When I first started reading the book the introduction struck me as a bit convoluted, but the book soon settled down in to a good read (which was more than me just adjusting to the author's style). Apart from describing the action, using many first person accounts, there was an interesting addition to the scope/cause of the conflict in covering the economic and strategic aspects of the campaign. These things are often forgotten and leave casual readers with no real feeling for why we were there (I think the Gallipoli campaign is a good example of this level of ignorance).
Anyway, I really must get down to devising some Operation Mercury based scenarios for my WW2 miniatures.
Interesting. I knew Tony Simpson very slightly over 30-odd years ago - a neighbour in Wellington, and an industrial relations advocate for state servants. At the time I was in the same field, on the government side. Tony's politics seemed to have been left of centre (so are mine, actually, but I've never been much of an activist), though that didn't seem to do much to curb the 'reforms' (i.e. economic vandalism) of successive Minister of Finance in this country.
ReplyDeleteI never knew him as an author of books (essays, yes, I think) but I might have guessed. A quick survey indicates he focused on social or socio-political history. It would be interesting to discover Mr Simpson's 'take' on the battle for Crete.
I visited Crete in 1988, and there met a guy who was taken prisoner. The Germans had a POW cage on the island that was guarded in such a lackadaisical manner, that one day he simply walked out the front gate. He spent several months hiding out in the wild country along the south of the island, helped by the locals, until he could find a boat to take him to Egypt. I have a friend whose father, a private in the Divisional Petrol Company (Coy Div Pet), was also captured by the Germans. He wrote his own account his experiences as infantryman and POW, though I've not been able to source the book at all.
Cheers,
Ion
Small world!
DeleteI was in Crete in 1986. Fascinating place.
I have the NZ Official History Volumes on Greece (W.G McClymont) and Crete (D.M Davin), although I'm yet to get stuck into them.
Did you every see Chris Masters' two part series "A Greek Tragedy" Mark? It's well worth a view if you have not:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbCqsfe4JqY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Enyj8D6Eqs
Regards, James
No, but I will now (or at least add it to the list of things to watch).
Delete