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Laszlo Almasy

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Adventurer

The Resume

    (August 22, 1895-March 22, 1951)
    Born in Bernstein im Burgenland, Austria
    Hungarian aristocrat/soldier/pilot/auto racer/desert explorer
    Served in the army and air force of Austria-Hungary during WWI
    Served with the Afrika Korps during WWII
    Explored over 750,000 square miles of the Sahara Desert
    Wrote ‘The Unknown Sahara’ (1934) and ‘With Rommel’s Army in Libya’ (1943)
    Inspired the book and movie ‘The English Patient’

Why he might be annoying:

    He was not actually a Count but used the title anyway.
    He twice drove Austrian Emperor Charles to Budapest in unsuccessful attempts to re-establish the monarchy.
    He was an opportunist who would work for anyone who might help him further his desert explorations.
    At the start of World War II, he had to return from North Africa to Hungary because the British suspected he was spying for Italy and vice versa.
    While with the Afrika Korps, he infiltrated German spies behind Allied lines into Egypt.
    After the North Africa campaign ended, he took part in a plot to start a revolt in Turkey.
    It turns out that if they wanted to be historically accurate, the makers of ‘The English Patient’ should have had Ralph Fiennes’ Count Almasy making out with Naveen Andrews instead of Kirstin Scott-Thomas.
    He had bad teeth.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He built his first glider when he was 14.
    He helped organize the 4th World Scout Jamboree, held in Hungary (1933).
    He was nicknamed ‘Father of the Sands’ by the Bedouins.
    His favorite lover, German soldier Hans Entholt, died after stepping on a land mine.
    After returning to Budapest late in WWII, he helped save several Jewish families from being deported to concentration camps.
    After WWII, he was tried for treason by Hungary’s Communist regime and was acquitted.
    Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency reportedly helped him escape from Hungary to Western Europe, which led to speculation that he had served the British as a double agent in WWII.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 18 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 13 Votes: 61.54% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 15 Votes: 60.0% Annoying