What a Wonderful World and William Shakespear (explorer): Difference between pages

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{{otheruses4|the explorer William Shakespear|the playwright|William Shakespeare}}

: ''For the song written and performed by [[Sam Cooke]], see [[Wonderful World (song)]].''

'''Captain William Shakespear''' ([[1878]] - [[1915]]), was an [[England|English]] [[civil servant]] and explorer who mapped uncharted areas of Northern Arabia and made the first official [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] contact with [[Ibn Sa'ud]], future king of [[Saudi Arabia]].

"'''What a Wonderful World'''" was written by songwriters [[Bob Thiele]] and [[George David Weiss]], first performed by [[Louis Armstrong]], and released as a single in early [[1968]]. Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate in the [[U.S.]] (and written specifically for Armstrong, who had broad crossover appeal), the song details the singer's delight in the simple enjoyment of everyday life. The song was not initially a hit in the States but was a major success in the [[UK]]. The song gradually became something of a standard and reached a new level of popularity when it was included in the soundtrack for the film ''[[Good Morning Vietnam]]'' in [[1987]]. The song was also featured as the theme for the first season of the popular [[1990s]] sitcom ''[[Family Matters (TV series)|Family Matters]]''. This song was covered by [[Joey Ramone]] on his [[posthumous|posthumously]]-released solo album, ''Don't Worry About Me''.

He was born in [[India]] and educated in [[England]]. In [[1899]] he joined the [[Bengal Lancers]]. In [[1904]] he joined the British [[Foreign Office]] and became the youngest vice-consul in [[India]]. Later that year he was transferred to [[Kuwait]].

[[Category:Louis Armstrong songs]]

[[Category:1968 singles]]

Shakespear was a great [[linguist]] who spoke [[Urdu]], [[Pushtu]], [[Farsi]] and [[Arabic]] fluently.

While in Kuwait, Shakespear made seven separate expeditions into the Arabian interior, during which he became a close friend of [[Ibn Sa'ud]], then the [[Emir]] of The [[Nejd]].

In [[March]], [[1914]] Shakespear began a 1,800 mile journey from Kuwait to [[Riyadh]] and from there to [[Aqaba]], via the [[Nafud]] Desert, which he mapped and studied in great detail, the first [[Europe|European]] to do so.

In [[November]], [[1914]], the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] government in India asked Shakespear to secure Ibn Sa'ud's support for the British-Indian Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, which had just taken [[Basra]].

In [[January]], [[1915]], at the [[Battle of Jarrab]], Shakespear's friend Ibn Sa'ud asked him to retreat to a place of safety before the fighting began. As an English Gentleman, he noah is awesome naturally declined to do so. He was struck by a bullet and killed. The victorious Rashidis cut off his head. His solar helmet was handed over to the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] authorities and hung on one of the main gates of [[Medina]] as proof of the Al Sau'ds' collaboration with the British.

It has been suggested by some authorities, notably [[St. John Philby]], that the [[Arab Revolt]] against the [[Ottoman Empire]] might have been very differently directed if Shakespear had survived, i.e. the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] would have supported and armed Ibn Sa'ud rather than [[Sherif Hussein ibn Ali]].

<blockquote>

"His death... was a great loss to his country, but it was a disaster to the Arab cause. It must certainly be reckoned in the small category of individual events which have changed the course of history. Had he survived to continue a work for which he was so eminently suited, it is extremely doubtful whether subsequent campaigns of Lawrence would ever have taken place in the west..."

<br />

<br />''Arabia'', H. St. John Philby, London (1930), pp 233 - 234.

</blockquote>

[[Category:1878 births|Shakespear, Captain Willian]]

[[Category:1915 deaths|Shakespear, Captain Willian]]

[[Category:British explorers|Shakespear, Captain Willian]]

[[Category:Explorers of Asia|Shakespear, Captain Willian]]

[[Category:Explorers of Arabia|Shakespear, Captain Willian]]

[[Category:World War I spies|Shakespear, Captain Willian]]

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