Horizon Fever

Horizon Fever

Explorer A E Filby’s own account of his extraordinary expedition through Africa, 1931 – 1935

A E FILBY

“Not only was A E Filby a famous British explorer, but he was also my Uncle Archie. He died before I was born, but his unpublished manuscript, ‘Horizon Fever’, and many scrapbooks survived.”

Proclaimed “the World’s most travelled motorist”, A E Filby undertook some breathtaking expeditions, including his 37,000-mile journey from London to Cape Town and back in a series of dilapidated motorcars.

‘Horizon Fever’ is an honest, colourful, often shocking account; a snapshot of bygone days and attitudes. It tells of missionaries, pygmies, big-game hunting, gold-mining, crossing the Sahara and swimming in the Nile with crocodiles. One of Archie’s companions was a monkey called Congo. Another was a dog that adopted him, until it was killed and dragged up a tree by a leopard. Archie himself comes across as a courageous, feisty, quick-tempered, bossy little man, but full of fun, generous and never one to bear a grudge.

Thanks to Archie’s records and photographs, we have a unique glimpse of an astonishing feat of endurance, 80 years after it was completed.

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Themes

Africa, Explorer, Model T Ford, 1930s

Books by Archibald Edmund Filby. Click on a book to see it on Amazon.

Horizon Fever II

A E FILBY

Explorer A E Filby’s own account of his extraordinary Australasian adventures, 1921 – 1931

Before A.E. Filby even embarked on his famous African expeditions, he took advantage of a government-sponsored scheme to migrate to Australia. It was 1921 and his daredevil nature soon had him performing reckless feats as a buckjumper in a popular circus rodeo. Whilst trekking through this vast continent he embraced the opportunity to become a jockey, photographer, actor, hotel representative, pilot, car-salesman and pearl diver.

But Australia was just a stepping stone for Archie to explore many other colourful far-eastern countries including India, Singapore, Borneo, Java and China.

Horizon Fever II covers explorer A.E.Filby’s early years, having been discharged from the army after four years of service during World War One.

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