Levison Wood is an author, journalist, tv star, photographer, film producer, script writer, fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and as well to top it all off… former Officer in the British Army’s Parachute Regiment.
If you’ve never heard of Levison Wood, he’s written books that have taken us all across the world. He was propelled into fame with his debut 'Walking The Nile' back in 2015 which serendipitously parlayed into a documentary, and then the momentum took and he’s never looked back.
Lev is for me the archetypal guest that I look for with this podcast. That delicate combination of writer and adventurer. The discipline to take a big risk, and then return with clean prose.
I’d group this interview right alongside my high watermark for the show which was #169 with Jon Lee Anderson, #66 with Tim Butcher way back and any of the Tim Marshall appearances as well.
Youtube - https://youtu.be/jP2HR443Pb0
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00:00 - Levison Wood
01:040 - Jocko Willink
04:25 - All Explorers Seem British?
06:08 - Luck & Serendipity
21:43 - The Surprise Success & Big Decade
33:00 - Rough Times For Lev
38:08 - Opportunity Cost: Family Vs Career
44:40 - Lev's Mount Rushmore Of GOAT Explorers
55:40 - Romanticising Indiana Jones & Thoughts On Graham Hancock
59:20 - Rory Stewart
1:02:23 - Great Current Explorers
1:10:30 - Lev Having An Incredible Decade
1:14:10 - Thinking About Risk
1:22:55 - Milling - Wild Hazing In Parachute Regiment
1:30:10 - How Has The Nature Of Travel Changed?
1:43:25 - What Great Expedition From History Would Lev Join?
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