Just Finished Reading: The Last Assassin – The Hunt For the Killers of Julius Caesar by Peter Stothard (FP: 2020) [246pp] 

One of the things that has long fascinated me in my reading of History is what happened afterwards – after the liner sank, after the bomb was dropped, after the battle was won (or lost) and after the assassins had suceeded (or failed). THEN what happened? Unfortunately in my experience the 'afterwards' part is all too often relegated to a few pages of epilogue (if you're lucky) as the majority of the book is focused on the events that led TOO the event and then the event itself. For me that's often 2/3 of a job done. Not so here. 

Here we spend a handful of pages going over the fact that JC crossed the Rubicon (where the phrase comes from of course) and then, eventually, had himself appointed as 'Dictator for Life' rather than accepting the short-term elected position that had gone before. However, the Romans were generally very fond of their Republic and had no intention of suffering under a King and some at least decided to remove that option permanantly (the idea of a No Kings Day protest was no doubt considered either too difficult to organise or would have taken too long). The solution was to put the knife in on the Ides of March.  

The interesting thing I found here was the fact that the 'conspiracy' seemed to be more open than it really should have been – although SOME effort was taken not to involve any of Caesar's actual friends or supporters – and yet no one uncovered it or tried to stop it. The warnings from sooth sayers were characteristically ignored by JC himself as unfounded. The other thing that I was previously unaware of was that the assassins themselves – some 18 in number – had as many reasons for killing him as the toga's they wore to the event. A few were indeed dead set againgst being ruled by a King, but others had personal grudges against the man himself and a few simply expected to profit from the murder. The thing they most expected to happen once the blood was washed off the marble (you have NO idea how difficult that is) was that they would be lauded as heroes. They were wrong, VERY wrong. 

The major thing they wanted to avoid – apart from their own deaths – was a Civil War as JC's potential replacements fought over the vacant throne. Yet, almost immediately (once the initial shock had passed) this is exactly what happened as JC's grandnephew Gaius Octavius (later Augustus) – who Caesar had adopted as his son and successor – and JC's friend Marc Anthony began manouvering for position and finally coming to blows. Along the way, where opportunity or circumstance allowed Octavius had each and every named assassin hunted down and killed. The process took years but Octavius was determined that no one should prosper (or indeed drawer breath) after being involved in his adopted fathers death. So much so that those who bragged about being involved – despite evidence to the contrary – and many of the assassins associates were executed wherever they were found across the empire. 

This definitely filled a hole in my knowledge of Roman history. I knew some of the story, a few of the highlights, and some of the main players but reading this detailed and well written account showed me just how much I DIDN'T know. Although it took me a little while to get into, this was a very imformative and indeed gripping look at one of THE major events in Roman and indeed European history. Recommended.   

Just Finished Reading: For All the Tea in China – Espionage, Empire and the Secret Formula for the World’s Favourite Drink by Sarah Rose (FP: 2009) [275pp] 

In all my years of drinking the stuff (as I am right now) I’ve never really thought about where tea comes from or how it became THE drink of the English and much of the rest of the world. I knew of its association with China and, especially, India but had assumed that it simply grew in different areas – like other plants – and that was it. I had no idea that it was actively STOLEN from China in order to break China’s monopoly on the trade and, not incidentally, make the East India Company a great deal of money. At the centre of things was botanist Robert Fortune who was tasked to gain access to China’s interior (at that time out of bounds to Europeans), accumulate tea plants and seeds, discover the secrets of making tea – from plant to pot – and make it out alive to tell the tale. Needless to say, the attempt was not without considerable risk as China was largely terra incognita before its borders were forcibly opened, but the potential profit was likewise considerable. Nothing like it had been attempted before. It was going to be quite the adventure! 

Tea is so ubiquitous that its almost invisible here. A ‘cup of tea’ is, as often parodied (with a lot of truth) as the ‘answer to everything’. That’s not far wrong. I’m not exactly sure at what age I started drinking it (5 maybe?) but growing up it was a regular ritual throughout the day. I think we drank it at least 3 or 4 times (maybe more) each day at home. But, until very recently, I never even thought to ask what TYPE of tea it was – mostly ‘blended’ standard tea (AKA the cheap stuff) - or where it came from. On going to university in the early 80’s I ‘fell in with’ a group of HEAVY tea drinkers – probably 6-10 cups a day or more! – which was cool. Tea kept us up, focused and fun to be with. I’m sure that it helped with our studies too. 

After Uni and my move to London, I kept up the tea habit for a while, but it slowly seemed more of a drag making it for myself and I slowly lost the habit. Only after a break of years – if not decades – I started drinking it again (presently green tea with lemon & honey) and found that I really missed it. My daily cuppa – just the one – is something I look forward to with some anticipation. After reading this book I’ve decided to expand my range into other teas (I picked up a box of Assam today) and intend to try out as many as I can find. I think it’ll be fun experimenting with ‘real’ tea rather than the standard blends I’ve been used to my whole life. It might take me a while to move away from teabags though – but I DO have an unused pot that could be dusted off... and I’ve seen some really nice/cute diffusers...  

If you have any interest or curiosity about the world's favourite drink this will definitely fill in the gaps in your knowledge. A fascinating read of global industrial espionage that got me wondering about other food and drink we’ve stolen and transplanted around the world. More to come. Recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: Britain After Rome – The Fall and Rise 400 to 1070 by Robin Fleming (FP: 2010) [366pp] 

It was a long time coming but it was still a shock when the last legions left Britain around AD410. Trouble within the Empire with enemies both foreign and domestic meant that more and more often units were withdrawn from the edges of the known world never to return. Britainnia was on its own. Her problem was less enemies on the borders but trade across the narrow sea to Gaul and beyond. With the legions gone trade fell off a cliff. With trans-imperial trade now practically non-existent local industries and manufactures struggled without a local economy to support them. Before long internal trade collapsed and with it any urban areas designed primarily around trade and administration. Towns became strange ruins to future generations, mined for stone or other resources and, generally, shunned by all but the most curious. Life continued much as it had done before the Occupation and slowly, very slowly, micro-kingdoms sprang into being often headed by old families who harked back to the glory of Rome or those who could organise the local population for building or defence. 

In the centuries that followed, some micro-kingdoms grew absorbing the less able or unlucky neighbours and eventually became powers covering significant parts of England. Adaptive to change, coping with foreign immigrants, traders, raiders and invasions they finally faced their greatest threat in the Vikings. Initially losing whole swathes of the country to the Norsemen, the centuries long struggle saw first an accommodation and then an assimilation under a single English monarch. The economy, at first struggling under numerous assaults, became one of the strongest in Europe and a magnet for anyone willing to chance his arm (and often his head) on taking control of such a rich prize. Eventually a foreign invader succeeded and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Obviously, there’s no way that I’m going to sketch 600+ years of history in a few paragraphs so I’m not even going to try. Despite the dearth of documents during the early part of ex-Roman British history there’s still a lot we can tell about the conditions people lived in. Once Christianity is re-established and written records start showing up in relative abundance we can tell a lot more. Ironically this was the least interesting part of the narrative as I honestly don’t have any significant interest in early ecclesiastical history. To be honest I did skim a bit of the chapters discussing it.  

This was, quite deliberately, a history focused on the people digging in the dirt rather than the people wearing silk and eating eels – or as much as it can be considering that dirt diggers tend to leave rather less to study than the castle dwellers. But there are graves, always graves. Often the most interesting bits (for me anyway) were discussions of burials and grave goods – and most especially (in the last chapter most of all) the analysis of the people’s health conditions determined by skeletal evidence. I was quite astounded to read of areas were around 25% of children never made it to their 2nd birthday and in others where 40% of women were dead by their 25th year. It must have been a strange, sad, place with so many motherless children and so many parents still grieving (no doubt) over lost sons and daughters. Such grim statistics hardly changed – at least at the shallow end of the social economy until the 19th century. How lucky we are to live in the age of anti-biotics and enough food to eat. 

Despite being a rather slow read at times (more me than the author I think!) this was an interesting look into a period of Britain’s history I know very little about. I shall, no doubt, be returning to this era to see how much I can flesh out my pre-1066 knowledge further. Recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: Echolands – A Journey in Search of Boudica by Duncan Mackay (FP: 2023) [306pp] 

It all started with the Welsh, and an overzealous Roman commander. It ended with death, destruction and a revolt that might have ended to occupation of Britannia. The commander of the province at the ends of the world, Suetonius Paulinus, was campaigning (AKA exterminating) in Wales subduing the local population that had been causing so much trouble in the past. To do so with the maximum of effort he wanted his rear to be secure and to assure this he directed his subordinate to disarm the local tribes. One of these tribes, the Iceni, had been willing clients to Rome for some time and they expected to be treated as such. To demand their weapons, as if they couldn’t be trusted, was an insult too far. Swords were drawn, words were said and, as night follows day, blood flowed. What was worse is that the queen, Boudica (which means Victory) was whipped and her daughters raped – or at least according to later accounts. Whatever actually happened, it was enough for the Iceni and their allies to hold an urgent meeting to decide how to respond. The decision was to fight – to kill every Roman, man, woman and child they found and to burn everything Roman to the ground. The Iceni were warriors of their word and they fell upon the Roman occupiers like ravening wolves. Cities burnt, including London, thousands died and the IX Legion was destroyed to a man – with only its commander and a handful of cavalry able to save the eagle from capture. Only weeks later, when Paulinus return from his campaigning did a final battle take place where, this time, the Iceni fell in their thousands and the revolt was brutally ended. But it was a close-run thing and even the Emperor, Nero, apparently considered giving up Britannia as a lost cause. 

I’ve long had a ‘thing’ for the Boudica story (or Boadicea as I wrongly knew her growing up). I think I might have heard the full story early in school during a history lesson. I do wonder if the teacher, in the 1970’s, was the same one who turned me on to the story of Hereward. It’s entirely possible. They were a radical bunch back then! It is a great story though – despite the fact that we only really know about it from the Roman viewpoint and a good chunk of that evidence is questionable to a degree. There’s plenty of physical evidence – including the Boudican layer of destruction visible in digs across England’s southern plain. What we don’t know are where some of the notable battles took place – including the ambush and destruction of the IX Legion and the final battle itself.  

That’s one of the things the author went looking for in this highly engaging and highly entertaining narrative. I was honestly hooked! I really liked the way he tried to get inside the heads of the main players but was also more than happy to point out what we don’t know and probably will never know about the events surrounding the revolt itself. I also really liked the authors sense of humour most obvious from his chapter headings. I particularly liked the one covering the initial Roman invasion of Britain called ‘The Egle Has Landed’. Brilliant! If you’ve ever wondered exactly who Boudica was and why she was held in such high regard for so long – although apparently there are some who are trying to label her as a war criminal or worse – this is definitely the book for you. One last thing, below is an image of the statue of Boudica and her two daughters in London. Whenever I’m there I always try to visit the area and admire the artwork and the woman herself. She’s still one of my all-time historical heroes and I can’t help but wonder what things would’ve been like if she had succeeded in throwing the Romans back into the sea.... 

Just Finished Reading: The Romans Who Shaped Britain by Sam Moorhead and David Stuttard (FP: 2012) [251pp] 

It may have been true, but it was certainly a piece of significant propaganda as well as a shot at personal aggrandisement. When Julius Ceaser was fighting in Gaul he pointed at Britain as a haven for trouble makers, a haven that needed to be tamed, to be brought to heel. The only way to do that was to invade – which he did with a relatively small force in 55BC achieving little more than a ‘photo-op’. He returned with a much larger force the following year achieving his limited war aims and essentially put the locals on notice that the Roman Empire was watching and would be back. Then... Nothing. 

Only after around 100 years in AD43 under Emperor Claudius did a full invasion and occupation get underway. Resistance was, at first, significant – at least amongst some of the Britannic tribes but Rome, being Rome, dealt with any signs of opposition in their usual brutally methodical manner. In this case at least resistance was, generally, useless. With each passing year the Empire pressed north and west towards what is now Scotland and Wales. Both future countries proved far more difficult to subdue than first thought although Wales eventually fell after many years of warfare. Scotland proved a somewhat tougher nut to crack – or simply too expensive for minimal gain – and a series of walls were built to contain any possible threat. But not all was well (or peaceful) in Britannia.  

In AD60 the Roman’s pushed too far. With a heavy hand they turned a compliant ally into an implacable enemy. The Iceni queen Boudica rose in revolt to avenge her husband, her daughters and herself against an oppressive regime. This was no idle threat. Tens of thousands reached for their swords and shouted ‘Death to Rome’. The city of Colchester went down in blood and flame followed by London. The 9th Legion was ambushed on the way to intercept Boudica’s army and destroyed. Rearmed and reinvigorated who could stand against them? Returning from the Druid heartland of Anglesey the Roman governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, did just that with appalling consequences and the revolt bled out in an English field. The death toll was truly staggering with the Romans and their allies losing around 80,000 and the Celtic tribes considerably more. Although Emperor Nero considered abandoning Britain the defeat of Boudica led to Roman consolidation in the south and a confirmed presence in the rest of the country for centuries to come. 

When the Romans finally left early in the 5th century, they left a partially Romanised province largely unable to stand on its own feet. For centuries it had been a place of some value but always at a cost. It was one of the most heavily garrisoned provinces in the Empire and seemed to be a regular producer of troublesome Emperor ‘wannabies’ safely far from the centre of things. 

This was a very good overview/introduction to Roman Britain. I was aware of the rough outline of things (back in my day they taught this sort of thing in History class) so it was nice to fill in some detail. There is much, at least on the surface, to admire about the Romans but it was gratifying to see then get their assess handed to them on more than one occasion by the Brits (even though the ‘British’ didn’t actually exist at that time), the Welsh and the Scots (ditto and ditto). Naturally I was drawn particularly to Boudica (or Boadicea as I knew her growing up – yes, I’m THAT old) so there’s more to follow on that amazing woman and hero of mine for many years. Definitely worth a read and recommended to anyone wanting a firm foundation to this most interesting slice of Britain's early history. 

Just Finished Reading: The Trigger – The Hunt for Gavrilo Princip: The Assassin who Brought the World to War by Tim Butcher (FP: 2014) [297pp] 

When the young Serbian assassin, Gavrilo Princip, stepped out of the crowd in Sarajevo in 1914, fired twice and killed the heir to the Austrian crown and his wife, what exactly was he trying to achieve? What did he expect to happen next? One thing he didn’t think would happen was that he’d live to see the end of that day – a cyanide capsule attested to that fact. What he had hoped was that he would live up to his heroes and strike back against the oppressors of his country and his people – the Serbs. He may well have expected Austria to go to war with Serbia over the attack, but Princip expected that this war would be short and that it would bring together the Balkan states to throw off Imperial domination. Did he think it might result in a larger war? Possibly. In the recent past, Russia had voiced both official and private support for its southern neighbour. But Russia was also an Empire and also a Monarchy. Could they really support the act of someone who struck at the heart of both? It was not an academic question. The lives of millions might rest on how that question was answered. 

But who exactly was Princip, where did he come from, and why did he think Franz Ferdinands death was worth his young life? These questions are what the author sought to find out – but not in a way I expected. The book's subtitle pointed me in the wrong direction. I had assumed, wrongly it turned out, that this book was about the Austrian, or indeed local police, hunt for the assassin. However, Princip was apprehended at the scene of the shooting and arrested immediately. The ‘hunt’ in question was for the history, the personality and the radicalisation of the assassin himself. But the book turned out to be much more than that. The author was a journalist during the Balkan/Yugoslav Wars in the 1990’s so knew the region and the people’s reasonably well. He had made life-long friends there and seen things that haunted him to the present. Part of the book was the author relating his experiences as he, and friend, visited Princip’s home village, talked to surviving family and then travelled in his footsteps (often literally) from his home to Sarajevo and that fateful meeting.  

Part history of the events and the conspiracy leading up to the assassination, part discussion of the 90’s conflict, part high-level history of the region, and part travelogue this was an intriguing mix and story threads that worked really well. It showed where Princip came from – both geographically and culturally – how he arrived at his destination – both physically and politically and how it impacted on the region both at the time and how echoes of that event still reverberate today. It was, in many ways, a very interesting (and sometimes haunting) narrative. Definitely recommended for a new look at one of the defining moments of modern times.  

Just Finished Reading: The Assassination of the Archduke – Sarajevo 1914 and the Murder That Changed the World by Greg King and Sue Woolmans (FP: 2013) [292pp] 

I think it is more than arguable that THE pivotal moment (or most definitely A pivotal moment) in the 20th century occurred on 28th June 1914 when a young Serbian man shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on the streets of Sarajevo. A little over 4 weeks later Europe and the world was at war – a conflict that accounted for around 20 million deaths. Like most people, in the West at least, I certainly knew OF the event and some of the details behind it. What I didn’t realise, until reading this excellent book, was just how many details I was unaware of. 

The book was essential formatted into two halves – covering the life and (apparently very happy) marriage of the archduke in the first section and the more immediate run-up to the assassination in the second half. Naturally I enjoyed the second half more – being the person that I am – but the first half was FAR from boring. It was interesting that Franz never even entertained the idea of eventually becoming Emperor of Austria-Hungary. He was 4th in line and only an unusual set of circumstances led him to the cusp of that role. I also had no idea just how controversial his marriage was. Apparently by marrying a mere countess – who he was apparently deeply in love with – he ‘shamed the Imperial crown’ and was made to suffer repeated public humiliation because of it. Indeed, he had to sign an agreement that his children would not be allowed to inherit any rights, privileges or position once he became Emperor. [Side note: This is known as a morganatic marriage: relating to or denoting a marriage in which neither the spouse of lower rank, nor any children, have any claim to the possessions or title of the spouse of higher rank. This was obvious a favourite word of the authors who, throughout the book used it repeatedly. Although I wasn’t exactly counting, they must have used it 30 times at a minimum and I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if the use count exceeded 50 times. Although it did start to get irritating after a while I did eventually find it funny.] After YEARS of public abuse for marrying for love I, personally, would have used very undiplomatic language to tell the Empire what it could do, and where it could stick, the crown. Franz (and especially Sophie) were made of sterner stuff. 

The assassination itself was, well, weird. Even at the time there was much speculation that it was the result of a conspiracy. In effect, of course, it was – just (maybe) not the conspiracy some people were thinking of. There was definitely a conspiracy involving the assassins themselves. On top of that there was another conspiracy by members of the Serbian military to train, arm and assist the assassins in their attempt. What is not so clear, despite some very strange goings-on, was if there was any AUSTRIAN complicity in the killing. Franz didn’t want to go to Sarajevo but was essentially ordered to do so by the emperor, the visit and the route was advertised months in advance, the archduke's personal security detail was left at the local rail station because of lack of transport for them, the local governor (despite protestations) failed to arrange additional security for the event or even take normal standard precautions and on... All VERY strange. Was it a set-up? I think there’s a distinct possibility. Austria was certainly looking for an excuse to ‘deal’ with Serbia once and for all and an attempted assassination would provide that very excuse. If the archduke was actually killed....? Well, there was always someone around to take his place on the throne. 

Apart from the mildly irritating ‘morganatic’ on repeat this was a very interesting read. I learnt a lot about the run-up to the event itself as well as the immediate aftermath. Together with a few more upcoming reads I’m now much more aware of why and how Europe and the world ended up fighting one of the most destructive wars in our long and bloody history and why the world remains in such a mess today. All because a car paused at the side of a street in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time. SO many ‘what-ifs’ spring from that day. So many possibilities... Definitely recommended to anyone interested in how the Great War started. More to come – soon. 

Just Finished Reading: In the Shadows of the American Century – The Rise and Decline of US Global Power by Alfred W McCoy (FP: 2017) [256pp] 

An interesting way to look at modern US history (post-Civil War) is to see it as an Empire in the mould of the British or ancient Athenian empires – not one simply of conquest and domination but almost accidental (in the sense of not entirely deliberate).  Built through the provocation of wars and interventions from the Spanish-American war to the First and especially Second World Wars, America found itself torn from its preferred isolationist comfort zone and thrust onto the world stage as a player par excellence. It was World War 2 that made the US into a global powerhouse and the ‘arsenal of democracy’ (to say nothing of the world's richest nation by far and – briefly – the world’s only Super-power) but it was the subsequent Cold War that made the United States into an Empire in all but name. With the need to contain and, where required, combat the proxies of the ideological opposing force of Communism wherever they were found across the entire planet's surface (or beyond) the build-up of a truly staggering military force, the construction of numerous military bases around hot spots and the building of alliances for mutual defence developed into an Empire almost by default and, it seemed, almost as an afterthought. But built it was and the post-1945 world was named, without irony, the American Century. 

The previous empire (the world spanning British) that the Americans had now overshadowed had its own century running from 1815 to 1914 – going into slow and then accelerating decline after the exhausting Great War – and it was, at least initially, thought that the pax Americana would both outlast and outshine its predecessor. But the going has been far from easy. The Soviet Union developed nuclear weapons far faster than had been anticipated and the US no longer held the monopoly on world destruction. Other countries followed and the nuclear ‘club’ has been slowly expanding ever since. Although the military might of American forces was certainly not to be trifled with – as seen in Korea – the defeat in Vietnam tarnished their reputation for decades until the lightening victory in the first Gulf War. But, as we know, subsequent conflicts in Afghanistan and Gulf War 2 televised as they were for all the world to see showed beyond doubt the America’s predominance on the field of battle was no longer a given. The American Empire must now co-exist with other rising powers, most especially China, and come to terms with being more of a first amongst equals in a multi-polar world. The question is, naturally, just how long can the US retain its present position. Even with recent setbacks, the Chinese economy is due to overtake the US sooner rather than later. Likewise, the Chinese military strength grows by the day. If those two nations ever came to blows the outcome and the winner is up for debate, and it is far from certain that the US would prevail. We are indeed living through interesting times. 

This was, to be honest, a definite highlight of the year for me. The author most certainly ‘knows his stuff’ and manages to bring together almost a century of geopolitical history into a coherent narrative that is both persuasive and a little frightening. It also throws into perspective, at least for me, the present political turmoil that the US is going through. Looking at it through the lens of an Empire in decline it makes perfect sense. Indeed, its exactly what you might have expected to see as the Roman Empire crumbled long before the barbarians arrived at their gates. A fascinating read and highly recommended for anyone wanting to both understand the history of the US and, just possibly, its future. 

[Labels Added: 3, Labels Total: 69] 

Just Finished Reading: Heart Beguiling Araby – The English Romance with Arabia by Kathryn Tidrick (FP: 1990) [219pp] 

The British have long been fascinated and focused on the Arab peninsula, long before the oil and long before the area became the political nightmare it is today.  It was, according to this deeply interesting slim volume, however based on a delusion if a persistent one. That delusion resided deep with the psyche of the British imperial imagination – that the desert Arabs and particularly the Bedouin were just like them, not noble savages but noble gentlemen in desert garb. This ideal, apparently highly resistant to the experience reality of travellers in the region, was founded on the works of Richard Burton (1821-1890), Gifford Palgrave (1826-1888), Wilfred Scawen Blunt (1840-1922) and Charles M Doughty (1843-1926) who each in their own way added to the myth. So pervasive was this idea in the higher echelons on British society that it informed and directed British foreign policy in the region as some dreamt of expanding the Empire onto that peninsula to the exclusion of all other powers – most especially the Ottoman Empire. When the Ottoman’s sided with Germany in WW1 this was Britain’s opportunity to make the dream come true. The discovery and steadily increasing requirements for oil certainly helped and some British players, most notably a young officer known to history as Lawrence of Arabia, were all too happy to make an imperial Arabia a reality. 

I have long wondered at the British fascination and romance with the desert. The Foreign Office was indeed infamous (at least until recently) for being confirmed Arabists no doubt until (or likely just after) such a position became increasingly untenable with its suspected whiff of antisemitism. Part of that fascination is the romance of desolate places much loved by British travellers and tourists from the 18th century onwards. Part of it, no doubt, was the supposed romance of wild peoples – and especially wild men – who were seemingly more ‘alive’ than their civilised counterparts in the stuffy drawing rooms of England. Part of it was the understandable rejection, at least of a psychic level, of the modern world and the increasing pace of change (laughable looking back from the 21st century but understandable all the same) and the desire to ‘escape’ back into a more idyllic and simpler time. No doubt part of it was childhood readings of the Arabian Nights and the Bible and the seeming ability to ‘drop into’ the pages of formative books. 

Told with a deep understanding of the time and region and with a great deal of knowing humour (I laughed out loud more than once at the authors comments regarding some of the major players) I derived both a great deal of knowledge and a great deal of pleasure on almost every page. If you’ve ever wondered about early European and especially British encounters with Arabia or, like me, wondered what all the fuss was about in the 19th and early 20th centuries in that region then this is definitely the book for you. Much more on that troubled zone to come. 

[Labels Added: 2, Labels Total: 63] 

Just Finished Reading: Colonial America – A Very Short Introduction by Alan Taylor (FP: 2013) [123pp] 

Countries, it seems, are born in much the same way as most things – during a time of prolonged suffering, pain and a fair amount of blood. America is no exception to this rule. Far from being an empty and virgin land when Columbus ‘discovered’ the West Indies, the Americas – both North and South – had long been populated by diverse cultures who had crossed the Bering Straits land bridge during the last Ice Age and have been estimated to be in the multiple millions when the Spanish arrived. With talk of ‘golden cities’ to the south other Spaniards soon followed looking to make their fortunes and, with the aid of primitive firearms as well as the far more devastating diseases especially smallpox, spread death and destruction wherever they went. Not to outdone – at least not for long – other European nations, notably the French, British and Dutch set about developing colonies and trading posts further north trading in furs and other easily transportable goods. Here, as in the south, disease and conflict eased the path to European domination. Eventually, after many decades, two nations were left standing – Spain in the South and Britain in the North. 

Colonisation of the ‘New World’ was far from easy and far from a done thing. Early settlements failed for numerous reasons. Empires fought each other on American soil – all sides using the local populations as auxiliaries and mercenaries in their wars - for eventual domination and the right to exploit the rich resources found there. Predictably, the natives did not fare well not matter whose side they chose in the conflicts. When they were necessary, they were used. When they were no longer required, they were either abandoned, ‘relocated’ or eliminated in a number of ways. The natives, as they found to their cost, were simply ‘in the way’ of the ever-Westward expansion. Apart from the exploitation and expulsion of native peoples the other foundation of both South and North America from the very earliest days was slavery. Columbus himself arranged for the enslavement if the island natives in the West Indies whose eventual demise led to the importation of African slaves to fill the shortfall in natural replacement. Some of the Northern territories depended on their very existence on the slave economy to produce the valuable cash crops, such as tobacco and rice (required to feed slaves in the West Indies). Overall, except for a very few, the birth pains of both America’s were neither short nor mild. 

This filled in quite a few gaps in my knowledge of early American history. I knew something of the early colonial efforts in the North as well as the Spanish depredations in the South but it was interesting to see how early trading with Native Americans led, eventually, to war between Britain and France and how this conflict shaped the futures of both what became the United States and Canada. Likewise, it was interesting to see the gradual moves of the original British colonies towards independence (more of which later). It was also interesting to get some general context for some of my family history. I was surprised when I started digging into my families past that I had a number of ancestors who had migrated to America in previous centuries. One relative died in Richmond, Georgia in 1784, while another died in Isle of Wight County, Virginia in 1720. Even further back my ancestors were dying in Charles City, Virginia in 1653 and Boston in 1652 presumably as refugees from the English Civil Wars. An interesting and informative read on many levels. Recommended and, as always, more to come. 

Just Finished Reading: Daughters of Britannia – The Lives & Times of Diplomatic Wives by Katie Hickman (FP: 1999) [300pp] 

Permanent embassies in foreign lands are, it seems, a relatively modern thing. Before the 17th century a diplomat or ambassador would only be sent abroad to negotiate a treaty or press demands on the part of his monarch. More modern times, with growing trade and other ongoing involvements between nation-states however demanded a more permanent posting. Therefore, embassies sprang up in the capitals of Europe and, later, across the globe. To fill this increasing number of posts the fledgling Foreign Service sent (at least occasionally) its best and brightest to ‘fly the flag’, deter Britain’s enemies and encourage her allies. Naturally these men, and it was exclusively men until very recently, brought their wives and families with them whenever possible. In the most hospitable postings children had few problems and many possibilities to learn new languages and immerse themselves in new cultures. Where the posting was considered dangerous or arduous (especially in regards to the climate) children were often left behind in England as much for their education as their health. Wives were expected to cope both with their husbands posting and their separation from the children. Many became unpaid administrators, embassy managers, social hosts and learnt to be on permanent display. Others saw the opportunity for adventure in far flung places and became explorers and travel writers in their own name. My favourite was the new wife of explorer and diplomat Richard Burton - Isabel Arundel – who, on being notified that her husband was being sent to Brazil, hired experts to teach her to fence and shoot to ‘defend Richard when he gets into trouble’! I’m definitely going to have to read more about *that* couple!  

With the author being a daughter of a diplomat, she certainly had the experience to tease out the lived experiences of diplomatic wives (and families) over the last 500 years. All too often though she was presented with very little to work with as early diplomats left very little written documentation to piece together their lives in any detail. Only from the 18th and definitely from the 19th centuries does the volume of information concerning the activities of wives provide that level of the detail in letters home, published and unpublished diaries and even Foreign Office reporting. Overall, this was an interesting look at an all too often overlooked aspect of the diplomatic ‘trade’ over the centuries. Although I didn’t find it as ‘fascinating’ as some of the reviewers I did find it to be an interesting insight into global diplomacy which has piqued my interest enough to investigate further. Worth a read if you can get hold of a copy.  

Just Finished Reading: The Anarchy – The Relentless Rise of the East India Company by William Dalrymple (FP: 2019) [409pp]

It was not exactly an auspicious start to the enterprise. Fewer than expected investors had signed on to the undertaking. Certainly nowhere near the investment capital had been raised compared to their Dutch and Portuguese rivals. From the very start it was going to be an uphill struggle to survive. As if that wasn’t enough the first trading missions went badly – so badly that a significant number of trading ships simply vanished never to return. Only the interception of an already laden Dutch ship saved the company from going under in those early days. But Luck, as she has a tendency of doing, changes. Settlements were agreed with local princes and trading started flowing back – in a trickle at least. But the opportunities were truly immense. The British who landed in India, at Bengal, were astonished at the wealth seemingly there for the taking – if they could hold onto it. Security was, naturally, a problem. Months away from any relief they had to be able to defend themselves. The British navy was available in time of war – in other words quite often – but could hardly be prevailed upon to protect assets inland from the trading ports. But the Company did have something in its favour – money – and with money the ability to buy security in the form of mercenary captains and hired local soldiers trained to fight in the European way. A private Company hired itself a private army. They were not alone of course but gradually the Portuguese, the Dutch and even the French left the sub-continent effectively leaving it to the British to gobble up piecemeal. The Company and its plans were not without opposition however. The local leaders had been fighting amongst themselves for generations and knew a thing or two about warfare. They were even aware of European fighting styles and could afford European arms and European captains just as the Company could. But the local leaders had other things too – deep seated rivalries that could not just be set aside in the face of a common enemy, an overpowering sense of power and entitlement that had little foundation in reality and a mistaken belief that one or two lost battles would send the Company scuttling home to Britain. Things had gone too far for that. The Company was now so successful that it was FAR too big to fail. The revenue it generated for the British economy outweighed every other money stream by far. If the Company failed, some argued with a great deal of reason, then Britain itself could fail. So, gradually, reluctantly, the British government (whose Ministers already invested in the Company and who were loath to see their investments in peril) became more and more entangled in its operation and more and more dependent on its survival.

Before reading this excellent history I had no real idea just how important the East India Company was in the history of the British Empire, Britain herself and indeed world history of that period. Not only did the Company provide – by essentially asset stripping an entire sub-continent of its natural wealth – a HUGE capital influx to the coffers of the British economy for decade after decade but it gradually took over the administration of more and more of India and placed the British government in the position of having to ‘take charge’ when the Company was faced with bankruptcy. If you have ever wondered, like me, just how the British ‘acquired’ India then look no further that the history of the East India Company. It’s actually incredible that a private company answerable only to its shareholders was generating a significant percentage of Britain’s GDP and, at least for a time, had more armed forces at its command than did its mother-country. I wonder if that’s a sneak-peek into the future of multi-nationals. Covering several hundred years from its inception to its crashing down in flames this is a fascinating look at a company out of control, a continent being ransacked and the fight over what should be done about it. A definite must read for anyone interested in India, the British Empire and the possible future of BIG business.     

Just Finished Reading: Empire Made Me – An Englishman Adrift in Shanghai by Robert Bickers (FP: 2003) [342pp]

It was all by accident really, prompted by an intriguing throw-away line: Here, you might find this interesting. In the box the archivist handed him was a collection of letters and a few bits of random information. Not having time to go down that particular rabbit hole just yet he made some notes and went back to his original project. But he didn’t forget that box or its contents. When time allowed he took up the challenge of putting together an ordinary person’s life – a life lived in extraordinary times and in an extraordinary place.

Richard Maurice Tinkler was a child of Empire. Born and raised in the North of England (actually not too far from where I went to University) his journey into the wider world started with an argument with his father and the desire to prove himself. He did so with a lie about his age, a complicit recruiter and a ticket to the Western Front in the First World War. Survival in those years meant growing up – fast. On his return to England Tinkler found that the promises of a ‘Land fit for Heroes’ were as empty for the reason for the war in the first place. In exasperation a family member pointed out a job advert in the local paper for police officers in Shanghai. Impulsively he applied and was accepted. But for a single trip back home he stayed the rest of his life in that oriental city.

At first things went really well despite his loathing for the ‘system’ that kept him and his working class mates at the bottom of the Imperial totem pole (or at least at the bottom of the white pole – Tinkler and his colleagues were in the strange position of essentially being servants who had their own non-white servants to look after them). He learnt the local Chinese dialect quickly and earned promotions until his underlying anger-management issues and his inability to suffer what he regarded as fools (which to be honest encompassed most of humanity) got him into trouble. Losing rank only fuelled his resentment but may have also enabled him to climb the ladder again until it all finally blew up in his face. In the final analysis he really had no one to blame but himself. Tinkler was not a very nice man. He was a racist – and not just regarding the local Chinese and Indian police units he had to work with – he had deep unresolved anger issues, used violence or the threat of violence too often to get his own way, drank far too much to be healthy (or competent on duty) and was more than a little misogynistic. He was, truth be told, a rather nasty piece of work.

But telling his tale, warts and all, (and impressively too) gives a unique window into the British Empire in China. All too often we see Imperial history told from the viewpoints of Governors of vast Imperial lands or military leaders enforcing civilisation at the point of a Maxim machine gun. Here we see what the Empire looked like and how it functioned from street level where the blood, sweat and tears of the real Imperial endeavour existed day by day. This was the Empire that people rarely saw, rarely heard about and rarely read about except in newspaper headlines. This was the Empire of drug raids, of riot control or systemic racism and oppression – even in a country that was not under Imperial control. It was, page after page, a real eye-opener to what Empire felt like on the ground through the eyes and experiences of one average, run-of-the-mill, police officer on his ‘beat’ in a faraway place. Told by an author who really shows his expertise in both China and story-telling this is a fantastic window on the 1920’s British enclave in Shanghai. If you have even a passing interest in British Imperial or Chinese history this is a must read. Highly recommended.         

Just Finished Reading: The Boxer Rebellion by Richard O’Connor (FP: 1973) [348pp]

It’s sad to say but before reading this excellent history my knowledge (such as it was) of the Boxer Rebellion consisted mostly of snippets from other works and the 1963 movie 55 Days at Peking starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven. Needless to say most of the movie was almost dead wrong historically.

The Boxer Rebellion was, it seemed, a long time coming. China had been attacked, occupied and essentially bullied into economic ‘co-operation’ since the early 1800’s and was getting more than a little sick of it. A big complaint was the activities of Christian missionaries who continued to convert thousands of Chinese subjects to their cause and belief. But really most of it was about power – and money. The Chinese authorities – especially the Empress – knew full well that they could not confront the European Powers directly so when the Boxer Uprising took place they saw their opportunity. The Boxers took great offense to foreign intervention in Chinese affairs and began attacking Europeans and those who worked for them with ever greater vigour. Naturally complaints were raised (and acknowledged) but secretly the authorities either turned a blind eye to Boxer activity or even actively encouraged it – handing over weapons and offering training where appropriate. The ‘foreign’ settlement in the capital Peking saw which way things were going and asked their respective governments for military guards – which duly arrived. These consisted mainly of marine units from the ships in harbour over a hundred miles away plus military band units so hardly the best of the best (back in those days – 1900 – the marines where not yet a countries elite fighting force).

It was not long before ‘blind eyes’ and tacit approval turned into full government support and a concerted attack on European settlements in several locations (not just in Peking) took place and involved Chinese imperial troops as well as Boxer irregulars. The Legation in Peking was very heavily outnumbered and was not expected to last very long. If it had been overrun and the diplomats killed the resultant revenge from all of the Powers would have been devastating to China despite the weak excuse of ‘The Boxers did it’. How the Empress thought she would get away with such a thing is beyond me. If things had gone ahead as planned and the Powers reacted as I fully expect they would it wouldn’t have surprised me if China as a sovereign nation had simply ceased to exist after being carved up and apportioned out to the countries involved. However, as actually hinted at in the ‘63 movie (so kudos there for that at least), the Chinese military commander refused to give over use of heavier artillery to the Boxers knowing full well that the Powers couldn’t withstand that and the number of casualties that would follow. What did surprise me (although maybe it shouldn’t have) was the fact that, unlike the movie portrayal, the Powers not only did not have any kind of unified command structure – so communications were often delayed – but that several countries contingents simply refused to co-operate with others which naturally meant extra work to ensure that certain Powers where not required (or asked to) assist certain others. For example the French refused to help the Germans (ditto) and the Russians and Japanese could barely stand each other. Interesting the film shows the US Marine commander (Heston) and the Japanese commander having good relations (I did wonder if this was in order to back up the anti-communist ‘pact between the two in the 1960’s). What the book relates is that the Japanese commander was not only the most experienced and most able of those available but (I think) also senior in rank so, technically at least, should have been in overall command of the defences. Unfortunately it was decided that it would be unthinkable for white men to be commanded by a Japanese officer – no matter how capable. Despite the brief reference to Ava Gardner playing at nursing (I think as I skipped through most of the ‘love interest’ bit between her and Heston) women played almost no part in the movie. In reality (again quite different) not only did they provide nursing services, cooking and cleaning (again just being the turn of the 20^th century) but also produced most of the sandbags used in the barricades. One women (who I think was either French or American) joined the men on the barricades with rifle in hand. She was asked to leave as she provided too much of a distraction to the men. The other thing that the movie completely edits out – understandably as it adds a whole other level of possible confusion – was the fact that a lot of Chinese Christians helped with barricade construction, and much of the more mundane activities of any prolonged siege. The film also failed to show the blatant disregard for the Chinese suffering in a near-by compound despite the fact that the European Powers had offered them protection – at least initially.

The siege at Peking and elsewhere lasted almost 2 months largely due to the incompetence of and arguing between the respective Powers. An initial relief attempt had to be rescued and withdrawn because it was too small, put together too quickly and had grossly underestimated the resolve of Chinese units ranged against them. Only when a properly constituted force was ready – which took an inordinate amount of time – was progress made and the siege of the foreign legation lifted. Again in the movie this was shown as a just in time relief complete with marching bands. The reality was not so neat however. There the movie ended complete with cheering. What it didn’t show was what happened next. As Chinese forces left Peking the victorious (mostly European) armies did what they always do – looted the city, for about a month. Each Power looted in its own way and despite being ordered not to the American’s joined it. Some people made LOTS of money and museums and art galleries, to say nothing of heads of state, acquired choice Chinese artefacts which are still held today. As with previous conflicts the defeat of Chinese forces led to great penetration by the victorious Powers and even more trouble stored up for later.

This was a really fascinating book that had been sitting, unread and unloved, for far too long on one of my shelves. I wish I had read it sooner. I actually re-watched ’55 Days’ the day I finished this (YouTube for the win!) to see just how different the movie version was to the actual reality. I shouldn’t have been shocked but I was. This was an extremely informative and interesting look at a piece of Imperial history and an important part of the history of Western-Chinese relations that still echoes today. Definitely worth reading if you can find a copy. Highly recommended.               

Just Finished Reading: The Opium War by Julia Lovell (FP: 2011) [360pp]

It wasn’t just a profitable trade – it was a VERY profitable trade. Opium produced in India and transported to China raised a significant percentage of India’s running costs to the British Empire. Any restriction of that, admittedly illicit, trade not only threatened Indian revenue but arguably threated the Imperial project itself. At least that was what some of the actors in this drama told themselves and others back home. The Chinese had a long history of restricting access and trade opportunities to outsiders and after many decades of grumbling and smuggling the Europeans and especially the British had had enough. Whilst trade in opium was illegal the profits from its sale – initially to the wealthy and well placed – were enormous even with the middle men and bribes to everyone in the distribution chain. If the trade was made legal then profits would sky rocket. The opportunity arose during a periodic Chinese crackdown on the trade when a large consignment of opium was confiscated and burnt. Complaints from British traders fell on deaf ears and the local English language press had a field day in decrying how the European ‘race’ had been humiliated. The demand that ‘something be done’ was growing. Tired of the constant complaints the British government sent a representative to ‘sort things’. Siding with the traders he attempted to meet with officials, claim compensation and regularise the trade on a firmer foundation. This is when the misunderstandings and very different cultural world views came into deadly conflict.

The Chinese, often with very good reason, regarded the rest of the world as barbarians – no matter their technological prowess. The British, naturally to them, regarded the Chinese as a failed, backward and corrupt empire on the verge of collapse. Along with the slightly distasteful trade in opium they were bringing all of the benefits of European civilisation and, for some inexplicable reason, they were meeting resistance. A lesson, it seemed, needed to be taught. So they awaited an inevitable incident to arise that they could use as a wedge to finally breach Chinese trade restrictions once and for all. They didn’t have long to wait. Made into something far worse than it actually was the British envoy accused Chinese forces of an unprovoked attack on a British ship going about its lawful business (neither of which was strictly true) and demanded reparations. When none were forthcoming the British did what the British did back then – they called for military support. Back in those days (the late 1830’s) before widespread use of the telegraph it took weeks for messages to go back and forth from the edge of the Empire’s reach back to London and weeks more for a reply to be received on agreed action. None of this was in any way practical for efficient administration so envoys had a great deal of latitude to act on their own. Even with a latitude as wide as he no doubt had the British envoy overstepped his remit – and then some. Almost before they had begun to understand the situation the British government found themselves embroiled in what turned out to be the First Opium War.

Yet again (which seems to be a constant refrain here) the Opium War(s) was something I knew of but knew very little about (at least in detail). I know the fact that the British essentially used Royal Naval power to ENFORCE an illegal drug trade on another country but I wasn’t fully aware at how we first bumbled our way into it and then bumbled our way through it. Naturally with our technological superiority the war, if you can really call it that, didn’t last long or cost many European lives – though it cost a great number of Chinese ones. The subsequent treaty was flawed (mostly because of cultural misunderstandings and a Chinese ‘understanding’ that its provisions could be gradually ‘forgotten’) which led to the Second Opium War in 1856-60 which both opened up the Chinese mainland to a lot more trade – not just in opium – as well as full access for Christian missionaries. This, again naturally, became a casus belli for the subsequent Boxer Rebellion (more later!). From all of this you can see why the Chinese distrust and (arguably) hate Europeans almost as much as they despise the Japanese (more later!). In the last section of this fascinating book the author goes into the echoes of these conflicts – mostly long forgotten in the West but still fairly fresh in Chinese memory – both with the recurrent idea of a ‘Yellow Peril’ so often portrayed in popular culture since the mid-19^th century to the present day and the deep-seated mistrust of any Western attempt to restrict or limit the Chinese taking what they see as their rightful place in the world. Not just a history of a war long ago in a place far away, this is I think an important contribution to understanding the Chinese world view and our place in creating it. With China rising in world power and the West arguably in relative decline misunderstandings of the kind that led to the Opium Wars will have much larger consequences for all involved. Hopefully works like this can reduce the changes of that happening. Most definitely recommended to anyone who wishes to understand China.

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 Indian Mutiny 1857 by Saul David (FP: 2002) [382pp]

It had been simmering for some time if anyone had being paying attention enough to notice. The conditions of the local troops hadn’t really improved for years and it showed. But most of the British Army officers and those of the East India Company throughout central India had other concerns than the native forces under their control. The spark, when it happened, could have been foreseen. In part at least simply a case of a process not thought through and in part the result of poor or absent communication what could have been a smooth transition to an updated rifle cartridge was enough to cause dismay, confusion and, with the help of agitators, ultimately mutiny. As rumours quickly spread through Indian units that the new cartridges had been tainted with pig or cow fat – thereby offending both Hindu and Muslim soldiers – British officers struggled to contain the growing disquiet. When ‘suspect’ units were disarmed and returned to barracks – often at gunpoint – the mere rumour of this happening to others finally brought things into the open. Whole units rose up and killed their British officers as well as anyone suspected of supporting them. Then they turned on the local population, killing foreigners and Christian converts – men, women and children. As the revolt grew so did the panic in the European communities across central India. Some senior officers tried to take control and talk their men back to barracks. Most tried and died. Some fled to higher command or barricaded themselves and local Europeans in any structure considered secure enough to hold out until relieved. Some, as at Lucknow, managed to hold out. Others, as at Cawnpore, ended in surrender and, ultimately, massacre. When the British response came it was crushing and brutal. Stories of massacre and the ‘dishonouring’ of women circulated within the army units as they marched north to relieve garrisons and extract revenge. The stories of widespread rape turned out to be unfounded but the wholesale killing by rebel forces was anything but. The British were by this time in no mood to engage in gentlemanly warfare and executed any local official suspected of helping or aiding the mutiny and, once battle was given, took very few prisoners. It was a very bloody affair indeed with no quarter asked and very little given. Of course when it was all over – months later – the subsequent enquiry revealed that the whole sorry incident could have been avoided if more attention had been given to native soldiers and reforms both in the army and government at all levels been undertaken. Much of this did indeed follow the end of the Mutiny but could have been instituted without the resultant bloodshed. But one important thing, at least from the British perspective, did follow the Mutiny: the East India Company lost its mandate to administer large parts of India and the British government took over. The Raj, the jewel in the Imperial crown, was about to be born.

Yet again the Indian Mutiny was something I knew of but precious little about. No longer! This was quite simply a brilliant and detailed look at the causes of the Mutiny, the fight for control (which honestly could have gone either way) and the subsequent British victory. The two sieges – at Cawnpore and Lucknow – were covered in some detail (using personal accounts) and were honestly fascinating. Naturally this was an important incident in both Indian and British Imperial history and deserves to be remembered. It was most definitely not the Empire’s finest hour for a whole host of reasons. Even so it was a time full of heroism, fortitude and sheer grit in the face of sometimes impossible odds. Both gripping and appalling in equal measure this is a work deserving of attention if you have the stomach for it as the author pulls few punches and is not afraid to show atrocities (by both sides) in their historical context. Highly recommended.   

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 Deluge – The Great War and the Remaking of Global Order (1916-1931) by Adam Tooze (FP: 2014)

No doubt it was offered with the very best of intentions however naïve. But all the same the idea was like political acid – self-determination. Never fully explained or even understood it meant many things to many people and that, at its heart, was the problem. Throughout Europe and the wider world the idea of the right to and expectation of self-determination worked its magic helping to break up old empires and create countries out of whole cloth. It encouraged people’s, previously disenfranchised, to rise up against their governments to be allowed their own homeland and equal rights in the eyes of the law, and it brought democracy where none had previously existed. The Genie was very much out of the bottle and no one, even at gun point, was going to put it back in – although some would try very hard indeed.

Of course principles are easy to state, safely between two oceans with little or nothing to lose by the statement. Living up to the same principles when they hit the hard reality of international politics was something else. The easy part was returning Alsace-Lorraine to France (despite the number of ethnic Germans living there). The harder part was countries like Poland which had to be carved out of the pre-existing territories of Germany, Russia and others. Most especially difficult was the provision of natural resources and, more importantly, access to the sea at Danzig. No self-determination there just hard economics, realpolitik and hard bargaining. Even those on the ground could see that the Polish solution was storing up problems for the future. But that was for the newly formed League of Nations to resolve or at least that was the idea before it was effectively emasculated by its Byzantine internal set of rules in an attempt to appear fairer than it in fact was as well the aspect that America never took up its place at the table to spare any future European entanglements.

As a forward looking people the Americans – in the public guise of President Wilson – had little interest in Europe’s Imperial past. They did have an interest in the world’s economic future, unrestricted access to new markets, an open seas policy enforced by a navy at least the equal of Britain’s and the speedy recovery of war debt accrued by the Entente powers. Almost as important in many eyes was the restriction of Japanese expansionism within China and throughout Asia. Not only did the US consider the Pacific to be within their sphere of influence but they thought of the Japanese themselves with a mixture of suspicion and contempt. The US policy towards China itself was hardly coherent and managed to send mixed signals to both the Japanese and Chinese authorities which did little to help stabilise that chaotic region.

At the centre of everything were two countries fighting in many ways for their very existence – Germany and Russia. Germany was the vanquished foe trying to recover from the heavy blow of defeat and the heavier blow of post-Versailles reparations. Stumbling from government to government, fighting elements from both the hard-left and the hard-right, it had an uncertain future. Russia meanwhile was trying to decide between being a failed state or a pariah state. After the 1917 revolution, the declaration of a separate peace with Germany and a descent into years of Civil War the newly formed Soviet Union, birthed in a sea of blood, began to take its place on the world stage. Contained for now by the western powers it still had the capacity, real or imagined, to infect the rest of the world with the ideas of universal Communism. It was in many ways a useful bogeyman.

In this truly formidably impressive work the global chaos caused by 5 years of war, the likes of which had never been seen before, is laid out for all to see and the echoes of this great conflict are followed through as they impacted countries as diverse as Japan and Ukraine. Despite its world spanning reach and its 15 year timeline the detail presented between these 500+ pages is awe inspiring. It is by no means an easy read but the effort is amply rewarded and then some. Not only does the author clearly explain exactly the damage – political, economic and in a real sense moral – caused by the war but he also (again very clearly) shows how this often unresolved and unaddressed damage significantly facilitated an even greater disaster a mere two decades later. The author rightly points out that although World War Two was not the inevitable result of its predecessor the fact that systemic problems in the world system after 1918 were not addressed – even when known about and warned about – meant that any realistic options for peace were increasingly closed off between then and 1939. This is an important work and a must read for anyone who wants to understand exactly how we got here. I can think of much worse places to start if you’re willing to put the time and brain effort into it. Highly recommended. 

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.