Just Finished Reading: The Power of Geography – Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World by Tim Marshall (FP: 2021) [364pp] 

This was, essentially, a continuation of the authors previous work on Geopolitics – Prisoners of Geography. Here he is more forward looking although each section still contains a goodly slice of history for the required context. Starting off with Australia (which I remembered him musing over in the previous book) he looks at that continental country in context with its place in the Japan, South Korea, China axis, especially focused on the ongoing problems in the South China Sea. This does look like a potential conflict zone in the years ahead if cooler heads fail to prevail. I doubt if it would take too much pushing to start an actual shooting war – never mind how stupid and pointless that conflict would be. 

Moving onto the ever ‘interesting’ Middle East zone, we looked at both Iran and Saudi Arabia. I’ve read a little (emphasis on little) about Iran, but this author really helped me understand its geography – especially in a strategic sense – much better than I had previously. I can now understand exactly why Iraq had such a hard time invading during their bloody conflict. The section on Saudi looks very much at its economic future as the US in particular slowly removes its reliance on Mid-East oil and its involvement in Mid-East politics. Although this is a good idea in and of itself (for a whole host of reasons) it doesn’t follow that the tensions in that area will diminish greatly never mind vanish overnight. There are certainly enough other ethnic and religious divisions in the region – to say nothing of Israel’s actions – to keep it in the news for decades to come. 

I’ve been aware of the ‘issues’ between Turkey and Greece for a while now, both from my reading about the region and from watching various conflicts (notably Cyprus) play out on my TV. So, it was a real eye-opener to understand exactly why these two countries – NATO allies indeed – are potentially at each other's throats so much. Not only do they have a LONG history of conflict to draw on, but there’s a whole new cause in play right now: the resources of the eastern Mediterranean. How this will play out... is definitely an open question. 

I’d be the first to admit that my knowledge of Africa is practically non-existent. Apart from some knowledge of Ancient Egypt, the North African campaigns of WW2 and a passing knowledge of the Boer War in South Africa I know almost nothing of that great continent. So, it was good to see two sections in this book dedicated to diminishing that oversight. Looking at conditions throughout the Sahel and Ethiopia I now have a much greater appreciation of the area's problems (often caused by those pesky straight borders again) and what they (and, typically, the Chinese) are doing about it. MUCH more on Africa to come! 

Overall, I enjoyed this a great deal and learnt MUCH. This is a valuable addition to his previous work, and I can definitely recommend it to anyone (like me) who is trying to understand why the world is the way it is. More to come.  

Just Finished Reading: Prisoners of Geography – Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics by Tim Marshall (FP: 2015/2019) [300pp] 

I’m sure that I’m not alone in wondering what exactly is going on with the world right now. It seems, at least if you watch the news or spend any time on-line (and especially if you spend any time swimming in the increasingly toxic depths of ‘Social Media’) that things are definitely ‘off’ to say the least. I’d even go so far as to say that it seems, on a good day, that a significant percentage of the humans on this planet have gone (or maybe just have gone public about being) crazy. So, what’s up? I thought reading up on Geopolitics might help – and it did! 

Personally, I’m one of ‘those people’ who just enjoy looking at maps, hunting out strange place names, and wondering what a place is actually like. Studying Geography at school (MANY years ago) I was completely intrigued by the idea that you could understand much about a place by looking at things like navigable rivers (or otherwise), locations and heights of mountains, placement of natural resources, the type of border (natural of the ominous straight-line) and so on. Looking closely the location of major cities, battles, migration paths, agricultural land and much more become ‘obvious’ once you take the physical geography into account. Things like cities are not scattered randomly on a landscape. They exist where they do for practical reasons. So, you can tell, almost at a glance, why some countries are prosperous and others poor. You can see why some countries are often invaded by their neighbours and others seems ‘designed’ for defence. 

Looking across the world, from Russia to the Artic, the author takes 10 locations and shows how their geography shaped their individual histories and how their geography shapes both their present and their futures. But as biology is not destiny neither is geography. A mountain range or a river will often constrain options for any country, but we are rather inventive beings who can literally move mountains, or at least blast holes through them. We can also redirect rivers, build bridges over them, or dam them – sometimes annoying or frightening the governments of countries downstream which could, under the wrong circumstances lead to conflict. 

I did think throughout this very interesting book that there was more than a slight hint of Jared Diamond (not that such is a bad thing), with nods to the direction of river flow and, more importantly, their navigability which gave Europe a head start in development (along with abundant natural resources in the shape of coal. Other zones, notably South America and Africa struggled in this regard coupled with the problems of transporting anything long distances through inhospitable regions (deserts, mountains, jungles etc). The chapter on India/Pakistan was most illuminating especially how India broke apart after the British left and how different ethnic groups ended up where they did – complete (of course) with much suffering and death in the process. I think the chapter I learned most from was that on the Middle East. Despite remembering watching many of the conflicts in that region as well as reading an excellent book on Palestine just recently, I did enjoy discovering much of the background to the wars, displacements and massacres over the decades – caused, in no small part, by the fact that the countries boundaries and indeed the countries themselves are the highly artificial constructs of European Powers after WW1 (I’m looking at YOU Britain and France). We REALLY screwed that region LONG before the present messes play out on our TVs and phones. It’s pretty much a given that wherever you see a straight line on a map you KNOW there’s trouble there!  

As my first dip into Geopolitics for a while I was both impressed and educated by this understandably bestselling book. If, like me, you wonder why conflicts start and persist over time, often in the same place's generation after generation, or have wondered why some countries are rich why others remain poor (often despite being resource rich) this is definitely a source for some answers. Definitely recommended and more to come both on the subject and from the author.  

Just Finished Reading: The Pandemic Century – A History of Global Contagion from the Spanish Flu to Covid-19 by Mark Honigsbaum (FP: 2019/2020) [293pp] 

Bad as it was, the recent Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t our first rodeo, not by a long way. Indeed Covid-19 arrived almost on time to recreate the (almost forgotten at the time) 1918 Spanish Flu which, depending on which guesstimate you go with was responsible for more deaths than the World War it followed, more than WW2 or even (at the top of the estimates) more than both combined – making it the deadliest disease outbreak in human history. With that as a basis this fascinating work moves onto the Los Angeles plague (yup, THE plague) in the 1920’s, Parrot fever in the 1930’s, Legionnaires Disease in the 1970’s, HIV/AIDS in the 1980’s, SARS in the 1990’s, Ebola in the 2010’s as well as Zika in that same decade. Only the final chapter, briefly, looks at Covid-19 as no doubt the hardback was published just as the pandemic hit and the paperback version (which I read) had to be updated with the latest information to play catch-up. 

One of the things I found most interesting, apart from putting Covid in historical context, was to see from 1918 to the present, many of the social and political effects and attitudes repeat themselves including misinformation, disinformation, ignorance, resistance, quackery, exploitation, political point scoring, as well as governments and the medical establishment struggling to keep up with events and, all too often, fighting amongst themselves whilst in the spotlight (and being widely reported in the press for doing so). Nothing, it seems, is new under the sun. 

The Spanish Flu (so-called because Spain didn’t have newspaper censorship at the time unlike the rest of the West including the US so as not to give information to the Central Powers that they could use against them) was particularly interesting, especially because they had NO idea what they were fighting. The very existence of viruses was only confirmed only a decade or more later so medical experts argued over even the reality of the disease itself. The different responses to the disease, indeed ALL of the pandemics discussed here, was very instructive. Some countries did little or nothing to stop the spread – in some cases simply because they COULD do nothing. Other countries responded with draconian measures – often misplaced or directed at despised minorities – with limited effect. Some places, very few it turned out, missed the pandemic completely by a strict policy of isolation/quarantine. 

Overall, this was an interesting and informative read. While mostly looking at things from a heavily American perspective it did manage to delve into African, South American and Chinese experiences too. The historical lens was, I thought, its most useful aspect though I did appreciate the details especially surrounding the initial reported Legionnaires Disease outbreak and the epidemiological detective work that took place searching for its origin. Definitely recommended to anyone interested in global health issues or those who want to put Covid-19 into context. More Pandemics to come – and books about them as well...    

Just Finished Reading: Napoleon in Egypt by Paul Strathern (FP: 2007) [427pp] 

It was a dream he had held dear since youth – to be a modern Alexander. But to do so would demand daring, dash and that admirable quality – luck. In 1798 the still young Napoleon Bonaparte had his chance. The Directory, the cabal who ruled revolutionary France, had agreed to his idea to invade Egypt and thereby threaten England’s prized possession – India. Sailing with 335 ships and 40,000 men (the largest long-distance seaborne force the world had ever seen at that time) he managed to avoid contact with the Royal Navy – by luck as much as anything else – the French army landed near Alexandria largely unopposed. This did not last long and all too soon the casualties mounted.  

The invasion was, in many ways, a strange one. Although Egypt was of strategic importance for both the British and the French, it was nominally at least part of Ottoman territory. The complicating factor was that the Ottoman Empire was an ALLY of France! Napoleon hoped that a diplomatic shuffle could smooth the way and prevent any unfortunate repercussions. He was wrong. Although the Turks took their own time about things they did not fail to take umbrage at being attacked in such an unprovoked manner. So much so that they (at least temporarily) allied with both Britain and Russia – their long-term natural enemy – to assist them in evicting the French. This was helped a great deal by the arrival of the Royal Navy and the consequent Battle of the Nile where the French fleet was effectively destroyed in harbour by the brilliant Nelson making him a very rich man and eventually propelling him to the Lords. Now trapped and in danger of being overwhelmed by the combined forces ranged against him, Napoleon needed all of his tactical and strategic brilliance to keep Egypt under French control. This he managed but at huge cost. Seeing which way things were moving and worried about the changing strategic developments in Europe, Napoleon finally agreed to return to France to both save the Republic and secure his place in history. The rest, as they say, is History. 

I knew something of Napoleon’s adventurous foray into the Middle East from previous reading as well as some knowledge of the famous Battle of the Nile, but I had no real idea of the detail. That gap in my knowledge is certainly much narrower now! This was a quite excellent history of a Napoleonic campaign that is often overlooked and all too often forgotten about. Surprisingly, Bonaparte made a number of fundamental errors during this campaign (although he proved his military genius more than once in compensation) making unfounded assumptions – in particular regarding Turkey/Ottoman reaction to his invasion – and singularly failed to appreciate the culture of the Egyptians and how they would react to Western modern ideas crashing into and clashing with their own. It was definitely a learning experience for him as well as an insight into the man himself and the depth of his ambition (essentially boundless). Another highlight of the year and a must read for anyone interested in the Napoleonic Age. I’m already looking forward to reading his previous work on The Medici (which I already own!).  

[Highest page count of the year so far: 427pp][+16pp]

Just Finished Reading: Divided – Why We’re Living in an Age of Walls by Tim Marshall (FP: 2018) [288pp] 

Walls, be they metaphorical, electronic or physical, seem to be THE topic presently. From the ‘Great Firewall of China’ to the ‘southern Border’ in the US, from the wall separating Israel from the Palestinians to the barriers between India and Pakistan, from the walls being erected on the borders of the European Union and calls for stricter interior controls and the rejection of the free movement of people by the UK in the Brexit vote, talk of walls – the need for more, bigger, wider, deeper – and protests against them has rarely been louder. But why? And why now? 

Walls have a LONG and chequered history. Normally they are built to keep people out, to restrict access to an area or country, to control who comes in. Sometimes they are the opposite – the Berlin Wall being the poster child for this sort of thing – and are designed to keep a population IN. All have failed to one degree or another – although the Berlin Wall was amongst the most successful certainly in modern times. Despite the catalogue of failure, the wall builders rarely give up and instead look for better walls full of gadgets, drones, cameras, and if you’re really serious of keeping people out, men with guns, mines and dogs trained to kill. Yet, people still come, people still get through – or escape. The problem with walls is that there’s often a wall around or through them – be it a ladder, a tunnel, a balloon or simply a bribe at the gate. Most rational wall builders know this. Walls will slow the movement of people, not stop it. Walls are an additional cost – monetary, psychological, emotional – to people looking to relocate. Often the additional cost is worth paying and the cost to be builders to prevent this can be eye-wateringly large. Is it even worth it? 

The issue here, as the author points out, is less practical than emotional. Walls might not make us safe, but they make us feel safer. Or at least that’s the idea. But living inside a wall also makes people feel besieged and under (at least potential) attack. They may feel (at least temporarily) safer but at the cost of increased anxiety. In many ways its completely understandable. We seem to be living in a particularly uncertain time. Ironically, it might have been the falling of one wall – in Berlin – that eventually led to so many of us either cowering behind our new walls or calling for them to be built. The Cold War – however potentially existential it was – provided at least the illusion of stability. Generally speaking, people knew what to expect from their own side and that of the ‘other’. The future, bleak though it might be, was a known quantity. Today we live in a much more complex multi-polar world where the future can be barely imagined (bleak though it is expected to be) much less planned for. The entirely natural instinct is to burrow in, hunker down and protect what you have – in other words, to start building walls or build existing walls all the higher. 

Taking a world tour of wall building – both existing and planned – the author shows (to a surprising extent I thought) the extent to wall building in regional hotspots and along contended and contentious border areas. Most of these walls I’d barely heard of as most talk, at least in the western media is about America’s southern border with Mexico. That is, sadly, not the only one, not the biggest or most expensive or most complex one. With global migration increasing due to conflict, climate pressure and other factors the numbers of people pressing up against walls across the world can only increase. The question for everyone, not just our politicians, is what we can, should, and will do about it. Bigger walls or a more managed and rational process. One way or another we’re going to find out. Definitely recommended, although it might depress you more than a little bit. Much more to come from this author. 

Just Finished Reading: The Viral Storm – The Dawn of the New Pandemic Age by Nathan Wolfe (FP: 2011) [255pp] 

Pandemics are, thankfully, rare events but as we are only too well aware they are not something confined to the past. With all of the media and political attention paid to the Covid-19 global pandemic we have all become much more familiar with historic events such as the ‘Spanish’ flu outbreak towards the end of WW1 as well as previous esoteric epidemiological concepts as the R(0) number – the rate at which infection spreads in a population, which means that pandemics are no longer as mysterious to the general population as they once were. Today, thanks in part to the work of the author of this fascinating short volume, we have a much greater understanding of what viruses are, how they are transmitted both between species and between humans, how they spread so quickly across the globe and, ultimately, where they come from and, by implication, where the next pandemics will emerge. 

Interestingly, it appears that all flu strains originate in birds. This virus then hops across the species barrier to a mammal – often pigs – and then to us. Generally, most viruses die at that point in the human host and go no further. Sometimes, although only rarely, they are either already compatible enough with humans to both make the host sick (or even kill them) and jump to others or they swap genes with an existing flu infection already in the host and produce something more akin to SARS or MERS. Very occasionally things go a step or two further with a world-wide pandemic like Covid-19. Although relatively mild, in the overall grand scheme of things, Covid proved to be highly infectious and spread across the world before we really knew what hit us. But flu isn’t the only pandemic we are either already dealing with or coming at us in the future. The classic example of HIV/AIDS that we are only now getting to grips with jumped the species barrier from ape virus SIV. Somewhat ironically it appears to have begun spreading outside its home reach because of a combination of economic and health improvements in Africa enabling people to more easily travel long distances coupled with misuse of needles in local hospitals. Only in the 1980’s, many decades after it emerged in the human population was it ‘discovered’ in the US. One can only imagine the difference if it had been identified much earlier and stopped in its tracks. 

We are, in some cases at least, creating a perfect storm for future pandemics. We crowd into cities that are ever more dense, more people than ever before move across the globe at subsonic speeds allowing viruses with ever shorter infection to symptom times to make it to other continents before people become visibly sick, we herd our increasingly homogenous food animals into closer and tighter groups allowing any infection to spread through them quickly, we are increasingly destroying natural habitats and encountering new diseases there and the growing ‘diseases of affluence’ increasingly compromises our immune systems and impacts our healthcare systems. It’s quite a toxic brew and it should come as no surprise that people like this author are sounding the alarm bells (well in advance of Covid-19). 

Of course, one of the positive outcomes of Covid is that not only have we had a pretty loud wake-up call but we’ve also put a lot of time and money into producing drugs and vaccines that can cope with, or at the very least mitigate, future outbreaks. Taken together with a global virus surveillance effort this could be the difference between ‘business as usual’ and, well, use your imagination. If you’re in the ‘headspace’ to read about pandemics yet or, like me, never left it, this is an interesting, somewhat reassuring if somewhat sobering read. The bad news is that Covid-19 isn’t going to be our last pandemic. The good news is that we’re not helpless in the face of such things if we take the problem seriously. Definitely recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: The Wretched of the Earth by Franz Fanon (FP: 1961) [255pp] 

This is one of those books that seem to be referenced everywhere I looked. I’d heard of it over the years but until recently hadn’t really thought of hunting it down to read. Funnily, as is sometimes the case with me, my idea of what the book was actually about was off by quite a bit. I had thought that this was, essentially, a look at global poverty from an anthropological point of view. Well, it turned out to be something very different indeed!  

The author was a French West Indian born in Martinique so had first-hand experience of French colonial activities. Moving to Algeria in the early 1950’s he became chef de service at the Blida-Joinville Psychiatric Hospital until his deportation in 1957. Again being witness to French colonial practices – and abuses – he joined the FLN (Front de Libération Nationale) in 1954 and worked actively for Algerian independence from the French. Being at the heart of things deeply informed this impressive narrative. Fanon dissects colonialism, and not just that of the French, with surgical precision. He understands just how colonialism works and how it corrupts not only the people it is supposedly ‘administering’ but also those in charge – both the colonists themselves and their local proxies. What this analysis shows is exactly why colonies are purposefully underdeveloped (except in certain areas of interest to the colonists and home country interests) and how the few local ‘intelligentsia’ are corrupted or perverted by intimate contact with the colonising power. Over time, because of the nature of the colonising process, opposition arises within the local population and, at some point, these local ‘leaders’ choose sides. Unfortunately, those who choose their own people over the colonists who trained and educated them (to the extent that required of them to perform their colonial duties) have by this education and training become divorced from their own culture and find it incredibly difficult to function as native leaders of a native revolt. Worse is to come. If the revolt is successful and the colonising forces finally admit defeat, those now in charge – having been drawn from the tiny minority of educated local elites – all too often try to enforce their interpretation of the colonial ideas on a reluctant and restless population all too ready, still, to throw off these very ideas that have been imposed upon them. Needless to say, along with the inevitable interference from the colonising home country, this generally does not go well. 

I have often wondered why post-colonised countries around the world either spectacularly fail economically or fall rapidly into dictatorship of a single man, a single ethnic group or single tribe. This book enlightened me on this subject. After reading this incisive work I will never look at the post-colonial world in quite the same way again. For that alone it was definitely worth a read. Those of a more delicate disposition are recommended to skip/skim the last section ‘Colonial War and Mental Disorders’ which contains case studies of survivors of torture or witnesses to atrocities. This will not detract from the rest of the book and seemed, to me at least, like a bolt on to the main narrative function of the book. Recommended. 

Translated from the French by Constance Farrington.     

Just Finished Reading: Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age by Peter Green (FP: 2007) [184pp] 

It was, he knew, his destiny. His military campaigns would not only overshadow those of his father but would inscribe his name deep into history like no one before him or since. What Alexander cared less about was how, or indeed if, his empire continued without him. Creation was his task, to conquer lands that his ancestors or contemporaries had barely been aware of. This he did but did not live to see the greatest empire the world has ever seen fall into infighting almost before his body was cold. Indeed, one of his own generals stole his body enroute to Macedonia and had it interred with great ceremony in Alexandria on the Nile. In the decades that followed fighting broke out between the Alexander’s rival captains for control of parts of the empire he left behind. None was individually capable of holding anything but pieces and soon the parts became mini-empires in their own regard. The most stable of them over the coming centuries was the Ptolemy Dynesty in Egypt. Incredibly rich and, by extension, incredibly powerful Ptolemy and his decedents became one of the power centres of the whole Mediterranean world. The other players were Alexander’s home country of Macedonia (and greater Greece), Carthage and the upstart Roman Republic. Each vied for power and control and, at least at first, the Romans were largely ignored which allowed them to consolidate their position on the Italian peninsula and to eject all other threats to their domination there. With the Hellenes still very much in control of the eastern Mediterranean it was only a matter of time before they came into conflict with Roman ambition. Splintered into rival factions and susceptible of being played off against each other – with Roman assistance – the Romans managed to win several encounters and forge strong alliances with Greek communities.  

But it was with the Punic Wars that Rome became a powerhouse in the region. Once Carthage had been defeated it was time to turn east again and to subsume Greece into the Roman sphere of influence after it was discovered that the Greeks had sought to exploit Rome’s troubles in North Africa and Spain. Once Greece was largely absorbed (or at least no longer a credible threat) Rome set about a period of consolidation leaving the last remaining Hellene area – Egypt – to its own devices. The Egyptians, know which way the sand was blowing at this point, offered friendly relations and support. Naturally having a very powerful ‘associative power’ so close was both a danger and an opportunity. Unfortunately, it was an opportunity for those looking to take power in the Republic and it wasn’t long before such a person – Marc Antony – made his move against the Republic using Egypt and the Ptolemy Dynesty as his powerbase. In a war between Egypt and Rome only one could emerge victorious. We all know who that was and the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31BC ended the Hellenistic Age and ushered into existence the Roman Empire. 

Despite its short length this interesting book crammed a LOT of detail into the centuries long Hellenistic Age begun by Alexander and ended by Rome. Naturally the author could only really cover the grand sweep of ancient history with short bursts of more detailed explanation. If you are unfamiliar with the period or are looking for an overview and ideas for further reading this is definitely the book for you. I shall be looking to cover much more of this period in future reading. Recommended.  

Just Finished Reading: The Tribe of Tiger – Cats and their Culture by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas (FP: 1994) [234pp]

As my regular readers will know I have a love of all things Feline. OK, maybe not *all* things – litter trays, spraying & cat urine…. NOT nice!! But MOST things feline. Growing up we never had cats because my mother really doesn’t like them. We had just about everything else though, from snakes, fish, a whole host of birds and rabbits as well as various rodents. Just not cats. It was only in my late 20’s that a cat almost literally fell into my lap and I had her (or she had me – it’s hard to tell) for the next 16 years.

As I only ever had a single cat I could observe her behaviour as an individual but I never directly observed (at least not close up) how cats acted around each other – siblings or not – so I never experienced anything that could be called ‘culture’. The author recognised that her use of ‘culture’ in this regard was, at the very least, controversial but stuck to her rather unscientific guns throughout this chatty and often fascinating look at cats – both large and small. Hopping between her day to day experiences with several generations of house/farm cats, her stays in Africa with various local tribes and their contacts with lion populations and her encounters with large cats in North America this was much more than the standard ‘Why your cats does X’ book you often find in pet stores. With a family background in Anthropology, although not being a trained anthropologist herself, she has a number of interesting insights and ideas regarding both territoriality in cats and their social hierarchies – even in unrelated house/farm cat groupings. Using the more domesticated and more familiar house cat as reference the author shows how their behaviours are much more explicable when related to their much larger brethren on the African savanna or in the wild places of North America. Although I no longer have a cat I found this to be both an interesting and often heart-warming read from someone who really knows her subject and whose love of these creatures shines through on every page. Full of personal stories from both Africa and the States this was a delight from beginning to end and often felt like spending time with a favourite Aunt in a cosy room at the end of a long and productive day. Definitely a must read for all cat lovers out there. Recommended.    

Just Finished Reading: The Virus Hunters – Dispatches from the Frontline by Joseph B McCormick & Susan Fisher-Hoch (FP: 1996) [354pp]

It was almost like being a GP – late night urgent requests and neighbourhood house calls, except that the requests came from the CDC or WHO and the house calls could be anywhere in the world. But when the medical emergencies could result in thousands of deaths (or more!) a little inconvenience and some hard travel were all part of the deal. Of course there was never anything little about the job these intrepid men and women undertook.

Looking back into efforts to address outbreaks of multiple potential epidemics in Africa in the 1980’s onwards (from the point of view of the mid-1990’s) the authors alternately tell their tales of travel to places few had heard of – including the authors themselves more often than not – to investigate unexplained illness and, too often, unexplained death. Often the local medics, who again too often at the time where both poorly trained and poorly equipped, were at a loss to explain the origin and spread of a pathogen and had called on local authorities to help when the outbreak had either become too large to ignore or too inconvenient to cover up. Struggling governments don’t like appearing weak – either to the world community, their own population or to their enemies both foreign and domestic – so (again) too often they called for help when all else had failed. With limited resources and staff with the necessary knowledge and experience it was normal for CDC to send a single operative (or rarely two) to investigate and report back. Whilst major cities in the region were usually adequately supplied with electricity and roads the sites of the outbreak were anything but. Few had nearby airfields (even for small craft when they were available) and fewer pilots – even from the country’s military - were willing to fly into ‘hot zones’ fearing contamination themselves. This often meant hours long, back breaking, travel in unsuitable vehicles to villages with only intermittent electricity and few, if any, medical supplies. The CDC medics took what they could carry and used what they found when they arrived.

When facilities allowed the initial diagnosis took place in the field. As technology and knowledge improved throughout the 80’s this became easier but sending samples of unknown pathogens to labs in Europe or back to the States was not unprecedented adding delays and the inherent danger that either the samples were lost, destroyed or had decayed during the trip. Being at ground zero in these circumstances was very frustrating and downright dangerous. A slip with a needle or scalpel, a possible infection with Ebola (which actually happened to one of the authors!) could mean hours or days travelling just to get tested. The stress must have been crushing at times.

Told with real drama these stories of quiet heroism highlighted the activities of the CDC, WHO and others (in this case in Africa) on the frontline of disease control and epidemic/pandemic early warning. Dealing with some of the most dangerous diseases known to man (so far!) these men and women are doing a vital job to protect humanity from our oldest enemy. Although somewhat dated by now this is still an interesting read to understand what was going on at the end of last century in the world of epidemiology and can be used as a deep background study and an aid to understand what has been going on (and sometimes not going on!) during the latest pandemic. Recommended but more up to date books to come.   

Just Finished Reading: Wars of National Liberation by Daniel Moran (FP: 2001) [237pp]

The First World War started it, or at least the END of the War started it – that and President Wilson’s 14 Points and the universal political acid of ‘Self-Determination’. When the major European empires fell (or at the very least shuddered) the colonised around the world looked forward with hope to their independence. For many only disappointment lay ahead as the colonies of the vanquished were, by and large, handed over to the victors to run – most with the fiction of ‘Mandate’ status and the ‘eventual’ move to independence when they had achieved the requisite level of ‘maturity’ – judged by the Empire running things naturally. But what the First World War started the Second finished – by 1945 the Age of Empires was, effectively, over. Unfortunately that realisation wasn’t shared by everyone.

Exhausted by a second global conflict in 30 years the British finally agreed to, slowly, let go of Empire. In a few places it needed a nudge or two but eventually they did get out of the Imperial business. France took a while longer to realise that the jig was definitely up and fought nasty conflicts in North Africa and South East Asia (leaving the Americans to messily finish things off in the 1970’s). Covering many of these conflicts – most of which we are all too familiar with – this surprisingly good if short book looks at wars across the world as local forces fought off their colonial masters and others to achieve the long hoped for state of independence. Naturally things were not often straight forward and the ultimate objectives both messy and bloody. The post-war world after 1945 was the world of superpowers in proxy conflicts and both sides used the wars of national liberation to kick the other side whenever possible or politically acceptable.

The list of wars is a fairly extensive one despite the 237 page size restraints. From the Chinese war against the Japanese occupation and the subsequent Civil War, to the Korean War, to the French in Indo-China, to the French (again) in Algeria, to several European powers in Africa, to Cuba and conflicts throughout South America, to Israeli independence in the war of 1948 and finally the debacle that was Vietnam. A lot of ground is covered quickly but both the text and the many photographs and maps are detailed enough to make sense of what was going on. Obviously this slim volume will not make you an expert on this most important of themes in the post-1945 age but it will give you an enhanced appreciation of what was going on in so many places across the globe and what many of them had in common. Recommended.    

Just Finished Reading: The Nile – Downriver through Egypt’s Past and Present by Toby Wilkinson (FP: 2014)

Travelling at the pace of the river itself from the great dam at Aswan to Cairo and the Nile delta the author has chosen an ideal introduction to the great river and the country it gave birth to, for without the life giving properties of the Nile the millennia long occupation of Egypt would simply not have been possible. Not only does the Nile provide for extensive irrigation on both of its shores allowing the growth of much needed crops but periodic floods inundate the fields to replenish nutrients taken out by them each season. Generally each years surge is enough for one more growing season but some years the surge is insufficient and hunger follows. If the following year is also bad their follows famine and political strife. If the surge is too strong the floods devastate rather than replenish and chaos ensues. It is no wonder that the river itself was worshiped and so much of the early Egyptian religion centred on it and the creatures that inhabited its waters.

This periodic uncertainty ended with the control of the Aswan dam built with Soviet assistance during the Cold War. Other monuments to greatness are far, far older as the author outlines during his journey stopping off at iconic locations such as Luxor, Thebes, Abydos and Cairo. Although Egypt never cornered the market in monumental architecture it certainly wasn’t for the lack of trying. Temples, tombs and obelisks not only wow recent visitors but have been humbling both tourists and conquerors for centuries – so much so that they often removed items that had been in situ since before the Christian era. The Roman Empire, Napoleon and later the British during its mandate were notorious for their ‘acquisitions’ of antiquities many of which still grace the streets of Rome, Paris and London. I actually saw an obelisk in Rome that had been stolen by the Romans around two thousand years ago and was erected on one side of a main gate into the city. When it was stolen all of those centuries ago is was already three thousand years old. Antiquity never felt so old! I’ve also seen similar obelisks in Paris and London that must have amazed their citizens and certainly impressed me with the engineering obstacles overcome to get them to their new homes.

Naturally Egypt is awash in history and there’s no way a 300 page book can do it any justice. But what the author manages to do – in spades – is to bring out the majesty, the antiquity and the importance of a country that has been so important in global culture. Egypt has always fascinated the world and the craze for its artefacts, art and architecture has swept across the globe more than once – I actually have multiple mini-statues in my house of Egyptian gods (I am a CAT person after all!) – and its culture has had a profound effect on western civilisation for centuries. This delightful book really brings that alive. Full of interesting characters – from the ancient world to 19th century Europe – this is the kind of work that spawns 100 research paths into people and places that could keep you metaphorically digging in the sand for years. I have hardly touched upon the details in this book which is packed with little stories and insights and betrays a real love for the country on the part of the author. After reading this I can see why he admires the river and the country it brought to prominence so much. Definitely recommended for anyone with any interest at all in the ancient world or just one of the world’s most fascinating places. Much more on Egypt to come. 

Just Finished Reading: Virus X – Understanding the Real Threat of the New Pandemic Plagues by Frank Ryan (FP: 1996)

For a book that had been sitting, unread, for years I couldn’t help thinking that this time, of all times, was the best time to pick it up and actually read it. Living through an actual Pandemic that is affecting everything and everyone around us makes me want to understand more about what’s going on right now. Knowledge, no matter how disturbing, about a disturbing time can only I believe, calm fears and enable you to look at the present reality in the face without undue panic. In that sense knowledge is most assuredly power.

As the author rightly points out, Pandemics are a fact of human history going back to Ancient Times and beyond – from Measles, Smallpox, Plague and, more recently the 1918 flu Pandemic we all know as the ‘Spanish Flu’. Such things are neither unknown nor particularly rare – in fact they have through the millennia shaped human history itself. What is new today – or at least at the time of writing over 20 years ago – is both the frequency and the lethality of emerging diseases. The reasons for this are deceptively simple – we humans are, in our ongoing quest for more farmable land or more accessible resources, bumping up against environments were these diseases are present (often working in symbiotic equilibrium with their hosts) and are encountering them often for the first time. Without any inbuilt or developed immunity these diseases are often incredibly lethal sometimes with death rates approaching 100%. Fortunately for such lethal viruses this more often than not results in the virus quickly running out of hosts before widespread transmission can be achieved. Recent outbreaks of Ebola or other haemorrhagic fevers in Africa or South America fall like a thunderbolt on small communities working close to the rain forests and then, in a matter of weeks or months burn themselves out only to break out elsewhere. AIDS/HIV is something quite different. Although comparatively difficult to catch and, once outside the body incredibly fragile, it’s long incubation period and method of attack means that an inexorable slow spread across the world went almost unnoticed until the 1980’s long after it first appeared in Africa. Highly mutagenic and (at the time of writing) untreatable it was almost always a death sentence. It is hardly surprising that the world in general and the medical profession in particular reacted with shock and panic once the facts were known. Since that time a great deal of effort – unfortunately sometimes taking focus away from other emerging viruses – and a vast amount of money has been spent on addressing HIV/AIDS and much progress has indeed been made. But, naturally, that is not the end of things as today’s headlines testify.

It was obvious from the very start that this book is very out of date. Much has happening across the viral landscape since 1996. The focus of the book was largely on things like Ebola, AIDS, Marburg and other terrifying diseases. Interestingly the 1918 flu Pandemic only came in for a cursory mention – interesting though it was – and talk of general flu itself relegated to sprinkled facts throughout the book. In the final pages looking ahead the author mentioned coronavirus, China, and wildfowl as the next BIG thing. How right he was! He also lamented the lack of global preparedness despite everything we had experienced to that date (he would have been more shocked if he’d know about the SARS and MERS epidemics) and the defunding of labs across the world and the forward observation posts that could alert the world to problems long before they become disasters. Hopefully with Covid-19 we’ll finally learn the lesson that if you don’t prepare and aren’t willing to spend millions in prevention then you’ll need to spend trillions in catching up. An interesting (if sometimes truly frightening) read but useful only for an historical background really.     

Just Finished Reading: The Boer War – A History by Denis Judd and Keith Surridge (FP: 2002)

They just wanted to be left alone and to be able to carry on their lives how their fathers before them had lived – before the coming of the English and their Empire. But when things looked as if such an accommodation inside the Empire’s boundaries wasn’t possible they did the only thing they could – they left on a trek further into the African wilderness to carve out a new life. There they hoped that things could continue as before. Until they found both their economic salvation and a lure the British could not easily ignore. In a short space of time the retreating Boers – Afrikaans descended from the original Dutch settlers – had not only discovered both diamonds and gold but two of the largest deposits of each in the world. Having a potentially unfriendly and independent nation on the edge of Empire with that kind of resource behind it was at best a problem. At worse it could destabilise the region and threaten the coaling station to India. The Boers needed to be absorbed into the Empire – by choice or not. After increasing pressure the Orange Free State and the Transvaal decided they had no option but to fight for their independence.

It looked on the face of it like a foregone conclusion. It was a David and Goliath fight where David had no chance at all. Even the Boers thought they couldn’t win but if they gave the Empire a bloody nose early on they’d be in a better position to bargain. No one was more surprised than the Afrikaans forces when they handily defeated the British in their first encounters. This was not a war that would be over in weeks or even months. As soon as this was realised the British delivered a massive force to Cape Town with the express mission of defeating the rebels and saving the honour of Queen and Country. It was not going to be easy. The Boers were no native force unused to modern warfare and modern weapons. They had some of the best rifles in the world, an intimate knowledge of the country and, most important, total mobility. They could hit anywhere which forced the British to be everywhere. It was a whole new way of warfare and the British had a lot of catching up to do.

Any Brit of my age will know about the Boer War, it was a top subject in our History class about Empire, the start of the 20th Century and the lessons that the British Army were forced to learn during the conflict that went a long way to prepare it to fight in a very different conflict just over a decade later in France and Flanders. What this book had, in spades, was both the level of detail missing from those history lessons so long ago as well as the ability to tell the full story from both sides. Like all wars, especially more modern ones, this was a complex fight full of heroism and tragedy. It called the Empire into question like never before and called into existence the concentration camp where thousands of men, women and children died in order to deny the Boer Commando units local assistance. Initially seen very much as a side-show of Empire it was a war that deserves to be remembered for a whole host of reasons and the authors do a very fine job indeed of covering the events. Recommended.

Just Finished Reading: The Arab Uprisings – The People Want the Fall of the Regime by Jeremy Bowen (FP: 2012/2013)

He didn’t think he’d make it. At least if experience was anything to go by. He fully expected that the demonstration would be over before the plane from London landed at Cairo airport. But at least he could report on the aftermath and interview those who hadn’t been arrested of hospitalised by the security services. That was the expectation. To his surprise not only had the demonstration lasted for the duration of the flight but it had grown in numbers and the strength of the Egyptian government’s response. The whiff of teargas was in the air as the author approached the central square and the chanting of the crowds mingled with the pop of gas canisters and the more ominous crack of gunfire. What started out as a simple demonstration was evolving into something more, something bigger and something far more dangerous to the ruling regime. The people had, at least for now, lost their fear.

It was something new in the region. Starting in Tunisia the so-called Arab Spring had come to Egypt and would in time remove its hard-line leader from office. Other Arab states looked on with the mixture of fear and bravado. Libya, just next door, poured scorn on Egypt’s response vowing to destroy any such rising inside its borders. Few would even think of opposing Colonel Gadhafi’s regime. But enough saw an opportunity to protest and did so. True to his word the Colonel hit back hard but, it turned out not hard enough to dissuade further revolt and further backlash against it. Further afield countries like Saudi Arabia instituted reforms with others announced. Whilst in Syria, holding itself aloof from the whole process publically announced that such a thing could not happen here – not in a country which such coherence and a love of its leader. The first demonstrations against the rule of President Assad were small and peaceful. They asked for little and were met by armed troops with orders to shoot if provoked. It wasn’t long before shooting began. Soon after the protestors, now categorised as terrorists and foreign agitators, started shooting back. Within months the protests and become an uprising and then, almost inexorably, into a grinding civil war.

On the ground for much of it was the author who has been the BBC Middle East Editor since 2005. With a deep knowledge of the region and access to the highest echelons of power this is a bottom up look at the Arab uprisings across the region since 2011. From the thick of things on the streets of Cairo – complete with streaming eyes and arrests by the security services – to interviews with both Colonel Gadhafi and President Assad as well as representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood and high-ranking defectors in Libyan brawl/civil war this was a brilliant account of not only what was happening in the region but a full geo-political analysis of why it was happening and why it was happening now. His numerous face-to-face encounters with street level people either caught in the crossfire or actually engaged in the protesting (and the fighting) put serious meat on the bone and brings the chaos and the hope of those involved to the fore. As gripping as any thriller this goes to the heart of the conflicts and tells it from a first-hand view and with real knowledge as well as passion and an obvious love of the region and its people. I learnt so much from this book and it really built on what I had gleaned from my previous delving into this region and its troubled present (see Fractured Lands – How the Arab World came Apart by Scott Anderson). This is definitely something anyone should read if they want to understand exactly what’s going on in the Middle East/North Africa right now and where things are likely to go. Quite brilliant and there will be more to come from this thoughtful and knowledgeable author. Highly recommended.

Just Finished Reading: Fractured Lands – How the Arab World came Apart by Scott Anderson. (FP: 2016)

The Arab world, across North Africa and deep into the Middle East, exploded into open revolt in 2011 seemingly coming out of nowhere and toppling authoritarian leader’s one after the other. It was no coincidence that amongst the first to fall where firm friends of the western powers so recently involved in the invasion of Iraq. The spark that ignited the still on-going conflagration was a real one when a simple trader set himself on fire in a desperate and final protest to his hopeless situation. When the protestors took to the streets in their thousands there was little the authorities could do. Intimidation no longer worked. The people had lost their fear and a tyrant fell. But if it could happen in Tunisia it could happen elsewhere too. Egypt was next but this time the government was more ready than its neighbour and riot police were on hand to intervene. But yet again the people had lost that very thing that oppressive governments and police states rely on to maintain control – fear, and it had, just like in Tunisia, gone. So if the leader of the great Egypt could be unseated what about the other great dictator of North Africa? Could Gadhafi go too? Yes, but with much hardship and many deaths. Was any country immune? Some thought so and said so publically. Ironically, with the gift of hindsight, Syria thought that it was above such things. Soon enough the Syrian authorities were disabused of the idea but had a response ready – just in case. The answer was firepower and the willingness to use it against their own population. Unsurprisingly violence produced violence in its turn and the spiral of destruction and death has been climbing ever since as the country descends into a grinding Civil War.

Told through the eyes of six people on the ground – an Egyptian dissident, a Libyan air force cadet, a Kurdish physician, a Syrian University student, an Iraqi woman’s rights activist, and an Iraqi ISIS member – this slim volume gripped like a vice as whole countries descended into chaos and violence and those caught in the middle of it attempted to cope, survive and fight back to protect what was theirs or bring forth the life they had always wanted. Taking you into the heart of things through the eyes and experiences of people easily identified with this really brought home the reality of the Arab uprising and what it all meant to the people right at the centre of things. After reading this not only do I appreciate the kinds of things these people have gone through – as much as that’s possible at third hand – but it really helps the reader to understand (or at least start to appreciate) the forces at work in the Middle East and why the people living there (or fleeing from their) are doing what they’re doing. Being only 210 pages long there isn’t the in-depth analysis that you’d get from other books [watch this space] but you do get a brilliant emotional connection to people not very different to the people we know in our daily life. Quite brilliant and highly recommended – although sensitive souls might find it rather stressful at times. (R)         

Just Finished Reading: The British Empire: A Very Short Introduction by Ashley Jackson (FP: 2013)

It is said, not without reason, that the British acquired their Empire by accident. As Britain grew in power as a maritime nation and explored the world looking for trading opportunities and places to plant colonies it inevitably left an impression wherever its ships made landfall. It was not, of course, alone in this endeavour but seemed to be both particularly good and particularly lucky at it. In numerous wars with its rivals and fortuitous marriages amongst its ruling elites more colonies, territories and sometimes whole countries fell into Britain’s orbit. Equally inevitably previously colonies grew as colonies will and their demands grew with them – for food, natural resources and land. The local inhabitants of the New Lands often traded with these outsiders until it became obvious that they were here to stay and here to rule. After that the choice was clear – co-operate or fight back. Looking back it is unclear who made the better choice between ultimate (at least attempted) assimilation or (almost certainly guaranteed) extermination of their way of life if not their whole tribe or worse. So, over hundreds of years and through the actions, often unknown and unsanctioned from London, of thousands of individuals the Empire grew until it covered a fair proportion of the planet and held hundreds of millions as its subjects. Until, quite suddenly and almost (but not quite) bloodlessly it vanished in an historical blink of the eye.

Covering the main themes of the origins, expansion and ultimate demise of the British Empire this slim volume (as usual around 130 pages) is an excellent introduction to a still controversial institution. After its collapse the prevailing opinion, especially in the more ‘enlightened’ age of the 1960’s and 1970’s, was that Empire and the British Empire in particular was a unarguably bad thing bringing oppression and worse to large areas of the world and was something to both feel guilty about and offer recompense for. Those who offered up any kind of alternative – even those who recognised and acknowledged the Empire’s less than savoury activities especially in Africa, India and most notoriously Tasmania – were considered to be blind to the realities of history and apologists for Imperialism. Others, notably historians, pointed out a more nuanced narrative – of both atrocity and triumph in a rather messy, complex and often contradictory narrative known technically as History. The author struggles with the idea of labelling the Empire either ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’ and essentially dismisses the question itself – although he gives it some serious rumination room. Such labels are, in my opinion at least, both simplistic and naïve. It’s rather like trying to describe the 20th Century in a single word. Sure, you could probably do it – but would it actually mean anything? I think not. As an introduction to the British Empire I couldn’t fault this book overly much. If you know very little about it but for the name and the fact that it existed at all this is definitely the book for you. More detailed books on the topic to come.

That’s this book blitz finished. The next blitz will be: Cinema.   

Just Finished Reading: The Empire of Necessity – The Untold History of a Slave Rebellion in the Age of Liberty by Greg Grandin (FP: 2014)

With the world still staggering from the American and French revolutions and the Haiti slave uprising the Spanish slave ship Tryal is spotted by an American sealer obviously in distress. Offing any assistance he can Captain Amasa Delano of the Perseverance becomes increasingly annoyed at his Spanish counterparts standoffish nature and is glad to leave the ship hours later and return to his own. Strange as the experience has proven so far Captain Deano is completely unprepared when the Spanish captain jumps into his boat and demands his help. For the past weeks the remnants of the Spanish crew have lived under the threat of death. The slaves on board had revolted and had managed to kill most of the crew and passengers only leaving enough men alive to sail them back to Africa. Hoping to be approached by a friendly ship Captain Benito Cerreno had only pretended to sail back across the Atlantic until finally, at the end of his tether, rescue arrives in the guise of an American ship down on its luck and approaching mutiny itself. Giving chase in the expectation of prize money the badly damaged slaver is quickly captured and the slaves aboard either killed or recaptured. Their long trial and even longer journey away from their homeland has only just begun as they find themselves back in captivity and fought over in the courts of South America.

This was, to be honest, a complete impulse buy. I think the thing that really ticked a few boxes for me was the word ‘rebellion’ in the title and it being (yet again) a tale based at least in some part at sea. What I didn’t really expect was just how completely gripping the story was. The backbone of the tale was the rebellion aboard and recapture of the Tryal. But it was much, much more than that. Not only did the author discuss in some detail the biographies of the two captains (originating from very different cultures – imperialist Spain and newly confident revolutionary America) and well as the background to the despicable trade in human life and human misery of which I was reasonably familiar (or at least I thought I was) but the author also delved into the revolutionary changes occurring at this time across South America as the countries we are familiar with today fought for their independence against Spain and Portugal.

Several thing surprised me during this riveting narrative. One was the number of Muslim slaves taken from Africa and deposited (at this time) mostly in South America to work in mines and in the sugar cane fields. Indeed followers of Islam amongst the slave population was so common, and growing through importation and dissemination of the faith amongst existing non-Muslim slaves, that slave runners were advised not to take captives from certain areas because they were known to be educated, speak multiple languages, be resilient and resistance to forces and to be capable to organising sophisticated rebellions. The other thing that really struck me was the hypocrisy of both the French and American traders who regularly espoused on the virtues of Liberty and Fraternity but still traded in human life – even when they had black members amongst their own crews. The cognitive dissonance must have been so thick you could’ve cut it with a cutlass. There is far, far too much in this 270+ page book to even gloss over in passing. The narrative throughout is strong, directed and endlessly fascinating. Covering most of South America, the Caribbean, Africa and the American East coast this is a richly detailed look at an age at once familiar and yet very strange indeed. Highly recommended and, although it’s too early to tell, definitely one of the highlights of the year. 

Just Finished Reading: Ancient Egypt – A Very Short Introduction by Ian Shaw


Yes, I know; another VSI book and another book on Ancient Egypt. But I can’t help the fact that I find the subject fascinating. Anyway, this excellent little study based itself around the examination of an object called the Narmer Palette uncovered in 1898 in Upper Egypt. Through examination of various aspects of it the author teases out the history of Egyptology, the changing ideas surrounding the idea of Egypt, the attempts to understand the history of the region and how difficult it is to construct such a thing from available evidence, the origin and understand of Egyptian writing including the deciphering of hieroglyphs, our ideas of Egyptian kingship, issues of ethnicity, race and gender, mummification and Egyptian religious practices, how our ideas of the Ancient Egyptians are recycled and reinvented by each successive generation and finishes off with a light hearted look at some of the more crazy theories surrounding the pyramids – he even mentions the movie Stargate (but not the spin-off series).

As you can imagine this is quite a lot to cover in 159 pages (this is actually the longest VSI book I’ve read to date). But at no time does the author overwhelm the reader with an avalanche of facts or theories. Quite steadily the reader is presented with layer upon layer of information, theory and a sprinkle of speculation (not everything being known for certain regarding much of that by-gone age) that builds into a fascinating picture of life during the millennia long Egyptian period. Obviously such a huge subject can only be touched upon in such a short volume – which is exactly what was delivered – but it was done in such a style that my interest was hooked and I was left wanting much more. In other words this book did exactly what it set out to do – fascinate its readership on the subject at hand. There will, inevitably, be follow ups to this book. Ancient Egypt is a very interesting subject that deserves more of my time (along with many other periods of history unfortunately). This was a good start and has given me a useful foundation on which to build. If you are new to the subject this is definitely a book for you. You’ll finish reading it to discover sand between your toes.

Just Finished Reading: Egyptian Myth – A Very Short Introduction by Geraldine Pinch

I’ve touched on the mythology of the Ancient Egyptians over the years and have always found the subject fascinating. It seems – amongst the myths that have influenced European culture the most – to be the strangest of the bunch by far. Central to this strangeness, for me anyway, is the number of deities who are partially or wholly animal in nature. I suppose that this is understandable given the proximity and importance of wildlife to both the Egyptian economy and environment but it still takes some getting used too. The many, many Gods and Goddesses mentioned throughout the millennia long history of Egypt – a surprising number which are familiar – stem from the names given to them dependent on who was giving the name, where they were located at the time and the particular aspect of the God being addressed. Sometimes it is enough to make your head spin. Being used to Gods with single names – no matter who was addressing them and no matter which of their aspects were being expressed - it is confusing at best for deities to have five, ten, even fifteen names. Sometimes though you simply have to accept the facts and learn them.

An interesting thing I learnt from this book is the common misunderstanding, which I shared, that the Ancient Egyptians where obsessed with death. They were in fact dedicated to life – as they believed that it was only their ritual actions that kept the world in existence. They believed that the natural order of things was Chaos – not Order – and that every day it was the responsibility of the great, the good and the commons to make sure that existence continued. The Gods themselves were an important part of this process and humanity was central to giving the Gods the power to ensure that Chaos did not triumph in the short term.

This was a well written and often fascinating little volume. Easy to read and informative I actually read it in a single day (without a great deal of effort). Obviously such a short volume can only really give you a taste of the subject – especially one so large as this – so don’t expect to become an expert on the subject on the back of it. However, this book does give you a grasp of the basics and does provide a useful bibliography to follow things up. You’ll soon pick up the details of the major players (especially if you’ve ever watched Stargate SG-1) and you’ll be surprised at how familiar some of the stories are. Recommended to anyone with an interest of our ancient past.