Bitter Lemons (book by Lawrence Durrell)

[Lofos-5]

What better thing to do during Ramadan (where shops are mostly closed during day times at the weekend) and temperatures are higher than 40 deg C at 7am already in Qatar than going to visit the new stunning Qatar National Library designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas?

A really stunning building with very pleasing aesthetics - especially also the inside.

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They have about 5 meters of books - a tenth of one of their thousands of shelves - dedicated to Cyprus, mainly (ancient) history and (recent) politics. The book that caught my eye was "Bitter Lemons" by Lawrence Durrell which I read over the last week. It is not a very easy read but certainly an eye opener for those that want to know more about Enosis (union with Greece) and the role that the British played (or should have) in the late 1950-ies.

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This is gives a good overview of the book: http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/rbotoole/ent ... lemons_of/

The book is still widely available it seems for about USD 12.

A.

[PolemIan]

I’ve read it. It takes a bit of getting into, the style is a bit “flowery” for me, but a good read and informative.

Ian

[Dominic]

That and other books is available from Amazon via the Paphos Life Affiliate Shop:

https://www.paphoslife.com/shop

If you buy it, or anything else from Amazon, via our shop links, you help fund the site. Go team!

[William Morris]

Dominic, Spoiler!!!

I was looking forward to going to Qatar to read it.

[LouiseCastricum]

What a stunning building indeed!

[Lofos-5]

What a stunning building indeed!

The whole concept of it is very good - it is part of Education City which hosts several international universities on a purpose built mega campus.
Some more pics in here:

https://qnlweb-staticfiles.s3.us-west-1 ... igital.pdf

Qatar is under the illegal blockade from the Saudis and the Emirates (and the Bahraini and Egyptian muppets) for almost one year now (5 June) but has done remarkably well given the circumstances. There does not seem to be an end in sight and billions of dollars are kept on being spent on completely unnecessary propaganda and weaponry on both sides. So much for being Arab brothers... Sad.

A.

[William Morris]

And let us not forget that they are hosting a World Cup in 2022. That should be a laugh.

[Lofos-5]

On the subject of Enosis I just came across this recent article in the Cyprus Mail:

http://cyprus-mail.com/2018/04/29/retir ... tdiscovery

with a link to the Daily Mail given as well:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... er-up.html

Good to be aware of... - a nasty part of the British legacy I guess.

A.

[Dominic]

Torture is torture.

[Lofos-5]

Bitter Lemons gives the context of it very well - although it did not mention that aspect. It was/is a very complex situation and if you are interested in it then the book certainly is worth a read in my opinion.

[Devil]

Unfortunately, I witnessed a few cases of - shall we say - too much zeal by UK armed forces in 1956, some of which are still vivid in my memory.

[Devil]

No, in all the time I was here in 1956, I never witnessed anything even remotely threatening to me by Cypriots. OTOH, I have seen a group of Lyceum schoolboys, at end of classes, who had jeered at a few infantrymen who then started to beat them with rifle butts and then forced them into a 15 cwt Bedford and took them who knows where, for what? I witnessed a kid on a bike shouting 'pushti' at a RAF sergeant who responded by a handgun shot, missed but just nicked the leg (not serious) of a British woman wheeling a pram on the other side of the street (Byron Ave). I'd been occasionally treated roughly verbally at road blocks by squaddies. The most traumatic experience was a drunk infantryman who decided I was from EOKA and tried to shoot me with a SMLE. He managed to get a round up the spout but had a problem aiming at me as the rifle was heavy enough to not keep still in his alcoholic haze. Fortunately, his companion managed to get the rifle off him, but it wasn't fun looking down the barrel from 2 or 3 m away.

[Devil]

I did say 'No', above. I never was confronted with any act of terror (or anything else) by members of EOKA. I know that I must have met some members, but I was never aware of them as such, even though my work as a telecommunications engineer took me all over the island, even into villages. In fact, I was always treated with the traditional hospitality, with a capon killed for me or other food and drink (no zivania, which was illegal then) set in front of me. This hospitality is well-mentioned in books, including Durrell's, but is rare now except in the villages. Traces of it exist in Mosfiloti, still, where I live, and which was an EOKA stronghold.

[Dominic]

The term I used was EOKA, Devil, I have no doubt the vast majority of Cypriot Civilians tried to distance themselves from the conflict...and I have no doubt that the British Army dealt out some pretty rough treatment especially in the aftermath of events such as the murder of Mrs Catherine Cutliffe, the wife of an Army Sergeant, the wounding of her daughter and friend in Famagusta during a shopping trip in 1958.

Did you even read what Devil posted?

Devil, thank you for being in a position to be able to relate some first hand experiences.

Sometimes, there is NO justification.

I have wanted to do a blog about the Polemi Concentration Camp, but over the last few months it seems to be constantly locked.

And I am not knocking the British Army, who do a tremendous job. But when atrocities are committed, there should be no attempt to dismiss them.

[Dominic]

Oh I nearly forgot. This is the affiliate link for Bitter Lemons:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bitter-Lemons- ... 0571201555

[tonee]

EOKA killed more Cypriots than anyone else.

[Lofos-5]

EOKA killed more Cypriots than anyone else.

The book stated that logistical support came from Crete and other Greek islands mainly. The boat behind St George hotel at the coast between Coral Bay and Paphos is one of the supply vessels that brought in ammunition and other unsavoury items I believe...

A.

[Lofos-5]

...but the comments book is a bit scathing towards the British...

Yes I remember that. Luckily most of the (British) tourists in the nearby hotels probably don’t bother visiting I guess. Or would not be fazed about it even if they would?

A.

[Dominic]

I remember when we visited the Polemi Camp. There was a book there, that contained the signatures of all the detainees. Someobody had confused it with a guest book, and recorded their name and time of visit. It looked a tad out of place.