Just Finished Reading: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue (FP: 2020) [291pp] 

Dublin, 1918. Nurse Julia Power has other things on her mind than turning 30 soon. With growing staff shortages due to the Flu, she has been put in charge of the small maternity ward (6 beds in a crowded room) for mothers suffering through fever on top of everything else. Despite not being full nurse Power is on her own until young volunteer Bridie Sweeny is assigned to her. Completed untrained and barely educated, Bridie is more than nurse Power could have possibly hoped for. A quick learner with a natural bedside manner she is a veritable godsend. But trained and experienced as she is nurse Power cannot make decisions about medication – what little they have after almost 5 years of war – or much else besides. What she needs is a doctor, preferably one trained in maternity. The rumour circulating is that a new doctor is about to arrive to fill one of the posts vacated by a sick surgeon. The rumours say that this doctor is not only a woman but one with a political past who the authorities would very much like to speak to. The rumours say that she aided the rebels during the Easter Rising and was only not executed because of her sex. Not that nurse Power cares about any of that. The only thing on her mind is the health of the mothers under her charge and the delivery of new life into a very troubled world. 

I picked this up primarily because it was a fictional account of the Spanish Flu. The location of Dublin, especially not too long after the 1916 Easter Rising, no doubt added to my interest – although I wasn’t aware just how much this event impacted on the story when I chose to bring this home. The feel of a city at wartime – despite being FAR from any front or fighting – is palpable as is the obvious rubble still not cleared from 1916. I can only guess that the evidence of a failed rebellion was left in place, at least in part, as a reminder to any future rebels what happens when you go up against the British Empire in a time of war.  

The majority of the novel takes place over a period of 3-4 days and in the ‘ward’ of 6 beds. It honestly had a feel of a stage play with characters coming in and leaving off-stage to complete tasks only to return when the story demanded their presence. Most of the focus was on Julia Power as she narrated the story and interacted with the two other main players – Bridie and the doctor Kathleen Lynn (who was a real historical person – more later!). The secondary characters were the mothers awaiting their births who passed through the maternity ward throughout the book. While not exactly cyphers they’re not as deeply rendered as the main characters but are still individuals with enough depth to feel sympathy and understanding for. Although Julia Power is front and centre in the plot and is a great character in her own right, my favourite was Bridie Sweeny, and I honestly fell in love with her. Orphaned from an early age and largely uneducated she had survived her brutal upbringing with her native intelligence and ‘soul’ fully intact.  

Now the warnings: Being the time, the place and the particular circumstances of the story you need to be aware that people are going to die and that there will be a not inconsiderable amount of pain and blood displayed from time to time. Although no doubt toned down quite a bit this is not a book for the squeamish! But if you can read about (and imagine!) or have experienced birth and its dangers without feeling faint or sick you should be OK. Finally, if you’re like me and form emotional bonds to characters in a book you’re going to need a few tissues handy at the end. I’m still getting over it... One of the best reads of the year. Definitely recommended with the above warnings! 

Just Finished Reading: The Sea Witch by Stephen Coonts (FP: 2012) [253pp] 

This was a collection of three short novellas by an author I used to read a lot of pre-Blog. The first story was the titled ‘Sea Witch’ (1999) which revolved around an American ‘jinx’ fighter-bomber pilot early in the Pacific War being assigned to be co-pilot in a PBY Catalina (one of my all-time favourite aircraft) after the original and well-respected co-pilot had been killed. There followed the usual trying to fit in trope and it was obvious from the start that the ‘jinx’ would end up saving the day. This he did – but not in the way I’d expected. An above average story overall. 

Next up was ‘The 17th Day’ (2003) which told the tale of an American pilot in the Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front. The pilot's pre-occupation was, as you might expect, survival especially as it's his 17th day in service which is the average life-expectancy of a fighter pilot in that theatre. The question is: will he make it through the day. Despite being a well-constructed story, it didn’t have a lot of tension (can you really imagine the main character dying part way through and the officers in his squadron shrugging their shoulders and saying “Well, them’s the odds.....”. The flying scenes were well handled although, depending on how my memory is, I did think he stole a real incident for his fictional lead to add a bit of addition danger/threat. Still, it was reasonably entertaining. 

By FAR the worst story was the last - ‘Al-Jihad’ (2001). This was a frankly ridiculous story of a retired marine sniper being hired to assist a navy brat whose parents had been killed by Libyan terrorists by blowing up the airline they’d been travelling on. The plot, if you can call it that, was incredibly muddled and barely made sense. Even I could see ten other (and better) ways of eliminating the targets and that’s without getting into the area of extra-judicial killing. The conclusion was a nonsensical cherry-on-top and honestly made me laugh out loud at the stupidity of it all. I can only imagine that the author’s publisher asked him for a quick terrorist related story, and he passed on the task to his teenage son, then made a minimal effort of ‘clean it up’ and put his stamp on it. Terrible. 

This had been (as so often is the case) sitting in a pile of books for YEARS and I decided to finally ‘get around’ to it now. I might have tossed it if the story order had been reversed but that didn’t happen. Reasonable overall but not recommended even for the hard-core thriller reader. I’m SURE that there’s MUCH better stuff out there! 

Just Finished Reading: The Escape Artists – A Band of Daredevil Pilots and the Greatest Prison Breakout of WW1 by Neal Bascomb (FP: 2018) [267pp] 

Most of us will be familiar with the PoW camp breakouts of WW2 popularised by such films as ‘The Great Escape’ but what about the Great War? One thing that I hadn’t realised, until reading this interesting narrative, was the fact that prisoners at that time where not covered by what we now think of as the Geneva Convention. The Third Geneva Convention "relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War" was only adopted in 1929, so any prisoners taken from 1914-1918 would have been covered under the earlier, and much less precise or robust, Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. This meant that at least some of the captured could be forced to work for the opposing side and could have their freedoms restricted on top of their actual captivity. Indeed, they could be denied all of the ‘rights’ including their right to life itself with only the possibility of retribution after the war or the fear of reprisals against their own soldiers in captivity to stop them. The running or various camps – in Germany in this case – was, by and large, up to the officer in charge under whatever direction he had been given from his superiors. 

What was also clear, as we were still in the era of Edwardian sensibilities and the (mostly) rigid class system, was that officers and ‘other ranks’ were treated VERY differently within the PoW system. Although not actually in the regulations of the British Army it was considered the duty of an officer to at least try to escape. If an enlisted man did likewise, and was caught, it was entirely possible that he would either be shot or, at the very least, sent somewhere to serve out the rest of his captivity doing hard labour for the enemy. If an officer successfully escaped and was later recaptured, they might very well be punished – usually be a period of solitary confinement and loss of any privileges – but they would, by and large, be physically safe. So, it’s no surprise that any escape, attempted or successful, was undertaken by officers only although assisted by their enlisted men who were essentially ‘escaping’ by proxy. 

The main thrust of the narrative was the escape of around 30 captives – Army and RFC in the main – from the Holzminden camp where the most persistent and hardened escapees from other camps were held. [Side note: Its always amused me the way that the authorities kept the most dangerous people in the same place so that they could plan things together and learn from each other's mistakes and who, eventually, expressed shock and surprised when the best of the best managed to break out of supposedly escape proof facilities]. The place did have a ‘Colditz’ feel to it which helped with visualisation and the author made a valid point when pointing out that the escape ‘philosophy’ often felt familiar (from the arguably much more famous WW2 escapes) because the escapes of WW1 actually informed the escape and evasion training given during WW2. 

I won’t give too much away about the escapes and how they were accomplished (from various camps before Holzminden as well as the place itself) but needless to say they were as various and as excentric as the officers devising them. This is/was one of the aspects of war that I haven’t really thought about or read about previously, but I think I’ll see if I can pick up a bit more on the subject. Although obviously written by a non-historian this was still an interesting and sometimes moving tale of fortitude, grit and determination under often extreme circumstances. Recommended if you’re interested in this aspect of warfare or just want some ideas of how to get out of a secure facility. 

Just Finished Reading: To Win a War – 1918 The Year of Victory by John Terraine (FP: 1978) [259pp] 

1917 was a hard year for the Allied Powers. Not only had their offensives failed to achieve victory, but their attempts had almost destroyed their army's ability to fight. The French front-line commands had been wracked with mutiny and some of their politicians were calling for peace at *any* price. The British meanwhile where struggling to fill their basic manpower needs and where being forced to downsize the units in France. What made things worse was that Russia had dropped out of the war with the inevitable influx of German units moving west for a renewed offensive.  

Despite prior knowledge, and a limited amount of preparation, the Allies where still taken by surprise when the hammer fell in the spring of 1918. Despite warnings the Allies still packed their front trenches with men and whole units were destroyed by massive artillery bombardments. Once overrun and with the survivors in headlong retreat, the German infantry poured through the gaps and moved deep into France. But, despite their numbers, despite their planning and despite new tactics (including elite Stormtrooper units) the Allied Front was never breached. Broken sure, bent out of shape certainly, but after weeks of attacks and thousands of casualties the line held. Completely exhausted, low on supplies and distracted by the opportunity of looting Allied supplies abandoned in haste, the German assault ground to a halt. Hit first by outbreaks of Spanish Flu they were hit time and time again by the French, British and increasingly by American counter attacks. Slowly withdrawal became retreat and retreat become a general fallback from ground bloodily taken and retaken over the past four years. The 100 days of defeat had begun, and the end of the Great War was finally in sight. 

After reading about the German spring offensive (or rather offensives) of 1918 I was reasonably familiar with the events discussed in the first half of this book. What I was much less familiar with, and which I found very interesting, was the political manoeuvring behind the scenes to end the war and why, for instance, the Allies seemed to be satisfied by an Armistice rather than the full and unconditional surrender they demanded in 1945. Despite planning for campaign in 1919 (and indeed with some thinking that the war would still be raging in 1920!) both the British and most especially the French were spent, or close to being so, in the latter half of 1918. It was just conceivable that the final push could take place in 1919 but any continuation of the war beyond the spring of that year was unthinkable even with the growing manpower of the US Army. 

Despite having some notable axes to grind – the author *really* didn’t like the UK PM David Lloyd George! – this was an interesting and informative read. Getting some insights into the thinking of the Allied and German commanders certainly added to my understanding of why the war took so long to end even after it was obvious to just about everyone that Germany had lost the fight. Recommended if you can source a copy. More up to date works on this important period to come. 

Just Finished Reading: Spynest – British and German Espionage From Neutral Holland 1914-1918 by Edwin Ruis (FP: 2012) [239pp] 

Spies are apparently the second oldest profession but the kind of espionage we easily associate with World War Two was very new during the Great War. Part of the problem was, it seemed, that “Gentlemen do not read each other's letters”. So, what is a covert organisation to do? Hire, use or otherwise acquire people who are most definitely NOT gentlemen to do the dirty work for you. In both the case of the Germans and the British, and indeed the Dutch who kept an eye on both parties as they operated in their country, they employed conmen, swindlers, thieves and, when required, prostitutes. Very few of these would be considered ‘professional’ spies in the modern sense. What we now regard as such is a surprisingly modern arrival. 

Needless to say, such people were anything but reliable – either they simply took the money on offer and ran or reported back with completely or partially fabricated ‘information’. They were, as a class, either practically useless or positively harmful. Such activities couldn’t really last and, after much trial and error, a more professional organisation – on all sides began to emerge using military and ex-police as operatives although a thief or professional burglar still had their uses. 

The Dutch position was an interesting one. Unlike in the Second World War Holland remained unoccupied and neutral. They knew that their neutrality was somewhat fragile and made great efforts to neither antagonise the Central Powers or the Triple Entante. They did, however, have their favourite. It was considered that Germany posed the greater threat to their sovereignty despite a sometimes-adversarial history with Great Britain. In both cases they made a simple deal – share your findings with us (the Dutch) and don’t use violence on our streets and you can do as you please (within reason). The British accepted the deal with pleasure, the Germans were much more reluctant and suffered for it. It was over the war period a difficult balancing act – especially as both the British and Germans used Dutch nationals in their endeavours to spy and counter-spy on each other but the alternative was far more dangerous. They had Belgium, their next-door neighbour, as an example of what might happen if their neutrality went up in flames. 

As I knew almost nothing about Great War espionage (or, to be honest, the role of Holland in the war) this was often a most interesting read. A few things surprised me including just how amateur espionage was in the early years of the war. The other thing that really struck me was the number of spies executed in England – by firing squad at the Tower of London no less!  - for often very minor spying activity. What was clear from the outset was that Germany wasn’t very good at the whole spying game and their efforts generally fell flat (as they did by and large in the re-match 20 years later). The Brits, eventually, go their act together although overall espionage didn’t (apparently) account for very much in the end. A fairly quick read and (often) quite the eye-opener. More on this subject – from those involved – to come. Recommended for those interested in early espionage and who like reading around the edges of the World Wars. 

Just Finished Reading: Pale Rider – The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World by Laura Spinney (FP: 2017) [295pp] 

At first, they thought it was just the Flu, something ordinary, something familiar no matter how annoying. Anyway, there was a war on so a few sniffles, a few sick men was neither here nor there. There was no way in hell that they could quarantine a port or stop the troop ships sailing to France. The fate of the West was at stake. Even when the sick began to overwhelm the medics and soldiers, young, fit, men began to die in ever greater numbers the trains still picked up the apparently heathy from the training camps and crammed them into transports. As the outbreak spread across war-torn Europe it hit the Germans HARD. After 4 years of war and the effects of the British naval blockade both the soldiers and civilians were using up their last reserves of just about everything.  

When the war finally ended and soldiers began returning home – including millions of prisoners of war long held in unhealthy camps – the ‘Spanish’ flu (so-called because of its early reports in uncensored Spanish newspapers) spread across the world. The mortality rate varied widely but was generally agreed upon as roughly 2% overall. This doesn’t seem very much, but 2% was around 50-100 million dead across the globe. The rather large range estimate reflects the lack of records, the fact that the number of dead in Russia (which was going through the start of its Civil War at the time) might never be known, the number of Indian dead (likewise) may never be known because of lax record keeping in that British ‘protectorate’ and China was in a state of political and civil upheaval and this, probably, is where the majority of the deaths occurred. The flu killed more than the Great War and possibly killed more than the Second World War that followed it. At the top of the estimate figures it is even conceivable that the Spanish flu killed more people than BOTH World Wars combined. The death toll was far from being evenly distributed. Whilst New York suffered 0.5% deaths Rio suffered three times as many at 1.6%. Zamora in Spain doubled that at 3% whilst Gujarat in India doubled that again at 6%. Worst was to come in isolated communities such as Bristol Bay in Alaska that suffered 40% mortality. 

Interestingly, the Spanish flu had numerous similarities to the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Governments played down its impact (in this case so as not to ‘undermine the war effort’), argued about the cause and exactly where it came from. This was especially problematic at the time because viruses were essentially theoretical in 1918. Some cities in the US or countries elsewhere instituted basic public health measures like social distancing, masks, the closing of schools and stopping of public gatherings. Other places did not, or only did so half-heartedly. Once the war was over several US cities allowed parades and paid the price in the increased backlog at mortuaries. I did find it especially interesting that there were many reports of long-term impacts of the disease even after people had recovered. Examples of heart damage, fatigue and psychological problems possibly cause by brain damage exploded in the medical records of the time. Loss of smell, temporary loss of colour vision and much else was experienced. So-called ‘Long Covid’ no longer seems in the least as ‘exaggerated’ as some have suggested. 

No longer ‘forgotten’ after our recent experience of global pandemic, the Spanish flu had a significant global impact that is all too often overlooked in the shadow of the Great War. It must have been quite terrifying at the time (again compared to Covid) and I think we can learn quite a bit from the virus itself and how the world coped (and didn’t) with the disease. This was definitely one of the Science/History highlights of the year for me. Not only is it very well written but the author explores far more that the outbreak itself looking at its short-term and long-term impacts of humanity and human history. Fascinating and highly recommended – if you can handle the flashbacks to 2020!   

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

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

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

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

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

Just Finished Reading: July 1914 – Countdown to War by Sean McMeekin (FP: 2013) [405pp] 

When the Austrian archduke was assassinated in June 1914 Europe, rather surprisingly in hindsight, did not exactly hold its breath. There had been a wave of high-profile assassinations across the globe in recent years and few were surprised when another was announced in the headlines of their morning paper. Within days the initial shock had passed and life continued basking under a brilliant summer sky. But behind the scenes events were taking place that, four short weeks later, would produce what became known as the Great War. 

The death of the Archduke and his wife had two immediate results, it removed an irritation within the Empire and it gave the excuse the Austrians were looking for to bring the Serbians to heel and stamp their authority on the turbulent Balkans. Both willing and able to take on Serbia by themselves the Austrians knew they needed ‘top cover’ to head off the possibility of Russian intervention. The Russians had stayed out of the previous Balkan wars but there was always the chance that they’d get involved this time so the Austrians asked their ally, Germany, to cover their back. The Germans agreed. Do what you need to do, they said, but do it quickly. Fully expecting a quick and decisive campaign to essentially smack Serbia on the nose, humiliate her in the eyes of other nations and save face the Germans had issued Austria a blank cheque. Unfortunately they had no idea just how large that cheque would be or exactly when it would be served. To everyone’s surprise, and Germany’s growing irritation, Austria hesitated – first for days and then for days longer. Finally, an ultimatum was devised and delivered with a short deadline for compliance. Once the deadline expired Austria hesitated again until, finally, Austria declared war on Serbia and then... did NOTHING. 

Needless to say, the other European Powers were monitoring the situation closely. Russia was well aware of what the Austrians were doing and had decided, this time, to support Serbia. In preparation they began mobilising (secretly!) so as not to be caught on the hop if Germany decided to mobilise in support of Austria. The Russian mobilisation was supported by France who was at that time allied with Russia and wanted their mobilisation to start in order to neutralise any threat to France from its old enemy Germany. But the Russian mobilisation his two snags: firstly, it didn’t remain secret for long. Rumours had been flying almost since the first day and despite denials Germany started getting restless. The second problem was Poland – then a part of the Russian Empire. In order for Russia to send her troops against Austria its troop trains had to go through Warsaw. This was not too far from Germany’s eastern border and when these troops were reported to Berlin alarm bells rang – loudly! Russia loudly declared that the armies on the move had no intention of threatening German sovereignty but the risk of not responding was too much for Berlin NOT to act. For its own self defence Germany began to mobilise its forces. Seeing what was happening in the east (and against its ally) France had no option to mobilise its forces too. The only Great Power NOT mobilising its forces at this time was Great Britain. 

Britain was in a strange position in 1914. Although it had an ‘understanding’ with France it was not allied in such a way as to pull it inexorably into a continental conflict. The only thing Britain had agreed to – in an almost off-hand fashion – was to cover the French coast from hostile action if the French had agreed to patrol the Mediterranean allowing the British navy to concentrate on its trade routes and the North Sea. The only other European ‘entanglement’ was the agreement – signed by the major European Powers to ensure the geographic integrity of Belgium. As long as Belgium wasn’t violated it was possible that Britain would stay out of any conflict on the Continent. Unfortunately for the French, and indeed the Germans – if not the whole world – the British position was never exactly clear to anyone, including the British themselves. Factions within the British cabinet favoured closer ties with France whilst others equally strongly favoured closer ties with Germany. A firm decision either way by the Prime Minister could conceivably bring down his government and reduce the country to chaos – something they could clearly do without during the ongoing and worsening Irish Troubles. So, Britain (mostly) stayed out of the fray and responded when they must with ambiguous political missives. 

I certainly knew something of the manoeuvrings within the Great Powers between the archduke's assassination and the outbreak of World War 1, but I had no idea of both the complexity of what was happening in the European capitals and the number of mistakes, misunderstandings and much else besides – for example the time it took for telegrams to be sent, decoded, responded to and *understood* when vital decisions needed to be made in a matter of hours, not days! The author takes you into the heart of things and the book honestly reads little a high-quality political thriller with palpable tension in spades despite the fact that we know how things turned out by August. I’d definitely place this as one of the best History books I’ve read this year and most definitely one of the best books on the run-up to World War 1 that I’ve read.  

Being a fan of Alt-history I’m always looking for times where things might have gone a different way. The Great War was not inevitable – nowhere near. The mistakes, misunderstanding and mistiming's in July 1914 – if resolved – might have indeed avoided war. There were other irons in THAT particular fire, for example the Russian desire to control access from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean through the Dardanelles (which would’ve meant war with Turkey and, possibly, Britain) which might have led to a wider European war but we’ll never know. Such musings, along with a very interesting discussion on who exactly was to blame for the war, were covered in the Epilogue. The usual villain of the piece is Germany, but this is a very lazy answer. There was a LOT of blame to go around and Germany certainly deserves some of it, but nowhere near the major part which is shared between Austria and Russia. The German ‘blank cheque’ didn’t help but it wasn’t the cause of the conflict. One of my favourite books of the year and highly recommended – especially if you’ve ever wondered just why the First World War happened. More from this excellent author to come!  

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: Fracture – Life and Culture in the West 1918-1938 by Philipp Blom (FP: 2015) [411pp] 

When I was young and ignorant (or at least more ignorant) I used to think that the period between the 20th centuries World Wars was a time of peace. I have long been disabused of this notion. As a French delegate to the Versailles conference said with great prescience, they had not just signed a peace treaty but rather a 20-year armistice. He was not wrong. The supposed ‘War to End Wars’ had instead shattered the world system, fracturing most of the last Empires in Europe as well as fatally damaging the globe spanning British Empire. The ramifications of this passed over the planet like an earthquake with regular aftershocks changing the world forever. Yet, even as the quake echoed around the world tensions still built beneath the surface and, unknown to the vast millions hoping for a better future a greater, even more devastating, quake was building. 

But, as with all times of social and political unrest, the West saw an outpouring of creativity both remarkable in its breadth and staying power. Works of art, literature, poetry, music, dance, and theatre since recognised as ground-breaking, indeed epoch defining, arose during this time. Not always recognised instantly (or quickly) with the regard later generations placed on them, they shocked, enthralled or dismayed the public often in equal measure. With the breaking of the international system anything, it seemed, was possible. One of the great epicentres of this new found freedom of expression was Berlin where an explosion of avant-garde art, music and lifestyles both appalled locals and attracted international visitors (who much later would be called the ‘jet set’). Briefly overshadowing Paris as the European city of culture, Berlin was THE melting pot of new ideas in a new world. 

Covering this and much else besides – including the emergence of Surrealism, Art Deco and the Jazz explosion, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, the bizarre findings of Quantum Mechanics, the Charleston dance craze and psychoanalysis – this was an epic tale of the Wests reaction (or maybe over-reaction) to the devastation of total war on a scale not seen before as individuals, major groupings and whole nations struggled to come to terms (or at least try to) what had just happened and to try to square the discontinuity between what they had been told (or promised) in 1914 and what had resulted by 1918. Chocked full of interesting observations, personalities and ideas this was one of the best books of the year so far for me. I do find the ‘between the wars’ era quite fascinating for a whole host of reasons (personally I’m kind of obsessed about periods of rapid or fundamental change – probably because we’re living through one) and this did nothing to diminish that interest, quite the contrary in fact. If you’re after a detailed look at the era in a single volume I’d definitely recommend this as a very good place to start. Highly recommended as is all of this author’s works. 

[Highest page count of the year so far: 411pp][+14pp]

110 years ago TODAY: The shot that started WW1 and gave rise to the world we live in. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand & his wife Sophie, Sarajevo 28th June 1914.

Just Finished Reading: Red Summer – The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America by Cameron McWhirter (FP: 2011) [271pp] 

After their sacrifices on the battlefields of France they thought things would change on their return. With the words of President Wilson still ringing in their ears with talk of Democracy and Self Determination as the cornerstones of a new world order, with talk of peace, prosperity and progress for all they thought things would be different, that they’d be treated with more respect and that many would, at long last, be able to cast their votes without fear of the consequences. In 1919 they realised they were wrong. Nothing had really changed. Despite filling many of the jobs lost to soldiers fighting abroad and despite fighting and dying on European battlefields – when they were actually allowed to fight – they were treated exactly the same and were expected to take up their subservient roles again as if nothing had happened. Not surprisingly, many decided that things had indeed changed – maybe not in American society but within themselves. The feeling, most especially amongst returning veterans, was that they deserved better and that they would demand batter. So began the slow, painful and often bloody awakening of Black consciousness across America – from resistance to lynching, to fighting back in the cities (both North and South) when attacked, to the founding and growth of organisations designed to help black American’s gain access to legal remedies previously denied them as well as procuring professional legal representation in court cases where life and death hung in the balance.   

I’d come across various examples of this aspect of the American experience scattered through my reading of US history, but I lost count of the number of times I was honestly shocked at what went on and people's reaction to it. A few times I had to put the book down and go do something else for a while for my brain to function again. There’s only so much casual racism and targeted brutality I can cope with before my mind loses all comprehension. From 1919 into the early 1920’s I’m stunned at what black Americans had to put up with and I’m not surprised in the least that at least some of them decided that enough was enough. Some white commentators actually complained that the problem was caused by the French who had the audacity to treat black American soldiers like human beings which inevitably gave them ideas ‘above their station’. While American officers treated black soldiers who wanted to fight as simple labourers the French officers were more than willing to lead them into battle – and did so to great effect. The French could care less about their skin colour (having black soldiers themselves) but only cared if they were willing to kill the Boche.  

This detailed and very well written history was a real eye-opener for me. I kind of ‘knew’ how bad it could be being black in early 20th century America, but I had no real idea – until now. If you have a reasonably strong stomach and you can keep your anger and disgust in check this is a worthwhile if sobering read which helps to put a lot of black activism into a solid context. Black Lives Matter and its predecessors did not pop into existence out of thin air. It had LONG antecedents – even long before the focus of this book. I think that I am at least beginning to understand where some of the animosity and suspicion of American blacks comes from. This book was a real education. Highly recommended to anyone wanting to understand a still vital aspect of America. More to come from this author.