Captured in the Desert: A Soldier’s Misfortune With the French Foreign Legion in Algeria

The French Foreign Legion these days is more exclusive than it used to be. If there is an Interpol notice against you, for example, you won’t get through the gate. A century ago, however, a man who wanted to escape his past and assume a new identity could disappear into the ranks of “Légion Étrangère” – as long as he made the grade. Thanks to one of our readers, who sent us an account from long ago, we have a glimpse of those wilder days, as told by an Englishman whose search for adventure brought more trouble than he expected.