"People of the Flame" by David Adams

David Adams

Over the last 17 years, David Adams has developed his reputation both through his reporting and the numerous documentary films that he has written, directed and produced. He is best known for his investigative work, particularly Journeys to the Ends of the Earth, a 13 part documentary series made for the Discovery Network. His passion for anthropology, archeology, history and diverse cultures continues to take him to some of the world's most remote locations - including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Siberia, Central Asia, Central Africa and the Pacific Rim in search of indigenous peoples and their disappearing cultures.

In addition to his adventures in documentary filmmaking, David is a widely published photojournalist with articles appearing in over fifty countries. David has also acted as a war correspondent in Afghanistan and Georgia and has had a long-term association with The Sydney Morning Herald, as well as other popular Australian periodicals and television networks including the ABC. After a secondary education at The Kings School in Sydney, Australia, David gained a grounding in marketing, promotion and advertising. His varied and unique experience continues to take David into new realms and he is currently developing his first feature film. (From DAVID ADAMS FILMS)

In People of the Flame,  David Adams trav­els the Ira­ni­an wilder­ness in search of the Zoroas­tri­ans, an an­cient peo­ple who have tend­ed a holy flame for the last 1500 years.

William S. Burroughs and HASSAN SABBAH

Hassan-i Sabbāh

Hassan-i Sabbāh (Persian: حسن صباح Hasan-e Sabbāh, 1050s-1124) was a Persian Nizārī Ismā'īlī missionary who converted a community in the late 11th century in the heart of the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran. The place was called Alamut and was attributed to an ancient king of Daylam. He founded a group whose members are sometimes referred to as the Hashshashin or Assassins.

William S. Burroughs

WSB: Hassan I Sabbah never made any attempt to extend power. He kept what he had-one or two fortresses. And he certainly was not a puritanical man.

Very little is actually known about Hassan I Sabbah. But it was a unique phenomenon.

In my books, then, Hassan I Sabbah seems to be a kind of model for a man who rebels against the control system and who sets up his own counterforce.  (From An Interview with William S. Burroughs April 4, 1980, New York City  by Jennie Skerl)