Cypria: A Journey into the Heart of the Mediterranean

 Books on Cyprus written by Greek or Turkish Cypriots are rarely objective. I have a collection of them, often including pages of text in capitals where the author literally shouts at the reader. Frequently illustrated with pictures of atrocities - only those committed by the other side, of course. Alex Christofi, while a Greek Cypriot, has written something close to an objective history of Cyprus. While it is a personal journey of discovery, it's not just a travelogue.

He starts in modern Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkoşa), crossing the border at Ledra Street. There is an illustrative story of what will come when he visits the old caravanserai on the Turkish side. This is where Greek and Turkish Cypriots have met every Saturday since the crossing opened almost 20 years ago to enjoy each other’s company. When a new UN special representative was appointed in 2022, he came to the Büyük Han Coffee Club to say hi, and the group gave him a toy donkey to remind him that in Cyprus, what you need most is patience.

Most books on Cyprus's history rush quickly to the 19th century. However, Christofi lingers in the earlier periods. The island was not only strategically important even then, but it was also an innovator, the first to learn the secret of smelting iron. Alexander carried a Cypriot sword into battle. The island had Indigenous peoples, Greek, and Phonecian colonists. The Jewish Revolt against the Romans was fought in Cyprus in the Kitos War between 115 and 117 CE. Cyprus was an important centre of early Christianity and a base for Islam when the island was conquered in 649. For three centuries, they shared power with the Byzantines and divided taxes. This is all the more remarkable as they were at war for most of this period.

For those into culinary matters, I hadn't realised Cyprus's role in bringing cauliflower, sugar and halloumi (hellim) cheese to our tables. The sugar-plantation complex was first conceived in Cyprus, making it the main sugar producer for Europe for two centuries.

The strength of this book is its exploration of the pre-modern history of the island. I covered Richard the Lionheart in a recent post and the Venetian and Ottoman periods. As an example of objective history, the author dismisses Spyridakis' assertion that ‘under the Turkish domination no important cultural achievements were made’, saying 'that is not only untrue but it fails to appreciate the unique blend of cultures that I find is most special about Cyprus.' The story of the US and British robbery of historical artefacts from the island makes Lord Elgin look positively progressive! 100 museums worldwide harbour Cypriot antiquities.

Objectivity becomes more challenging in the modern period. For someone of his heritage, I think the author steers a reasonable course through this. For example, he doesn't avoid the genocidal statements made by Makarios, acted upon by Grivas and Sampson. One detail he gets wrong is that "Turkey’s military codename for the invasion, Operation Attila, makes it hard to avoid the implication of invading and sacking Greek villages." It is a common mistake, but Attila is the name the Turkish armed forces gave to the eventual demarcation line; the operation was called 'Victory' or 'The Peace Operation'.

This is an entertaining and well-researched history of the island. Illustrated by good stories from his own family and others. 

Richard the Lionheart v Isaac Komnenos. Unmistakably a game of To the Strongest!

The Empress and the English Doctor

 My library pick last month was Lucy Ward's book, The Empress and the English Doctor. While not my usual military history fare, Catherine is a key player in my current writing project.

Thomas Dimsdale was a physician from Hertfordshire, England, known for his expertise in smallpox inoculation. He had published a book, The Present Method of Inoculating for Smallpox (1767), which attracted Catherine's attention. She invited him to Russia to perform the procedure.

Dimsdale arrived in St. Petersburg in 1768 and faced significant challenges. Inoculating a monarch and the heir to the throne was a high-stakes endeavour. Failure could result in political or personal ruin or worse, and the consequences for Russia could have been incalculable. Catherine put her Royal Yacht on standby to whisk Dimsdale and his son away if it went wrong.

To ensure success, Catherine underwent a preparatory regimen to optimise her health. The inoculation was conducted in secrecy to avoid public panic or political fallout. It was successful, and Catherine recovered without complications. She even ordered her court to follow suit, popularising the practice among the Russian nobility. She went on to institute other much-needed medical reforms.

While British kings had inoculated their children, Catherine was the only reigning monarch to undergo the procedure - an act of courage that has since been all but forgotten. The methodology was not the refined modern vaccination but simply inserted a small amount of infected matter into pierced skin. This conveyed a mild case of the illness and a lifetime immunity. The idea made its way into Europe from Turkey, where elderly women delivered the jab with a blunt needle. 

This is topical, given the anti-vaxers in our own age, and was even more controversial in the 18th century. Reading this book, my admiration for Catherine went up a notch. It took some nerve to do this, given the religious and political views of the period. Even in Britain, where the beneficial results were clear, churchmen claimed it interfered with the divine plan, "God sent the disease either for the trial of our faith or for the punishment of our sins." Other objections were as remarkably ill-informed as the conspiracy theorists of the 21st century.

A fascinating story, well-researched and told.

Cartoon showing Edward Jenner, Thomas Dimsdale and George Rose seeing off opponents of vaccination.

Richard the Lionheart and Cyprus

 My current bedtime reading is Cypria, a history of Cyprus by Alex Christofi. It reminded me of a little-known excursion Richard the Lionheart made to Cyprus on his way to Acre and the Third Crusade. 

The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was launched to recapture Jerusalem, which had fallen to Saladin in 1187. Richard I and Philip II of France journeyed to the Holy Land by sea. Richard had already stopped off in Sicily and dabbled in the local politics there before sailing for Acre with a fleet of 150 ships and 53 galleys. 

In April 1191, Richard’s fleet encountered a storm near Cyprus. Several ships, including one carrying his fiancée, Berengaria of Navarre, and his sister, Joan of England, were blown off course and landed on the island. Cyprus was controlled by Isaac Komnenos, a Byzantine nobleman who had declared himself Emperor of the island. Isaac seized the opportunity to capture some shipwrecked Crusaders and their supplies. Richard unsurprisingly decided to intervene and landed at Limassol on May 6, 1191. He viewed the island as a helpful resource and a strategic base for the Crusade. The English chronicler Benedict of Peterborough says, "Then in great wrath, he sent messengers to the Emperor of Cyprus, once, twice, and yet a third time, making his request with mild entreaty, that his fellow pilgrims, whom the Emperor was keeping in durance, should be restored to him together with their belongings. To whom the Emperor made answer with proud words, refusing to surrender either the prisoners or their belongings, and saying that he had no fear of the king of England or of his threats." 

Limassol Castle today

The concept of Richard making a 'mild entreaty' is unlikely! Richard's forces quickly overwhelmed the defenders at Limassol in a contested amphibious landing. Many of the local nobility and merchants, dissatisfied with Isaac's oppressive rule, submitted to Richard, bolstering his position. Isaac initially conceded defeat and even promised to join the Crusade. However, he then retreated into the interior, hoping to rally resistance. Richard sailed around to the north of the island, leaving Guy of Lusignan in command of the army to pursue Issac. It is unclear how many actions were fought, but the evidence points to at least one significant battle, and Richard did capture the main castles. This included St Hilarion Castle, which was no mean feat. Just climbing to the top was enough for me.

 

Isaac eventually surrendered after being promised lenient treatment. Richard honoured his word but added a twist: Isaac was imprisoned in silver chains, as he had requested not to be shackled in iron. Richard sold the island to the Knights Templar later in 1191, who then resold it to Guy of Lusignan, the deposed King of Jerusalem, establishing the Kingdom of Cyprus. A vital stronghold for Christian powers in the Eastern Mediterranean for centuries.

This story formed the basis for our midweek game of To the Strongest in 15mm. The Crusader army lists work fine for Richard's forces. We used the later Byzantine Komenean list for Issac. The chroniclers mention men at arms and Turcoples, but there must have been local spearmen.

The battle initially went well for Richard, who seized the high ground in the centre and made good progress on the left wing.

However, the Byzantines rallied and, with some impressive shooting on the right, managed to win the game with one victory point left.

A good, close game and an interesting bit of history.

Happy New Year!

A Happy New Year to everyone! The weather has somewhat curtailed Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland, but a dram or two were still raised. My wife is suffering from the lurgy, and while I have largely recovered, my left ear is still blocked, making hearing challenging. Not always a bad thing 😉.

2024 was productive on the writing front. Two books were published, and two were written and are with the publisher, making six since I semi-retired. 

I have a couple of books planned for writing this year, with one just underway. This is irritating the cat, who has to manoeuvre his way past a large pile that constitutes the first research scan from my bookshelves. 

I also averaged two blog posts a week and kept the website updated. I wrote a few articles for journals and was very chuffed to receive the prize for the best overall article in Slingshot for my piece on the Young Alexander. I reviewed 60 books last year. My reading pile is relatively modest, although that is unlikely to last, with book tokens burning a hole in my wallet.

Some of my planned wargame projects, including Ruritania and the Indo-Pakistan War, never made it to the painting bench, and I still have the Starfighter kit from last Xmas to build. However, I finished the Montrose and Covenanters project in 15mm and made an excursion into Ireland. I finished more ships for the Black Seas, Falklands and WW1, and just the sails to finish some reinforcements for the Russian fleet. More Cyprus infantry and armour were completed in time for participation games at the Carronade and Targe shows. Strength and Honour bases were painted for the Young Alexander project, jet aircraft for Blood Red Skies, Border Wars, sci-fi, and some cowboys/girls. A book on the Caucasus started a project on the Persian army of the Napoleonic Wars in 15mm, which is now finished. Finally, in 28mm, I painted a Russian force for the late 18thC Russo-Ottoman Wars, although as my daughter bought me more figures for Xmas, that project has a way to run.

For the coming year, I have a pile of 6mm Ottomans for the 18thC wars, a modest force of WW2 Swiss (yes, another book impulse), and more 28mm Napoleonic Ottomans and Greeks. The Strength and Honour supplement has sparked a project on the Punic Wars, a return to my first wargame army. There are other bits and pieces to reinforce other projects, including my current Cold War dabble. I was remarkably disciplined about not being sidetracked with lots of new rules in 2024, but this is unlikely to be repeated! I have actually returned to some old favourites this year, including DBA. The Nigel Tranter re-reading project is getting perilously close to the Jacobite rebellions, but thankfully, I already have the figures.

Last year, my overseas trips took me to Vienna and Türkiye. Nothing has been finalised yet for 2025, but I haven’t been to Romania for a long time. I got to a few shows in England and many museums linked to the shows or following the mighty whites (Fulham FC), who are having a better-than-expected season. I will certainly be at the York show, conveniently after the Newcastle game; Hammerhead and Salute are pencilled in.

I hope everyone had a good holiday season, and I wish you all a happy and productive 2025.

The Honved War

 This new book by Nigel Smith covers the armies of the Hungarian War of Independence 1848-49. I was pulled into this conflict through Steve Barber's range of 28mm figures and Ralf Weaver's book on the Hungarian armies. This book is a little more detailed and covers the Austrians and Russians as well.

For those unfamiliar with this obscure war, The Hungarian War of Independence of 1848–1849 aimed to achieve Hungarian autonomy within the Habsburg Monarchy. Inspired by the broader European Revolutions of 1848, the movement sought constitutional reform, civil liberties, and national independence. It started on 15 March 1848 with an uprising in Budapest, which led to the formation of a Hungarian government under Lajos Kossuth and the acceptance of the "April Laws" by Emperor Ferdinand I, granting Hungary limited self-rule. When Austria attempted to revoke Hungarian autonomy, war broke out in September 1848. Hungary initially succeeded under leaders like Artúr Görgei but faced setbacks when Austria allied with Russia, whose intervention in 1849 turned the tide. The combined Austrian-Russian forces overwhelmed the Hungarian army. The revolution ended in August 1849 with the surrender at Világos.

The author gives the historical background, although other books in this Helion series go into detail. The focus here is on the organisation of the three main armies, their commanders and uniforms. There are detailed orbats, plenty of illustrations and some fine colour plates. The Hungarian Army has a range of volunteer units, which add a bit more colour to what is already a colourful array. The commanders included an Englishman, Richard Debaufre Guyon, born in Bath in 1803. He joined the Habsburg army, fought for the Hungarians and ended up as a Pasha in the Ottoman army during the Crimean War. 

The Hungarians started the war short of modern firearms, in a period when the percussion musket became the standard, with some regiments armed with pikes and farm implements. However, realistically, the effective range of a musket was still around 100 yards. The Austrians had moved to column attacks with the bayonet when the terrain was suitable. Jagers did skirmish, but they were also used as storm troops. The Hungarians had plenty of Hussar regiments for screening, etc. However, the Austrians had the heavy battlefield cavalry.

This is a very useful addition to the library on this conflict. It also inspires me to get my armies back on the tabletop.

Ground Forces in the Korean War (1)

 This is a new Osprey MAA on the North Korean and Chinese ground forces in the Korean War by Benjamin Lai and Zhao Guoxing. There is an old 1980s Osprey on this conflict, but the subject deserves a more up-to-date and detailed series. I got drawn into this as a project when researching the Turkish troops for my book on the Cyprus crisis of 1963. I restricted myself to 10mm, and the air war, as lovely as the Warlord figures are, it was just too much repetitive painting in 28mm.

The authors start with some helpful historical background, reminding us that the Chinese have always seen Korea as the back door to China, which MacArthur might have recognised if he had read more history. Chinese intervention was not simply ideological. The origins of the North Korean Army (KPA) predated WW2 and included service in Chinese and Soviet forces. Kim Il-sung learned his trade in these conflicts, and the Soviets brought him back when they arrived in Korea in 1945 after the Japanese collapse.

We then get chapters on the KPA structure and doctrine. Initially equipped with captured Japanese weapons, they received modern Soviet weapons before manufacturing their own versions. Equipment included 150 T34/85 tanks and 32 SPGs. Organisation was on the Soviet model, although they were short of radios. A brief chapter on the Korean War actions focuses on how the KPA was forced to reorganise after being pushed back from South Korea. For more on this, there is a good Osprey essential histories study of the war.

This approach is replicated for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA). Mao and Stalin did not want to get involved in the war, viewing it as a Korean squabble. Kim did not share his invasion plans and thought he could win without Chinese or Russian help. However, when US forces moved to the border, the age-old fear of invasion kicked in, and troops were diverted to shore up the North Korean position. It was a rushed job with summer uniforms and a mixture of weapons. The classic padded uniform came later. PVA tactics were based on the infiltration system they had learned during their civil war, and UN troops often described being surrounded. Effective use of terrain and camouflage was a key element. Again, the shortage of radios meant relying on horns and whistles, a practical measure not designed to intimidate. They were also short of support weapons, including machine guns and mortars.

As you would expect from this series, there are plenty of photographs and excellent colour plates—everything the wargamer needs. I use Blitzkrieg Commander rules for the Korean War, which is just an extension of WW2. There is an excellent supplement which I highly recommend.

Shadows of the Slain

 This is the tenth book in Matthew Harffy's Bernicia Chronicles, which follows our hero Beobrand and his warband around 7th-century Britain and then Europe. Whilst fiction, it uses the limited sources we have on the period as the basis for a plot.

In the last book, our hero was escorting a group of priests, including the actual Wilfred (later St Wilfred), on a pilgrimage to Rome when they got involved in Frankish politics. In this book, they arrive in Rome, not without a few adventures en route. In the 7th century, Rome was not the imperial capital it once was, as the once great buildings fell into ruin, and local warlords fought for power. Multiple sacks and sieges, floods, earthquakes and plagues had seen an incredible decline in the city’s population. Rome went from over a million inhabitants in AD 300 to fewer than 50,000 in the seventh century. The Pope attempted to run the church during this period, but this pre-dated the Vatican and the temporal power the church gained in medieval Italy.

In the author's retelling, St Wilfred turns out to be less than saintly, a point backed up by our sources. The religious conflicts of the period were as confusing as Italian politics, but Beobrand fought through it all with his customary vigour. 

Ten books about Northumbria during this period might have been a push. So, this European excursion has been an excellent storyline. The Franks and the Lombards make an interesting backdrop to the journey. Our hero is now returning to Northumbria for the next book. I am looking forward to that.

There are no big battles in this book, but plenty of skirmish action. This made an ideal quick post-dinner game on Christmas Day. The priests were tasked with bringing relics back to England, which formed the basis for a skirmish with local warbands. Open Combat is a nice, simple system players can pick up quickly.

A Rage of Regents

 The latest in my Nigel Tranter project covers the period after the Battle of Langside in 1568 when Mary Queen of Scots fled to England, and Scotland was ruled by regents for the young James the Sixth.

In classic Tranter fashion, the story is told through the eyes of a Lanarkshire laird's son, John Carmichael. On the wrong side at the Battle of Langside, his father decides to marry him off to the sister of the Earl of Morton, one of the regency council led by Mary's half-brother, the Earl of Moray.

He gets dragged into various special missions for Morton and develops a close relationship with the young Earl of Angus, head of the Red Douglases. When Moray is assassinated, Morton eventually grabs the regency, and John ends up on further missions, including a trip to Queen Elizabeth's court in London. He was also appointed Warden of the Middle March, as most of the hereditary holders of those positions fled the country after Langside. 

Morton was arguably the most effective of James's regents, but he made enemies. He fell from favour when Frenchman Esmé Stewart, first cousin of James's father Lord Darnley, arrived in Scotland and quickly became a favourite of James.  James I was proclaimed an adult ruler in a ceremony of Entry to Edinburgh on 19 October 1579. Morton was executed on 2 June 1581, belatedly charged with complicity in Darnley's murder.

In military terms, this was a relatively quiet period. There was some skirmishing over the border but no major battles. There were a few revolts, but they never amounted to much in terms of battles.

This is Border Wars territory for wargamers, with plenty of potential scenarios for small-scale clashes, for which the rules work so well. There are even models for the Queen's emissaries that fit in well with the missions John was sent on.