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Simon Reeve

Simon Reeve is an adventurer and TV presenter. He is also the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of the very first book on Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. A passionate speaker his topics are travel, wildlife, history, current affairs, conservation and the environment. He has traveled extensively to more than 120 countries and is also an impressive event and awards host. 

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About Simon Reeve

Simon is the presenter of the a number of highly acclaimed travel TV series and has been around the world at least three times for his two series Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, and Tropic of Cancer.

Biography

Simon Reeve started work as a teenage post boy on a national newspaper and spent more than five years as the youngest staff writer on the paper. He left to write investigative features for publications including ‘Time’ magazine and ‘Esquire’, and then produced, wrote or edited a series of current-affairs books investigating subjects such as terrorism, biological warfare, international organised crime and nuclear smuggling.

Not a lot of people know this about Simon Reeve

Simon’s book ‘The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden and the future of terrorism’,. In it, he warned of a new age of apocalyptic terrorism and was the first in the world on Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. Originally published in 1998 it has been a New York Times bestseller.

The Washington Times said it was “a compelling reconstruction”, and “an outstanding account describing a terrible and growing peril”.  Ahmed Rashid (bestselling author of the critically-acclaimed Taliban) said it was “truly original investigative work”. He noted, “Reeve has had unprecedented access to Arab sources as well as US intelligence sources”. The book led to BBC News describing Simon as “perhaps the world’s leading expert on al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden”.

Simon Reeve’s  TV Work

He has presented many acclaimed ‘adventure  TV series such as ‘Tropic of Capricorn’, ‘Equator’, ‘Explore’, ‘Places That Don’t Exist’ and ‘Meet the Stans’.

‘Tropic of Cancer’ 2009

Simon travelled around the northern border of the Tropics region, for a major 6×1 hour BBC2 series of the same name.  The ‘Tropic of Cancer’ series was Simon’s third round-the-world trip exploring the Tropics. A fascinating region of the planet with both the richest natural biodiversity and the greatest concentration of human suffering. The  ‘Tropic of Cancer’ series had a strong current affairs theme, with issues including poverty, the drugs trade, climate change, industrial pollution, and a forgotten war.

But it is also a spectacular travelogue.  Starting in Mexico, Simon circled the planet, following the Tropic of Cancer east to paradise beaches in the Caribbean. It then crosses the Sahara, borders in North Africa closed to foreigners for decades, the deserts of Arabia, and the jungles of Asia. His travel continues on to Hawaii.  A massive trip visiting 18 countries, meeting amazing people, and witnessing bizarre and beautiful sights. And encountering spectacular and endangered wildlife.

‘Tropic of Capricorn’ 2008

The 2008 BBC TV series ‘Tropic of Capricorn’ saw Simon travelling around the line marking the southern border of the tropics. On his epic journey, Simon passed through southern Africa, Madagascar, Australia and South America.

The Daily Mail said of Simon Reeve

“Five Stars…Brilliant…a fascinating, illuminating journey…much more than a travelogue. As well as jaw-dropping beauty, we see poverty, smuggling, deforestation, endangered wildlife, widespread HIV, a forgotten genocide… It sounds bleak, but thanks to the informed, inquisitive and genial Reeve, it makes compelling television.”

Simon’s accompanying book, also called ‘Tropic of Capricorn’, is published by BBC Books.

The Daily Telegraph said of Simon Reeve

“like all the best travellers, Reeve carries out his investigations with infectious relish, and in the realization that trying to understand the country you’re in is not just fascinating, but also hugely enjoyable.”

In the 2006 BBC series ‘Equator’

Simon headed east around the planet, passing through troubled areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The Radio Times said of Simon Reeve

“it was an extraordinary journey…eye-opening…revelatory…thrilling and thought-provoking…hits us with jaw-dropping facts…delivers a string of revealing snapshots.”

’In Places That Don’t Exist’ (2005)

Simon travelled through a group of unrecognised nations – countries so obscure they don’t officially exist. Among the destinations visited were Somaliland, Transdniestria, Nagorno-Karabkh, Ajaria and South Ossetia. The Daily Telegraph said the five-part series was: “exemplary… riveting… eye-opening… remarkable… superb”.

In ‘Meet the Stans’ (2003)

Simon travelled through Central Asia from the far north-west of Kazakhstan, by the Russian border, east to the Chinese border, south through Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the edge of Afghanistan, and west to Uzbekistan and the legendary Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara. The Times said: “Simon Reeve’s journey through Kazakhstan is a first-class Boy’s Own adventure on film and illuminating too. I can’t imagine anyone switching off who stays for the first five minutes.”

Books

The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden and the Future of Terrorism, a New York Times bestseller, published in 1998, which predicted the rise of al Qaeda. It was the first book in the world on bin Laden and al Qaeda. The New Jackals warned al Qaeda was planning huge attacks on the West, and concluded an apocalyptic terrorist strike by the group was almost inevitable.

One Day in September: the story of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre is also an Oscar-winning documentary movie. published by Faber and Faber. The movie of the same name, narrated by the actor Michael Douglas, won the Oscar for best feature documentary.

Booking Information

Simon Reeve News

Jan 03, 2024

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