The Austrian-Hungarian automotive and aviation pioneer, adventurer, and Sahara explorer Ladislaus E. Almásy served as the inspiration for the "English Patient" in both the book and the film adaptation. His thrilling expeditions in the Sahara were documented in a book published in 1939. "Swimmer in the Desert" is the true and fascinating story behind the novel and film. In his writings, Almásy recounts his Sahara expeditions, his espionage activities during World War II, the discovery of the "lost" oasis Zarzura, and the rock carvings in Gilf Kebir.