The past is never dead, it isn’t even past
In August 1941, British and Russian forces invaded Iran and Reza Shah’s abdication was followed by his son Mohammad Reza’s succession. In the 37 years that separate the Allied invasion from the revolution of 1979, three distinct phases may be distinguished. 1941 to...
When we think of the Crusades, the first things that come to mind are 12th-century characters such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, locked in combat for control of the Holy Land. The average medieval person, though, would have had a much richer understanding...
Christendom vs the Caliphate: Simon Mayall Interview The term Christendom is a rather medieval term, and then there's the Caliphate. Could we start by defining what the two are? The Caliphate was an organizing principle of the Muslim world. Although it moved around,...
The majority of the book is set in 2007 but there is a post-script detailing your characters’ involvement in the chaotic coalition departure of 2021. Was it this ending of the coalition efforts that gave you the impetus to publish the book now? I wrote most of the...
On Remembrance Sunday, 8th November 1987 in Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, a bombing took place that proved to be a turning point in The Troubles. 12 civilians were killed, the final victim having died 13 years later in December 2000, with ages ranging from 20 to...
