He described the peoples of the mountains like they were Peter and Jane of the Chechens in a Dorking and Kinglsey pop up Encyclopaedia.

For Peter life was a succession of manly pursuits: hunting, fishing, drinking and brawling.

For Jane it was a case of picking up all the important bits of life: keeping the house together, farming and breeding. She was what the entire civilisation hinged on.

She wore red and tied her hair close to her head.

He wore blue and a furry hat.

They were archetypes.

Hard to imagine in this age but still able to leap from the page.