Just Finished Reading: Sealand – The True Story of the World's Most Stubborn Micronation by Dylan Taylor-Lehman (FP: 2020) [285pp] 

I'm not sure when I first heard of Sealand. It was probably in the late 1960's as, no doubt, my parent's tabloid newspaper had reported its occupation to be used as an illegal pirate radio platform. Sealand or, as it was originally named, Roughs Tower is a small platform (around 400 square metres in size) located around 11Km off the English coast in the North Sea - pictured below. Its original function was as an anti-aircraft installation in WW2 but, as you might imagine, fell into disuse after the fighting stopped. Subsequently ignored and left to rot for years afterwards it was eventually, and illegally, occupied in 1967 by Roy Bates (and family) and declared an independent micro-state shortly after. 

As you might imagine the British government really didn't know what to do about this new 'country' popping up on its doorstep. For one thing it was (at the time) just outside Britain's territorial waters so, at least technically, they had no ownership rights to the structure. This was one reason why Roy Bates wanted it – so that he could install a pirate radio station there and cash in on the craze for such things at the time (the pirate radio stations mostly disappeared after BBC Radio 1 came on-line a few years later). 

The British government did muse over taking the platform by force (which could be easily accomplished by the Royal navy and Marines) but considered it both low priority and potentially very bad 'optics' especially in the age of decolonisation! The Bates family had enough excitement of their own though – with an armed coup, equally armed countercoup, police involvement, arrests and court appearances, international concern over abuse of Sealand passports and much more – never mind the notoriously severe North Sea storms. Being associated with and living on Sealand was far from a cushy existence! 

This was certainly an interesting look at one of the stranger aspects of British/North Sea history. The author looked at the Sealand project in exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) detail which occasionally morphed into rather annoying fanboy territory. That criticism aside I rather enjoyed this slice of British eccentricity, and it was good to discover the details behind something, and somewhere, that I'd heard very little about previously. An odd little read. Reasonable. 

Just Finished Reading: The Forever War – America's Unending Conflict With Itself by Nick Bryant (FP: 2024) [326pp] 

The one word that kept coming up time and again during Trump's first Presidency was "unprecedented". If I had a penny for every time I heard it mentioned, well, I'd have a LOT of pennies. To be honest the only other President that came to mind in comparison was Nixon but only in part – the 'enemies list' and the dodgy political manoeuvres - and I thought that American journalists presumably knew more about American political history than I did, so... unprecedented it was. Except that they were, according to the author (who is a BBC journalist) simply wrong. 

Since its mythologised Founding, America has had its fair share of racist Presidents, imperial Presidents and countless corrupt politicians of all shades and levels. It's also had its fair share of incompetence – including staggering incompetence – along with concentration camps, sex scandals, blatant nepotism, military adventures (manufactured or otherwise), policy being influenced by super-rich oligarchs, restrictions of the Press and Free Speech, fear mongering about the 'Left' and the "Communist threat" to bring out the vote and, naturally, voter suppression and other devious anti-democratic activity. All of this isn't just a recent phenomenon though. You'll find elements of all of this, sometimes on its own and sometimes in various combinations from the very start. So... unprecedented? Not so much it seems. 

As usual I'll be open about my ignorance of much of American history. I've read a number of books on the subject (though I need to read a few good general histories to get a decent foundation before I focus in on separate events, topics or people) but nowhere near enough to even have a rough understanding of things. This quite fascinating book has given me a LOT of pointers, and I fully intend to chase some rabbits down their holes in the forthcoming year or two. I have been toying with looking at the Dark Side of American History for a while now and I think this will be a good foundational text to work up from. I knew, or knew of, some of the events/people the author referenced but only really at a superficial level. It looks like if I dig just a little deeper, a little further into the facade and beyond the propaganda created image the world is familiar with it looks like I'm going to find something quite interesting. I'm looking forward to the quest! 

This was definitely a very different slant and a very different look at American political history which, as is often the case, needed a well-informed outsider to identify some of the strangeness and the faults in the system that insiders take for granted as just 'the way we do things here'. A definite recommended read for anyone who wonders why the USA is the way it is and why things seem (and are) so messed up right now.   

Just Finished Reading: Operation Biting – The 1942 Parachute Assault to Capture Hitler's Radar by Max Hastings (FP: 2024) [268pp] 

By the end of 1941 with the Battle of Britain won and the threat of invasion consigned to history Britain was looking for ways to strike back at the Axis Powers in Europe. Bomber Command was doing what it could with the aircraft it had available, but more needed to be done - especially as bomber losses, even at night, were increasing. Partially informed by a mixture of pride and arrogance it was long, too long, believed that either Germany did not use RADAR or that their technology was primitive in comparison to the British achievement. But the growing air losses, electronic signals from the Continent, ENIGMA traffic and strange reconnaissance photographs suggested otherwise. One location in particular intrigued the British war planners. It was an isolated facility in Normandy near the village of Bruneval. It looked ideal for an assault from the air, something the British armed forces had never tried before. On hearing of the idea Churchill, always up for an example of exotic warfare, agreed that it should be planned and executed as soon as possible, not only to show to the public that the British bulldog still had teeth but also to show the Americans that Britain was still very much in the fight. 

I'd heard of the famous Bruneval raid before but had never read anything much about it before. I think the thing that surprised me more than anything else reading this excellent study of the event was how much planning went into it and just how many people were involved. It was an early example of true combined arms warfare involving ground troops being dropped from the air – in hastily modified and totally unsuitable obsolete bombers - who fought a ground action and were later picked up by Naval forces from the French beach. Of course, being the first time anything like this had been attempted (and despite extensive if patchy training) the co-ordination between Services was... less than stellar. Not only were some of the paratroopers dropped FAR from their landing zones (a glider assault would have been a much better idea, but not suitable gliders had yet been built and tested) but the Navy failed to pick up any of the troop's signals when they needed rescue until some hours had passed. Only a fair amount of luck and a very lacklustre response from the local German forces prevented the operation becoming a failure. 

Unfortunately, despite the ultimate success of the mission, many of the wrong lessons had been learnt and, rather inevitably, a number of significantly upscaled missions followed – notably the attacks on Saint-Nazaire and catastrophically the assault on Dieppe [more on both missions later] provided little in the way of positive results but did result in very heavy casualties on the Allied side. The disaster of Dieppe did, fortunately, have an upside as it prompted the Allies to plan the later invasion of 'fortress Europe' to a much greater degree and provide it with overwhelming force to achieve its aims. This was a small unit action that has largely faded into the background of larger actions in WW2 which is a shame. Full of 'interesting' and 'exotic' characters in the British Special Forces (again something very new at the time) this was a valuable look at an operation that influenced many aspects of fighting later in the war. Definitely worth a read if this is in your scope of interest. Much more from the author to come. 

Just Finished Reading: American Sherlock – Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of Crime Scene Investigation by Kate Winkler Dawson (FP: 2020) [274pp] 

Whenever I read about criminal investigation in the 19th century (fictional or otherwise) I can't help but wonder how anything was actually solved before the advent of modern forensics. It would appear that the lack of CSI as well as the lack of understanding (or belief) by members of the jury lasted well into the early 20th century. However, one man (in the US) was determined to change that – Edward Oscar Heinrich. Starting as a pharmacist assistant and later chemist he was determined to bring scientific principles into criminal investigation as well as into the courtroom not only to prosecute the guilty but to ensure that the right people ended up in prison rather than someone who just happened to be the most obvious person in the wrong place at the wrong time.  

It wasn't long before Heinrich was asked for every time a local police force hit a problem. As his fame spread, he began attending incidents across the country – much to the dismay of his wife and children. Inevitably as he all too often identified suspects from the smallest items of physical evidence, he was just as often called to the stand to show the jury exactly what he found and to explain exactly why it was important. [I was actually shocked more than once at how contaminated the crime scenes of the era where – not only be the number of police officers at any particular scene but by the members of the public who wanted to see blood but also to take 'souvenirs' of the event. Most of the cases would fail these days because of the sheer amount of contamination of the crime scene.] The biggest frustration that Heinrich struggled with was the fact that juries often either didn't understand his evidence or simply dismissed it as fantasy or what we might call today 'technobabble'. But this was the age where fingerprinting was just coming into regular use and the concept of blood types had only just been recognised, so it's hardly surprising that even the police themselves were sceptical of any scientific explanation – most especially when it contradicted their own 'gut feelings' or prejudices. 

Scattered throughout with some of his most famous cases (only one of which I had previously heard of) this was an interesting look at the earliest days of modern forensic science and the uphill struggles its practitioners had both in solving crimes and convincing juries that their science could prove who actually did do it (and of course sometimes the 'science' was nothing of the sort). Although this was, primarily, a biography of the man himself I was a little disappointed that it didn't focus more of the science. I was also slightly irritated by the repeated mention of his financial worries and his rivalry with other 'experts' in forensics. But these niggles were generally a minor affair. Overall, an interesting look at the period – 1920's and 30's – and the crimes committed then. Reasonable and more Sherlock Holmes Adjacent (SHA) content to come.  

Just Finished Reading: The Beats – A Very Short Introduction by David Sterritt (FP: 2013) [108pp] 

I've encountered 'The Beats' on many occasions over the years – in movies, cultural histories and novels - and have even read a few things by them most notably On The Road by Jack Kerouac and, more recently, a booklet of poetry by Allen Ginsberg but have never really read anything about them until now. 

My initial thought that they were essential a precursor to the 'Hippies' on the late 1960's and into the 70's wasn't too far off the mark. The Beats were certainly rebels of their post-WW2 era and talked about and practiced 'free love' and drug use (although this was pre-LSD so the drugs of choice tended to be marijuana, cocaine and heroin) as well as breaking the taboo around homosexuality. The difference in their radical outlook from the Hippies that followed in their wake was that Beatniks tended to be more inward looking and less 'revolutionary' whilst Hippies tended to be much more political and looked to change society in general. 

Naturally this slim volume concentrated its focus on the big three Beats – Kerouac, Ginsberg and William S Burroughs. I was at least familiar with the existence of these three figures and was at least somewhat acquainted with their work – in that I knew of it! The other figures mentioned in this volume were universally new to me – Neal Cassady, Gergory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Diane di Prima and Gary Snyder. Potted biographies of everyone listed certainly helped me know more about them and appreciate their impact on the Movement. 

Much like the Hippies, the Beats tended to be into everything – novels, poetry, music (especially Jazz), art and film. Despite there being only an estimated 150 published authors/poets amongst them the Beats managed to punch well above their cultural weight in part due to the backlash against their countercultural drive. The horror stories (often either made up or exaggerated – although sometimes not!) helped to cement their cool image with youths looking for something to rebel against. A fairly interesting look at an often-forgotten countercultural movement. Reasonable.  

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: The Last Gentleman of War – The Raider Exploits of the Cruiser Emden by R K Lochner (FP: 1979) [303pp] 

In 1914 the war drums, ever louder, could be heard all the way in China. It would only be a matter of time before Germany's Far East fleet was trapped in her home port and either starved into submission or destroyed by the Allies superior numbers. There was only one thing to do – leave port and strike at the superior enemy forces wherever they could be found. In order to do that the commander, Admiral Graf von Spee, wanted to keep his entire force together. One captain, Karl von Muller, asked is his ship Emden could be detached to operate independently. After some musing the Admiral agreed and the historic exploits of that ship began. In the coming months Commander Muller not only managed to evade the sweeps of British, French, Russian and Japanese warships but he also managed to sink thousands of tons of Allied cargo vessels, destroy an oil facility in Madras, raid Penang (an Allied port) sinking both a Russian and a French warship running the Allies a very merry chase for over 3 months without any access to port facilities or the possibility of resupply. What's more, all of the encounters with civilian vessels – both enemy and neutral resulted in not a single death or injury (except maybe to their pride) which was universally praised by all sides. 

But such a run of luck (and skill) cannot last forever. Deciding to attack and destroy an isolated British radio station and cut the international cables which met there, Commander Muller made a fatal mistake. Believing that the nearest Allied warship was at least 250 miles away he sent ashore a party of men to undertake the task at hand. Aware that a message had been sent out of a 'strange ship' in the harbour the German crew knew that they had to work fast. What they didn't realise was just HOW fast they needed to move. Unfortunately for the Emden a heavily escorted Allied troop convoy was only 50 miles away and a fast cruiser – the Australian HMAS Sydney – was dispatched to investigate. Sydney was a more modern, faster and more heavily armed vessel than Emden which quickly found that it was outgunned and could neither stand and fight nor successfully run from her bigger opponent. Within a few hours of the opening salvo Emden lay wrecked, beached on a carol reef surrounded by the dead and dying. It was over – or not... 

The landing party has seen part of the fight and had a decision to make. They could either hide on the island (unlikely) or stand and fight (suicide against a cruiser and any troops sent to follow up any offshore bombardment). Neither option found favour. There was only one alternative – escape and return to Germany, which would mean sailing from North Keeling island (located 1750 miles west of Australia in the Indian ocean) across the Indian ocean, to the Red Sea coastal area, across Arabia to Constantinople and from there, by train, finally to Germany itself. This is exactly what they accomplished with minimal casualties all round. Unsurprisingly they were treated like heroes on their return over a year later. 

I knew the early part of this story having read about Graf von Spee's fleet actions at Coronel and the Falklands (where his command was destroyed much to the relief of the Royal Navy). But I didn't know much detail (or just how heroic) the actions of Emden were. It's an amazing story, well told with lots of detail gleaned from the dairies and reports of those involved on all sides. I was particularly impressed by the logistical nightmare of keeping a ship in action that needed HUNDREDS of tons of coal on a regular basis just to keep going - never mind food and other items. I can definitely see why they shifted to oil ASAP! If you're interested in WW1 away from the mud, shells and gas of the Western Front this is definitely a recommended read for you and worth the effort of tracking down a copy. 

Translated from the German by Thea and Harry Lindauer.  

Just Finished Reading: The Last of the Ebb – The Battle of the Aisne, 1918 by Sidney Rogerson (FP: 1937) [169pp]

After being savaged in both of the German offensives on the Western Front in 1918, the author and his division is finally taken out of the line to rest and await replacements. They are, to a man, exhausted and in dire need of some time to recover. Thankfully they have been assigned a quiet sector in the French line. So quite indeed that some of the trenches have become filled with rubbish and the rest are in a poor state of repair. What is worse, seen through the authors keen eyed experience of such things, is that their artillery support unit hasn't moved in months. If the enemy DID launch an attack those guns would be the first thing to go... Within days though everyone started feeling 'antsy'. For one thing the random odd artillery shells from enemy guns had stopped. No patrolling enemy aircraft could be seen in the skies, and no enemy troops were seen in No Man's Land attempting to repair their wire. It wasn't just quiet; it was FAR too quiet. Even the Front's location was worrying. Not only did it cover the most direct route to Paris (THE objective for the German forces since 1914) but the river Aisne was BEHIND them. If any kind of attack developed, they would be forced to cross that river (or be destroyed) whilst under fire – not the kind of operation anyone would wish to undertake. 

Days later the rumours started to spread. Circumstantial evidence seemed to point to an attack coming their way. Whispers of troop build-ups, secondary explosions from random Allied artillery shots and a few prisoners warned that something was brewing. Then, in the very early hours of the morning all HELL was let loose on them. As everyone expected their artillery 'support' was annihilated in the first barrage and within minutes the first enemy stormtroopers appeared in their lines. Shortly a general withdrawal was ordered. Three days later they were still pulling back... 

But if the author and his division were more exhausted than they thought possible so, it appeared, were the enemy. After days of constant attacks, the pauses between assaults started to lengthen. The British even had time to catch a few hours' sleep before falling back again but this time they were falling back into more prepared positions and into the waiting embrace of reinforcements – something the Germans could only dream about. By the 3rd or 4th day the Germans had achieved all of their ambitious objectives and they started digging in, awaiting the inevitable counterattack. Impressed by their progress the German senior staff decided to press on – without artillery support, without reinforcements, without much resupply – against dug in troops at least partially rested who, with growing numbers and growing confidence believed that the enemy had shot his bolt and had nothing further in his arsenal. They were right. It was indeed the last of the ebb. From here on the enemy would only move one way – East and home. 

I've read a bit about the German advances on the Western Front in 1918 post-Russian Revolution. Although the Allies were expected such an eventuality they, and indeed the world, were still shocked at its effectiveness. But and it is a BIG but, the attacks ultimately failed and (quite possibly) might never have had a real possibility of success. Although the nature of the attacks bordered on genius at times still the German forces did not have the deep resources they needed to overcome the combined might of France and Britain (plus the increasing strength of American forces) in 1918. It was a great (and desperate) throw of the dice. It MIGHT have worked and, in the best-case scenario, separated the Allies in the West but I don't really think that Britain would have sued for a separate peace at that point and I doubt very much if the French would have ever done so. 

What was most interesting about this short book is seeing those events from the ground rather than 40,000 feet and with a century+ of hindsight. What was even more interesting was the final section where a German account was given of the same event – and not just from any officer but from the officer who PLANNED the whole thing. His assessment of the attack and of his British opponents was well worth a read and complimented the author's story brilliantly. If you have any interest in the fighting on the Western Front – and especially late in the war – this is definitely worth a read. More to come (soon-ish) on these events and the inevitable follow-up. Recommended.

Just Finished Reading: The Last Emperor of Mexico – A Disaster in the New World by Edward Shawcross (FP: 2021) [288pp] 

Many years ago, I remember watching a Western on TV and was confused more than a little when a bunch of American mercenaries ambushed some French cavalry (complete with shiny breastplates and lances) in Mexico. I couldn't help but wonder: what on earth are FRENCH cavalry doing in Mexico? I presumed that they might have been protecting French interests or maybe the French ambassador. Or that they might have been 'on loan' to the Mexican Emperor Maximilian who I presumed was Spanish... I was partially right. The French forces were indeed 'on loan' to the emperor who was, in fact, Austrian. The things you learn. 

I'll freely admit that my 'knowledge' of Mexican history was effectively zero (essentially things gleaned from some of the older westerns) until I finished this intriguing book. I think the biggest surprise was the actual nationality of the emperor himself. It turned out that he was the annoying younger brother of the emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who was 'looking for a role' in the world. Maximilian's name came up in conversation with Napoleon III of France and, after some initial resistance, was thought to be a good fit for the position. Unfortunately, there were just a few problems. Firstly, no one had actually asked the Mexican ruling class what they thought (to say nothing of the people themselves). At that time Mexico was going through a slow-motion Civil War between Conservative and Liberal forces and the imposition of a new Emperor could be political dynamite or, as some hoped, the thing which managed to bring things together. A bigger issue was the Monroe Doctrine of the United States which prohibited any European power from interfering in America's backyard. The idea of an Austrian monarch ruling a neighbouring country and propped up by French forces would not exactly sit well in Washington.  

Fortunately, both problems seemed to have solutions. Firstly, Maximilian was lied to about his support within Mexico and Second, the US became engaged in a Civil War with the breakaway Confederacy. Pre-occupied at home it was expected that if the Confederacy won then the Monroe problem would go away and if the Union won (eventually) they would be weakened and presented with a fait accompli. As you might imagine these were far from solid foundations for a new regime. 

The saddest thing about the whole fiasco is that Maximilian had the very best of intentions regarding his new country. The problem (along with everything else mentioned above) was that Max was both incredibly naive and focused on ALL of the wrong things – for example detailed court protocol rather than boring finances. Maximilian expected that his very presence would be enough to stabilise the country and that the people would love him BECAUSE his was their emperor. Despite being clear that it was going to be a disaster from the outset it was actually mesmerising to watch an entire country turn into a train wreck month by month over a few short years. I only had the smallest of hints that any of this had happened, and the details regularly blew my mind. Quite fascinating and a must read for anyone with even the vaguest interest in Mexican/American history. 

['The Last' Project has (finally) started...! More to come.] 

Just Finished Reading: The Darkening Age – The Christian Destruction of the Classical World by Catherine Nixey (FP: 2017) [263pp] 

I have long wondered why so much of the known ancient knowledge has been lost to time. So much of what we do know is presented in fragments or references in other surviving texts. If it wasn't for the texts and commentaries provided by Arabic scholars our knowledge of the ancient world would be sparse indeed. It's estimated that over 80% of ancient texts have not made it to the present. Why is that? 

Part of it is simply time. The roughly 1000 years between the fall of the western Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance was not exactly a period of peace and harmony, so it's no surprise that delicate artifacts such as pre-paper books didn't make it this far. Likewise, art, artifacts and statues... But are time and barbarism enough of an explanation? This intriguing (and to be honest disturbing) book shows us otherwise. After the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and made that belief the default religion of the Roman Empire there was a growing movement not only to promote Christianity itself but to supress ALL other religions and beliefs as both false and dangerous. Some of the effects were obvious such as the ban on professing public belief in the 'old Gods' including sacrifice at the numerous temples. Before long these very temples were closed and eventually destroyed including any statues of the gods. Likewise, as temples often held numerous texts and documents, such items were all too often burnt by the wagonload. It wasn't long before well-known pagans were targeted and given the 'choice' between conversion, exile or death. The one choice few had, however, was the retention of heretical or demonic texts by pagan authors. These had to be given up and destroyed in public. As you can imagine few survived. 

But it wasn't just targeted destruction of especially books that resulted in so few surviving. It was often simple neglect. Books, of all types, don't last forever. They need to be looked after, cared for, preserved. Most importantly at that time they need to be COPIED to be passed on to future generations. Leave them to rot, use them to start fires, refuse to copy them – in fact scrape them clean to produce yet another Biblical commentary – and they are soon lost. Just imagine the thousands of books, the temples that were the wonder of the known world, the art, the statues that were smashed into dust that are gone. Tragic just doesn't cover it. 

This was quite the eye-opener. It its desire to be THE (not just pre-eminent) religion of the time, the new Christian church authorities very effectively eliminated much of their opposition - both secular and sacred - by erasing them from the historical record. It worked. Written with a keen eye for detail and with a scattering of humour this gives a VERY different perspective on the ancient world and is something I'll definitely be following up on. The early years of Christian domination of the Roman Empire were most definitely not a time of rainbows and bunnies for those who held onto their beliefs of the old Gods (who, of course, had been worshiped for centuries or longer). It was increasingly a rough time to be a pagan and could, indeed, be a fatal one. Definitely recommended for those with a curious mind and for those who ever wondered why we don't know MUCH more about our ancient ancestors. 

Just Finished Reading: The Race to the Future – An Adventure that Accelerated the Twentieth Century by Kassia St Clair (FP: 2023) [289pp] 

France, 1907. It all started as an idea to increase a newspapers circulation. The Parisian Le Martin would issue a challenge to any motor vehicle which could travel from Pekin (now Beijing) to Paris – the prize, world fame (and a trophy). After some initial problems, a little indifference and some well-placed scoffing at the possibility of such a thing, a total of 5 vehicles and crews signed up. Two, the favourites naturally, were a pair of French De Dion-Bouton motors with 10hp engines one of which was piloted by a famous French racing driver, another was a 15hp Spyker driven by an unknown who had managed to scam his way into the competition and one, a much more powerful 45hp Italia, was driven (and indeed financed) by an Italian prince – Prince Scipione Borghese. The outsider, although its driver firmly believed the opposite, was a tiny 3-wheel Contal Mototri producing an equally tiny 6hp. It was going to quite a trip running for 8,000 miles across mountains, desert, steppe with the hazards of flood, fire, bandits, an overly officious border guards. It was a test of both man and machine, of power, integrity, honour and technology. Advertised as a challenge as well as proof of a brighter future for the internal combustion engine it soon turned into a race for national pride and the triumph of western civilisation. 

To be honest I picked this up because of its colourful cover and bought it because I thought it, at least in part, would cover the Italian ‘Futurists’ and their obsession with motor cars and speed – it didn't. However, this was FAR from disappointing, indeed it was a delight from beginning to end. Although primarily focused on the ‘race’ itself (and some of the odd-ball competitors) it also looked at the social and political conditions in China, Russia and Europe that the competitors travelled through on their way to Paris. Although there were many funny moments, I remember one in particular when they crossed the German/Russia border which (on BOTH sides) had “suspiciously well-maintained roads”. Honestly, this had me crying laughing especially knowing what was going to happen just 7 years later! Another feature I really liked was the interspersion of chapters on the development of the early car industry, the early processing of recently discovered oil in various places, the early focus on female drivers (apparently early cars for women were fitted with electric starters considered ‘too feminine’ for men who had to use crank handles), and the often-forgotten fact that internal combustion was only one of (and not always the most popular) choice for motor engines – the others being steam and electric. 

Despite not being (nor ever being) a ‘petrol head’, I really enjoyed this. Not only was it a detailed look at a long-forgotten event but it was FULL of fascinating details of the beginnings of a recognisable modern age. Definitely recommended, especially if you have any interest in early motoring, technology or racing. More to come...  

Just Finished Reading: Riots and Rebels – Popular Protest in Britain from The Peasants’ Revolt to Extinction Rebellion by Nick Rennison (FP: 2025) [197pp] 

I’m still not 100% sure why exactly but I have long been interested in rebels and revolutionaries. It might well stem from growing up in the 1970’s when some (at least) of my History teachers were young radicals themselves. It's certainly where I first learned of Hereward the Wake, (possibly) Boudica and other famous English rebels and, of course, we had our fictional heroes such as Robin Hood. So, when I saw this slim volume laid out on a table in my Indie bookshop (next visit in August!) I snapped it up. I was not disappointed. 

Clearly, we Brits are a feisty and rebellious lot! Putting aside the usual regular dynastic conflicts that punctuate Britain’s bloody history the author concentrates on rebellions and uprisings from the ‘lower orders’ of society kicking off with the Peasants Revolt (1381) led by Wat Tyler [another rebel learnt about in school] and Jack Cade’s rebellion (1450) [ditto] before moving onto the rather tumultuous Tudor period. 

Even a cursory knowledge of the Tudors will point you towards THE cause of the numerous rebellions/uprisings of that fascinating period of British history – religion. As the country moved from Catholicism to Protestantism, back again and then back AGAIN its hardly surprising the number of people who suffered from ecclesiastical whiplash (to say nothing about stake burning!). Some of the uprisings I was familiar with [school AGAIN] such as the Pilgrimage of Grace (1536) and Kett’s Rebellion (1549) but a few of them, covered by the author, had obviously passed me by (there only SO much rebellion you can cover in a few school years of history). 

Naturally, one of my favourite periods for such activities is the Civil Wars of the 17th century. I’m a BIG fan of both the Levellers and the Diggers and will be reading more about both later. I’m somewhat familiar with the political debates within the New Model Army (some of which were very modern and very radical for the time) but I was unaware of groups such as the Fifth Monarchy Men nor of the Bowdy House Riots of 1668 which sound interesting to say the least! 

Upheaval in the 18th and 19th centuries revolved around increasing mechanisation (Go Luddites!) and the results of rapid social and economic change. The focus though of the 19th century was on the struggle for increased Rights and especially the Right to Vote. The Chartists definitely need some of my attention going forward. Generally, my knowledge gets increasingly sketchy before the mid-19th century which is something I need to address! 

Of course, the 20th century was hardly a time of calm – even putting to one side both World Wars! We had the Suffragettes (definitely a terrorist organisation), the unrest following demobilisation after the Great War, the General Strike of 1926, the Battle of George Square in Glasgow (tanks on the streets!), the Invergordon Mutiny (1931), the infamous Battle of Cable Street (1936), the Jarrow hunger march (also 1936), various race riots in the 1950’s, anti-Vietnam protests in the 60’s, anti-Nazi protests/riots in the 70’s, Greenham Common and anti-nuclear protests in the 1980’s (I was there for some of those demonstrations) and, of course, the Poll Tax riots during the Thatcher premiership (I saw the aftermath of some of that when I worked in central London in the late 1980’s. 

Phew...! Yup, LOTS of upheaval over MANY years. Never a dull moment as they say! I was impressed by how much the author covered and by how many new incidents I discovered to find out more about – I forgot to mention the Peterloo Massacre and the Tolpuddle martyrs!! (more of which later). This was a fun and fast read and was especially interesting considering the present protests and rioting both here are elsewhere. It's always good to put things into historical perspective. Definitely recommended for anyone interested in our turbulent past – and probable future! 

Just Finished Reading: A History of Britain in 21 Women by Jenni Murray (FP: 2016) [276pp] 

It is a truth (generally acknowledged) that many women have been ‘written out’ of History. Part of this is through ignorance, but part of it is intentional and at least part of the authors intentions with this interesting book was to put part of that oversight right. Another part was to showcase women she admires and who she took as examples to aspire to. Most of the list was pretty obvious – indeed unavoidable – given British history. Women such as Boadicea (using the old spelling that both the author and I grew up with) and Elizabeth I are shoe-ins on any such list as this. Others I was either unaware of – like Aphra Behn (a 17th century playwright) or Ethel Smyth (a 19th century composer) or only knew in passing.  

Naturally a good chunk of the text, and a good number of the women listed, revolved around the movement for and the gradual increase of the Rights of Woman, with an expected chapter on Mary Wollstonecraft, and included Emmeline Pankhurst, Millicent Garrett Fawcett and Constance Markievicz who was the first woman MP elected in the 1918 General Election. Nancy Astor (also getting her own chapter here) was actually the first woman MP to take her seat in the House of Commons as Constance Markievicz had refused to do so as a member of Sinn Fein who boycotted the English parliament in protest at the lack of Home Rule for Ireland. 

The last few women on this list had the extra ‘wrinkle’ of having actually being interviewed by the author during her career as a journalist. These included Labour politician Barbara Castle (who I liked), Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (who I voted for TWICE) and fashion designer Mary Quant (who I definitely want to read more about). Rounding the list out was Scottish SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon whose political career has been.... ‘interesting’ to say the least, especially lately! 

Overall, this was an interesting read which introduced me to a few objects of further interest as well as showcasing the fact that women did actually exist in the historical past and did actually have an impact on British history. One of the things I find most gratifying, even in just the 10 years since the publication of this work, is the number and range of women's biographies from across the globe that have plucked important (and often fascinating) women from the previous obscurity they had been condemned to inhabit. Definitely worth your time for both snapshots of British history and as an introduction to some of the women who helped shape it. More to come. 

Just Finished Reading: Midnight at the Pera Palace – The Birth of Modern Istanbul by Charles King (FP: 2014) [378pp] 

It must have been quite THE shock. Not only was the Ottoman empire defeated in the Great War but was about to be dismembered by the victorious western powers. The only fly in the ointment (or possibly yoghurt) was the young Turk – Mustafa Kemal (later known as Ataturk). Opposed to both the crumbling and corrupt Ottoman dynasty AND the Allies now occupying Istanbul he had his own ideas for the future of Turkey, but first he would have to save his new nation state. The ancient enemy, Greece, had already begun its advance into Turkish territory and needed to be stopped. After much bloody fighting it was and Kemal could now negotiate from a position of strength. Both unwilling and unable to fight another war so soon after the Great one, the Allies and Turks agreed on boundaries and the future ethnic make-up of both previously Ottoman occupied territory Turkey was giving up as well as territory it was taking full control of prompting a massive compulsory move of peoples. Istanbul was dead centre of the ensuing chaos, refugee crisis, modernisation decrees, and the transformation of a deceased Muslim empire into a secular western facing nation state.  

My usual focus of attention, and the zones I know most about, are Europe (including the UK) and North America. My ‘knowledge’ of other areas particularly Africa and South America is, at best, scant. Likewise, my ‘knowledge’ of Asia beyond the Ancient World is hazy to say the least so it was good to look at the birth of a modern near-Asian nation entering the modern world from the end of WW1 to the beginning of the Cold War. Interestingly, the author chose a unique lens through which to view the rapid and radical change which occurred in Turkey/Istanbul during this period – a hotel called the Pera Palace. Looking at the people who stayed there – including (briefly) people like Leon Trotsky! - together with diplomats, spies, journalists, authors and many others. Tales from that exotic city reminded me of Second World War Lisbon (FULL of spies), Cold War Berlin (FULL of Spies) and Hollywood Casablanca (FULL of refugees). I hadn’t realised just how many Russians ended up there after the 1917 Revolution and Civil War that followed nor how important a node it was for the post-WW2 transit of European Jews to the Holy Land. Fascinating stuff! 

As you can tell I learnt a LOT from this excellent history and look forward to reading anything else the author has produced – his works on Odessa and The Black Sea definitely interest me. Definitely recommended to anyone interested in the regions RICH history. 

[Odd side note: Midnight at the Pera Palace is a Turkish time travel historical drama television series directed by Emre Şahin starring Hazal Kaya, Tansu Biçer, Selahattin Paşalı and James Chalmers. The show was released on Netflix on March 3, 2022, with the first season consisting of 8 episodes. Centered around the real-life Pera Palace Hotel, the series was inspired by the 2014 historical non-fiction book Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul by Charles King. The series was renewed for a second season, which aired on September 12, 2024. How WEIRD is THAT?] 

Just Finished Reading: The Men of 1924 – Britain's First Labour Government by Peter Clark (FP: 2023) [238pp] 

It was a risk but, they thought, worth it. The recent election had not provided any part with a clear majority but there was enough Liberal support to allow the brand-new Labour Party to form a government – the first in British history. Views across the country varied with political affiliation. Socialists, of which there were a growing number, saw it as an opportunity to gain for the working man and push back against the Capitalists. The trade unions saw it as an opportunity to bring in new laws and strike down old ones to protect jobs and improve the often-harsh working conditions in factories and mines. The working-class voters wanted to see what they could do, to give them a chance. 

The elected Labour politicians had hopes too, but they also were more than aware of the pitfalls and problems ahead of them. The first and foremost was the simple calculation of the number of Labour MPs – not enough. Certainly not enough to do anything ‘radical’ (as some members and some supporters certainly wanted them to do), not that the Labour leadership wanted any truck with that. Feared as either communists in sheep's clothing or some other form or revolutionary (as some of them were!) the leadership wanted to prove to the electorate – including Conservative and Liberal voters – that the country was in ‘safe hands’ despite everything they had heard or read in the papers. So, it was part ‘business as usual’ and part dressing appropriately to meet the King. 

A problem the whole Labour government was more than aware of – for obvious reasons – was their sheer lack of experience. Although many of the new members had been – and indeed many still were – leaders of various trade unions – few had been council leaders or in any other kind of administrative positions and fewer yet had knowledge or experience of foreign affairs. Picking cabinet posts was going to be difficult and challenging. Choosing members of the House of Lords to aid in any legislation was going to be even more of a challenge.  

Unfortunately, the opportunities to gain experience, pass meaningful legislation and prove to the electorate that they had nothing to fear from a Labour administration ended abruptly after only 10 months in office with the withdrawal of Liberal support and the loss of a confidence vote. Although they increased the number of MPs in the subsequent election, the Conservatives with Stanly Baldwin at the lead were back in power – and with a majority. The Labour experiment was over – for now. 

This was a surprisingly interesting – indeed often fascinating – look at the 20th century seismic political shift in British politics. For generations previously there had been two political parties – Conservative and Liberal. The growing Working class tended to vote Liberal but for a number of reasons that allegiance was falling away. Slowly (indeed very slowly) the number of Labour MPs increased and were increasingly voted into parliament. But it was only in 1924 that enough had done so to form a government – minority or not. Split into 3 parts – the political shift and the growth of Socialism, the government itself and mini-biographies of the men involved (the leader, Ramsey MacDonald, getting a whole chapter to himself) - this was chocked full of information and I honestly learnt a LOT.  

I do actually have quite the fascination for the ‘Between the Wars’ period as the world recovered from one global conflict and then prepared for another and this fills in a gap in my knowledge very nicely indeed. I have another book about this presently sitting on my Wish List so I’ll be deepening my knowledge of this event soon(ish). I’ll also see about adding a few more Prime Ministers from this period to my ‘list’. Definitely recommended for anyone interested in the emergence of British socialism and the Labour movement.

Just Finished Reading: Wanderers – A History of Women Walking by Kerri Andrews (2020) [263pp] 

This was an ideal ‘coupling’ with my previous walking book, so I was more than a little pleased to pick it up for a song at my (excellent) local Charity shop. Covering the lives and walks of 10 famous female authors this was often an eye-opening read. The author is both a keen hillwalker and a senior lecturer in English Literature so had (both) feet in each camp.  

Of the 10 authors I’m afraid that I’d only heard of (and read) 3 of them – Virginia Woolf, Anais Nin and Cheryl Strayed. In my ignorance I hadn’t realised that the poet Woodsworth had a sister equally as obsessed in walking their local environment (especially in the Lake District) as he was. The others – Elizabeth Carter, Ellen Weeton, Sarah Stoddart Hazlitt, Harriet Martineau, Nan Shepherd and Linda Cracknell were all completely new to me. 

They were, to say the least, an INTERESTING bunch of women. Not only were many accomplished authors of their time they were also accomplished walkers much to the astonishment and exhaustion of male friends, family and the larger society. Women walking LONG distances, especially on their own, was viewed as quite bizarre – radical even. Despite this (or maybe a little because of it) they managed walking tours or eye-watering length in Scotland, the North of England or (in Cheryl Strayed’s case) the Pacific Crest Trail. 

One woman who particularly interested me was Ellen Weeton, an early 19th century Lancashire governess and hill climber. She was born in Upholland near Wigan which is where my sister presently lives and not too far from where I spent most of my formative years (11-23). Despite not having a private income (like so many of the other early examples in the book) she still managed to ‘bag’ numerous hills shaking off any male guides or company that might slow her down or prevent her from exploring mid-trek. She sounded like quite the formidable character! 

The only (slight) ‘criticism’ that I had with this was the sometimes-over-enthusiastic focus on a few of the listed women to the detriment of narrative flow. It's certainly forgivable but I felt that just a little more restraint would have helped tighten things up a bit. Apart from that (very) minor niggle I found myself liking this very much indeed. If you’re a walker, interested in rather eccentric people (there’s plenty in here for everyone), or want to delve into some of the other aspects of authors/poets lives then this is a book for you. Recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: Northerners – A History from the Ice Age to the Present Day by Brian Groom (FP: 2022) [336pp] 

Despite living over half of my life in the South (both East & West) I am, and will always be, a Northerner – not just at heart by bone deep. When I worked in London for 6 years it always felt special travelling north to visit my parents and go HOME. I always looked out for certain landmarks after we left Birmingham (at the halfway mark) and although I never had a tear in my eye it always felt different, special. 

Of course, the North IS different, as the author rightly points out. Not only because of its history but because of the basic geology. There is a real North-South divide in the very rocks under our feet. A real consequence of that is very real differences in farming between the two regions. Whereas in the South we see rolling fields of wheat, in the North we have much smaller farms and plenitudes of sheep. The North is also rich in things like coal and iron which is a major reason why the Industrial Revolution happened there. At first the industries around these resources huddled close but it wasn’t long before the demand, especially for coal, required its transport over distance hence the building of first an extensive canal system and then an expanding rail network that was later exported across the world. Industry and the pollution that followed defined the North in ways still remembered and still satirised to this day. It was indeed, at least for a long while, grim ‘Up North’. 

Written with a wide knowledge and a healthy dose of love this was a fun and informative read from beginning to end. I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Most English general history books tend to mention the North in passing (often focused just on the Industrial Revolution) so it was good to see the whole North as THE focus of a book. A fair bit of spice was added by an extension bibliography which I’ll be diving into in the coming months for recommendations – it'll certainly help me in my Ancestry endeavours. I was already aware that the author had another book out on the history of Manchester (already on my Wish List) but I’ve just discovered (during my search for a cover to post here) that he’s also produced a general people’s history of the entire British Isles too!  

This is definitely recommended for any Northerner out there curious about their region's proud history. More to come from this author (naturally) and from the North itself. I’m particularly looking forward to a history of Liverpool (the city of my birth) which is out in July. 

Just Finished Reading: Twilight Cities – Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean by Katherine Pangonis (FP: 2023) [254pp] 

Whenever we think of ancient Mediterranean cities our minds quickly go to the Big 3 – Rome, Athens and Alexandria. But what of the others? Those cities that rivalled the Big 3 or simply pre-dated them. What of them? What are THEIR histories and where are they now – apart from largely forgotten. This is their tale. 

Starting in Tyre (Lebanon), home port of the Phoenician traders of early antiquity the author moves to their most famous settlement – Carthage (Tunisia), now a rather underappreciated part of the capital Tunis. From there we move to the much fought over strategic port of Syracuse (Sicily), site of encounters between the Carthaginians and Romans during the three Punic Wars that made Rome the Mediterranean super-power of the period. On then to Ravenna (Italy) which had a very varied history including, for a short period, being the capital of the western Roman Empire itself. Finally, we visit Antioch (Turkey) so recently [at time of the book’s publication] virtually destroyed in a massive earthquake. 

Whilst certainly being aware of the history of Carthage and most especially the series of wars between it and Rome I was initially unaware of the other places beyond their names and rough locations. Needless to say, I learnt a LOT here. Although the history of the region is dominated by Rome, Greece and Egypt – often for very good reasons – there was much more going on here. The other cities and other empires were not just bit-players in the well-known stories of the Big 3, but players in and of themselves. Missing them out not only leaves the other, more well-known, players without either foundation or motivation for their actions but diminishes the rich cultural environment of the ancient world of which they were part. This informative book revives that importance and left me with a greater appreciation of the interplay of these cities in the history of the region itself. One thing I particularly liked was how the author put each city into its historical context, often bringing things up to the present as she visited each site and talked to the locals about their own histories. This certainly whet my interest to dig deeper into the non-Big 3 cities/states/empires. So, more to come. Recommended to anyone interested in the ancient world and looking beyond the Roman Empire.

Oh, and a shout-out to a quite lovely cover - which is why I spotted it to begin with! 

Interesting!

Just Couldn’t Finish Reading: Camelot and the Vision of Albion by Geoffrey Ashe (FP: 1971) [220pp] 

It seems that whilst growing up in England you absorb the legends and myths surround King Arthur simply by breathing in the air. Even without doing TOO much research I came probably name most of the characters and most of the highlights off the top of my head. I actually picked this book up decades ago (long after its publication date though!) and have, finally, gotten around to reading it. Unfortunately, it really wasn’t what I was looking for. 

The author was well placed to discuss all things Arthurian – and I do mean ALL (which was the main issue I had here) - having been the editor of a book on the subject with contributions of eminent scholars and being involved in the archaeological dig at Cadbury Hill fort where Arthur (the real one) apparently had his headquarters. So, things started out pretty well... 

The author made some interesting observations about the ancient origins of the Arthur legend – going back to Ancient Greece no less – which I kind of went along with (for the most part) but I think he hit his sweet spot with the discussion of the REAL Arthur in the 5th Century and the evidence for his existence and where exactly some of the storied locations might have actually happened. Unfortunately, after this, things got a little.... weird. Not only did the author bring in the Vikings, which seemed reasonable, there were diversions into early British Christianity and then into the Russian Revolution, Zionism and Ghandi.... So, weird...  

Although SOME of what he said was interesting – from a general standpoint – the problem I had was the authors growing lack of focus on the subject at hand: Arthur and the legend that surrounded him. More discussion on how the legend arose (there was some of that here but nowhere near enough) as well as how it changed over time to suit changing times (ditto) without the distractions from other parts of the world would have helped a LOT here. But much to my annoyance such an investigation was largely absent. 

No doubt there are much better books out there on Arthur and his Round Table etc.. I do have one more (much more modern and substantial – at least on page count) which I’ll see to include this year but, for the time being, I might see if I can schedule in some of my fiction/fantasy Arthurian reads. Regrettably not recommended.