I have put in quite a few miles over the last few weeks. Which is simply astonishing given the 70,400 words that I have written. No, I don't type and drive. Mind you, if it was safe to do so, then that would be the perfect solution. Mainly because driving is mundane, and I'm not a mundane sort of person.
I have also managed to read two exceptionally good books. The latter one being "the Real Heroes of Telemark". An astonishingly good read, and one which I recommended to you before I reached the closing chapters. I knew parts of the story but I was unaware of "the Ferry of Death". War is about death, but fortunately not all conflict is war. There is conflict in relationships, conflict in employment, and conflict through religious or political differences. Sometimes something happens that transcends the differences, something that jells the actors and onlookers to work towards the common good. The true stories behind my recent reading are remarkable. Real 'Boys Own' sorts of stuff. A modern day hero, a soldier who fought 'for King and Country' and then went on to become active in clandestine activities which in many ways were also for the greater good. Hardship was portrayed in 'Rifleman', but probably not as much hardship as that which was endured in 'Hardanger' during that terrible winter. Both stories show how far man will got to hurt others, and how far man will go to try to right a wrong.
My next read, sweeps away from 'Boys Own'; to Imperialism and Colonialism. The story of British Colonial Intentions in Black Africa. Readers of the Blog will know how the British were outwitted by the superior leadership skills of the Zulu nation. The highly drilled British Soldiers had embarked on what must have also been an adventure similar to 'Rifleman' and 'Telemark'. Facing an enemy and not knowing if you will win through.
I mentioned in a recent Blog Post about the process of state formation. In the previous paragraph I mentioned the 'Zulu Nation', unfortunately their state formation process was not far enough advanced. In-fighting and agricultural demands led to weaknesses. Colonial Britain got lucky and Africa bore the burden of that success. Maybe over the next few Blog Posts I can mention some of my favourite bits from one of my favourite stories. Ian Knight is a great author, and this being the third book of his that I have read, there is bound to be some replication. But if I come across a few gems, then you can certainly be assured of some replication in this Blog. Until then, if you live in the UK, enjoy the early Summer. It may be all that we have. Although unlike Africa and the Zulu society many decades before; the clouds that gather for us, will only bring rain, and not death and oppression.
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