![]() ![]() ![]() The ability to read languages is essential to me and I have to spend a fair amount of time learning languages that I can’t actually speak. I’m an avid reader of bibliographies to get a grasp of what’s available. I also look early on to see how rich the contemporary source material is. Can you tell us a little more about how you research? Has the process changed over the years? I usually start by reading general histories of something I’m interested in to try to define the centre of a narrative. The Byzantine and Ottoman worlds left a deep impression on me, and the maritime history that bound these empires together. Before and after university I made trips to Greece, went to live in Istanbul and walked across western Turkey. I was entranced by the sights, sounds and smells of this small island and its history, clambering around on the fortifications of Valletta, visiting prehistoric monuments and swimming in warm seas. When I was nine he was stationed on Malta and I went out for holidays. My father was a naval officer who was based there in peace and in war. What first attracted you to the period or periods you work in? My interest in the Mediterranean world goes back a long way. ![]()
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