Peter Scholl-Latour dead at 90

[Skybird]

For most people outside Germany, this will mean little or nothing, not even in France, whose citizenship he also held.

Scholl-Latour was one of the most profiled journalists of Germany, and probably the best-known foreign correspondent there was, with special expertise on on the Arab sphere, Islam, and in a wider context Asia, Russia and Africa. He released many books in which he described his voyages and travels, and he has predicted many of our contemporary conflicts with the Islamic world, and almost all general developments in the collapsing Soviet Union, its southern provinces and the American follies in Iraq. On these and accompanying issues, he held quite some very unpopular, politically incorrect views that were founded on his first handed experience in the countries themselves. In earlier years, he was an expert in the best meaning of the word (combining academics with RL experience, holding two masters for politics at the Sorbonne, and Arab-Islamic studies at the university of Beirut), coming to bigger fame with his book about the Vietnam wars, Death in the Ricefield. After that, many more publications followed. After his career as a TV foreign correspondent, he continued to frequently travel, mostly as a private "adventurer" who simply refused to come to rest. In the past years, however, he simply did not realise his age (or refused to do so ) and imo he missed the right time to step back and retreat from the public focus, his behavior at TV appearances became - strange at times, sometimes bizarr, and I more often found myself wondering about and disagreeing with him.

He tried to join the French Resistence during WWII or the Jugoslavian Resistence, but was captured by the Gestapo when crossing a border, spending the rest of the war in prison, after the war he joined a commando force of the French paratroopers, and fought in the first Indochina war.

I owe him personally, for his example was maybe my main motivation, when I was young, why I once started to dare jumping over my own shadow and head for adventure and started to travel myself, without his example on mind I maybe would never have found the courage for that. For longer time back then, he was somewhat an idol of mine.

My biggest disagreement with him was over the person of Erdoghan, on whom I held much more hostile views from all beginning on than S.-L. did (who knew him personally).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Scholl-Latour

As the entry says, he was one of the few privileged journalists who were allowed to travel with Chomenei, who somewhat trusted him. What Wikipedia does not say, was that for several hours S-L was - as he ironically put it - the guardian of the Iranian constitution, when Chomenei asked him to take the draft for the new Islamic constitution with his private luggage, knowing that Western journalists would not be searched at the airport of Teheran, but Chomenei's luggage would be examined and the draft taken.

Knowing several of his books, I liked Death in the Ricefield (1st and 2nd Indochina war which he experienced from right being in the middle of it, he fought in the French's war), African Dirge (about the African tragedies) and War on Terror-War on Islam? (accompanying a 4x45 minute TV documentations by him about the Gulf war 2003) best.

A tough, biting old bone he was, always ready to set up a fight, and very much old-school, with quite some stamina and sometimes iron stubborness. An original. I will remember the man of earlier years, and forgive him the past 5-8 years when he lost his timing for a good withdrawal. He has had quite some influence on my views back then, and on the way in which I approach certain things today, and as I said: some of the courage I found I maybe wouldn't have found if not taking him as an idol in younger years, without him I would not have started to made those travels in the 90s. Journalists of his calibre and nature today simply do not show up often anymore. If at all.

Bon Voyage to you, Sir.

[Skybird]

One of not too many interviews by him that got translated into English.

http://www.ulrikereinhard.com/2013/0...e-middle-east/

It shows statements on which i would agree and also statements that I see critical.

Easy it never was to get along with what he had to say.

[Schroeder]

One of the best we had. Not streamlined mass media. Not sure we have anyone to replace him, I wouldn't know of anyone.
Rest in peace and thanks for your insights.

[Oberon]

Always a shame when a good correspondant passes away, I had, sadly, never heard of him, but I'm aware of reporters in our press who I have similar respect for, Jeremy Bowen, Kate Adie, John Simpson, to name just a few.
They have a difficult job, bringing the news in such dangerous areas, I recall a while ago (by Bowen) which illustrated this.

May he rest in peace, and thank you for bringing his life to our attention.

[Skybird]

The gentleman-adventurer:

http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesells...-a-986507.html

An appreciation that Scholl-Latour, who hated it when they bowed to him and said that because one were old one would not automatically be right, probably would have liked. I think it fits the man well.

And one of his last interviews, from earlier this year.

http://www.tagesspiegel.de/weltspieg...652136.html?p=

Lassen Sie uns zurückblicken auf Ihre 70 Jahre als Reporter, Reisender und politischer Beobachter. Was war die heikelste Situation in Ihrem Leben?

Ich stand mal an der Erschießungsmauer, das war nicht ganz ungefährlich. Vielleicht hatten sie gar nicht vor, uns abzuknallen, aber es sah so aus.

That's the spirit!

[Jimbuna]

I've read a few of his articles in the past iirc but couldn't honestly say I knew much if anything about him.

RIP

[flostt]

From his books I only read and enjoyed "African Dirge"

There was an article about him in the sunday newspaper today, apparently he had set foot in every country!!

RIP