Cairo, and before that in Dubai. He has written for the Economist, Daily Telegraph and The Best of Sunday Times Travel Writing. His first book was his bestselling memoir, Blood & Sand. Awarded an OBE in 2005 for services to journalism, and the prestigious El Mundo Prize for International Journalism, Frank Gardner is married with two children and lives in London.
