Society Publications

Philip Kenrick, with a contribution by Ahmed Buzaian  This is the second volume in this series, which was launched to great acclaim in 2009. Cyrenaica (known to the Arabs as the Jabal Akhdar, the Green Mountain) has a terrain which resembles that of Greece or western Turkey. It was settled at an early date by Greeks and subsequently was part of the Roman and Byzantine empires before the advent of the Arabs. Each of these civilisations has left its mark on the landscape, not only at the locations of the major cities on the coast, but also at a host of lesser towns and villages whose ruins still dot the countryside. All are described and explained in a comprehensive gazetteer.

Captain Claud Williams’ memoir tells, first-hand, what it was like to be a Light Car Patrol commander during the First World War, while Russell McGuirk’s commentary provides the historical background to the formation of the Patrols and follows their activities from the British raid on Siwa Oasis to desert exploration and survey work and the Kufra Reconnaissance Scheme. Lavishly illustrated with original photographs from Light Car officers, this combined memoir and history provides a fascinating and informative picture of an unsung hero of the desert – the Model T Ford.

Forty years ago (September 1969) Moammar Gadafi seized power in Libya in a military coup. To mark this event, John Wright has made this selection from his own shorter writings which examine and explain Libya’s complex and troubled past – the historical interplay of events, influences and personalities that helped to shape the modern state.From this selection read about…