I don’t need any more books. I already have a couple of shelves of dusty tomes that I have bought over the years and never got round to reading. Even when, theoretically, I have more time; I still don’t spend enough of it reading to catch up on the backlog.
But the designers of the Amazon website are sneaky bastards. Whenever I visit, even for just a casual browse, they always manage to offer me something that looks interesting. And most recently that was a book by Roger Crowley entitled “Empires of the Sea”, the story of the Christian/Muslim battles for control of the Mediterranean between 1521 and 1580. Doesn’t that sound exciting…?
I have never been a fan of history. Not my best subject at school, and it fell even more out of favour over the years when it dawned on me that the few “facts” I did recall from my school days were more jingoistic colonial propaganda than reality.
But Mr. Crowley’s book had rave reviews and sounded like a good read, and indeed it was. Larger than life characters in a cruel world of slaves and battles, covering a period of time which was instrumental in shaping the modern Europe, and something I knew nothing about.
Before I had finished reading Empires of the Sea, I was onto Amazon again to get his other book “Constantinople, the last great siege”.
Finished that today, absolutely riveting stuff about the siege and final collapse of Constantinople in 1453. Makes me want to jump on a plane and go sniffing around the ruins in Istanbul immediately. Perhaps Billy can offer me somewhere to stay?
Comments 🔗
2008-11-19| Billy saysSo long as you promise not to talk about Empires,Constantinople or sieges. The villa is however an hour’s flight from Istanbul as it has been know recently - there is however a ruined lycian town about 500 meters away.
2008-11-19| Camberley saysYou bastard! As if its not bad enough that Amazon keep giving me recommendations I can’t resist, now you are doing it.
So Billy you are in Turkey. A great place to get a real perspective on Camberley. You might know another friend of mine.
2008-11-20| Spike saysHe is in the Hague. Life in central office means he is forced to find a retreat where he can behave badly and lord it over the locals. The photos look very good. He told me that all readers of Pattaya Days can stay there for free, for as long as they want.
2008-11-20| Camberley saysExcellent. I will get my bags packed.
2008-11-20| Billy saysGod, if only I could remember the address :-(
2008-11-21| Spike saysGo to Uzmulu and ask for the castle belonging to the drunken Englishman, currently being ransacked by disgruntled local residents.
2008-11-21| Camberley saysOn our way