Quotes by Tahir Shah

About Tahir Shah:

Tahir Shah is an Anglo-Afghan Indian author, journalist and documentary maker. He lives in Casablanca, Morocco.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

An intelligent enemy,' he would say, stroking his beard as if it were a bristly pet, 'rather than a foolish friend.' Or, 'He learnt the language of pigeons, and forgot his own.' Or, the favourite of Jan Fishan Khan: 'Nothing is what it seems.

Tahir Shah

Nothing is what it seems. Favoured Pashtu proverb of Jan Fishan Khan.

Tahir Shah

In moments of great uncertainty on my travels, I have always felt that something is protecting me, that I will come to no harm.

Tahir Shah

Money spent on good-quality gear is always money well spent.

Tahir Shah

But in Africa bureaucrats are usually too proud to accept a bribe, something I admire when I'm not the one being arrested.

Tahir Shah

As anyone who's ever taken an Ethiopian bus knows, there is an unwritten rule that the windows must remain firmly closed.

Tahir Shah

When I am about to embark on a difficult journey, I comfort myself by reading the accounts of the great nineteenth-century travellers, men like Stanley, Burton, Speke, Burckhardt and Barth.

Tahir Shah

In any case, a little danger is a small price to pay for ridding a place of tourists.

Tahir Shah

A journey, I reflected, is of no merit unless it has tested you.

Tahir Shah

It was an awkward moment. We were burning down our host's house, a situation which any guest seeks to avoid.

Tahir Shah

None of them seemed to mind sliding around in the faeces and choking in the smoke. They were determined not to miss the opportunity of watching a foreigner make a fool of himself.

Tahir Shah

Most journeys have a clear beginning, but on some the ending is less well-defined. The question is, at what point do you bite your lip and head for home?

Tahir Shah

The first rule of an expedition is that everyone should stick together.

Tahir Shah

There's nothing like a pack of mules to give one a sense of entourage.

Tahir Shah

There's nothing quite like a good quest for getting your blood pumping.

Tahir Shah

As far as Samson was concerned I was just another foreigner in pursuit of a lunatic quest.

Tahir Shah

I felt sure we could gain the upper hand by putting ourselves in the mindset of the Incas.

Tahir Shah

Usually, there is nothing more pleasing that returning to a place where you have endured hardship.

Tahir Shah

The first few hours in the cell were quite stimulating. I'd never been in a prison cell before and was quite enjoying the experience.

Tahir Shah

I am all for curses and superstition, but there's a point at which they start getting in the way. That point had arrived.

Tahir Shah

Contemplation is a luxury, requiring time and alternatives.

Tahir Shah

Author Bio

  • NameTahir Shah
  • DescriptionBritish journalist and documentary filmmaker
  • BornNovember 16, 1966
  • CountryUnited Kingdom
  • ProfessionWriter; Journalist; Novelist