If This Box Could Talk - The Stories It Could Tell

Have I mentioned that I love all kinds of history including military history.
And, I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to work in a business where everything that I touch, wear, appraise and sell, has a history.  Of course I don't always know the provenance of a piece of estate jewelry or object d'art, but I appreciate the fact that every piece has a story behind it.
Take this sterling silver cigarette case for example.

I am rarely enamored with inanimate objects but there is something about this specific item that moves me.
Let's start with the top.  You can see from the photo that the case is engraved with a map of Burma with the names of the major cities. Ten of those cities, including Rangoon and Mandalay, are emphasized by flush set Burma rubies. 

The back of the case is engraved
India 1945
Burma 43-44-45
China 45
Obviously, we all know what was going on in these countries during these years.

Then we have the interior which is engraved
Helen From Jim
Who was Helen? And more importantly, who was Jim?  Was he an Aussi, an American or a Brit?  Was he an officer, a diplomat, a businessman, a reporter or a spy?  Who did he know? What did he witness during the war years?
When I hold this case in my hand I have the inexplicable feeling that there is a Somerset Maugham quality story of love and loss connected with it.
So much happened in Burma during 1943,1944 and 1945
and of course so much has happened since.

And on the topic, last weekend's Wall Street Journal listed five of the best books with first hand accounts of WW2 and Quartered Safe Out There: A Harrowing Tale Of World War II by George Macdonald Fraser was on their list.
Here's what WSJ reviewer Andrew Roberts had to say about the book.
George MacDonald Fraser, British author of the Flashman series of novels, fought in the 17th (Black Cat) Indian Division of the 14th Army during the siege of Meiktila and the battle of Pyawbwe in Burma. He believed, probably correctly, that soldiering in Burma rivaled flying in the RAF's Bomber Command as "the worst ticket you could draw in the lottery of active service." This was so not just because of the Japanese enemy; there were also 15-inch poisonous centipedes, malaria, "spiders the size of plates," typhus, jungle sores on the wrists and ankles, dysentery, and leeches. In terse, unsentimental language, Fraser's superb war memoir, "Quartered Safe Out Here," relates how the soldiers in his close-knit company fought their battles, mourned their friends and simply tried to survive from day to day.

Perhaps Jim fought with 17th Black Cat Indian Division.
I wish that I knew.

Hiking With My Hero

Perfect weather seems to have finally arrived.
Yesterday it was about 85 degrees with a cloudless sky, perfect for a hike in the hills.
Since my hiking partner was busy I was happy go alone with my ipod and finish listening to the last chapter and epilogue of "Churchill" by Paul Johnson.
I am fascinated by Winston Churchill and all that he accomplished. Fifty-five years in the House of Commons, 9 years as Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, soldier, war correspondent, polo player, orator, painter, historian, whiskey drinker, savior of the Western World.
Seriously, is there anything this man couldn't do?

I stopped a few times to look at the wild flowers in bloom

Strangely, I only saw one California poppy plant, the flower that California is famous for.

Because it was so clear, the view was outstanding, from Catalina island, to Palos Verdes, to Long Beach, to Saddleback Mountain, to downtown LA. I could even see the snow capped mountains.

Yesterday was literally one of those days where you could have surfed in the morning in Malibu and skied in the afternoon at Mountain High.
Yeah, LA is a pretty amazing place.

This is the nicest time to hike in the hills because soon it will be too hot and dry

and fire weather will be upon us.

Paul Johnson's Churchill, like all of Johnson's books, was excellent and I recommend it to you. Also, if you haven't already read it, I suggest that you read the two volume "The Last Lion" by William Manchester.

Visions of Glory by William Manchester
and

Alone by William Manchester

And, if you don't have the time or inclination to read the Manchester oeuvre, at least read these famous Churchill quotes because he said so many brilliant things.

"Lady Astor: Winston, if you were my husband I would poison your tea

Churchill: Nancy, if I were your husband I'd drink it."

I have more to write about Churchill, but I'll save that for a future post.

Washington The Worthy

Here we are with back to back holidays of Valentine's Day and President's Day and a post by our own Duchesse on repurposing V-Day which is certainly an interesting idea.

She leaves us with this excellent suggestion

Not everyone has a family where love abounds. But everyone needs love, and why not stop for a day to connect with love in all its forms, from the altruistic to sensual? Sure beats celebrating presidents, pilgrims or Queen Victoria.

But I politely disagreed in her comments section on pilgrims and here I'm going to disagree on presidents.

Way back in ancient history, otherwise known as my childhood, we had a holiday for Washington's birthday. Years later this holiday celebrating the father of our country morphed into the catch all President's Day.

Well I for one don't think that we need to celebrate Presidents in general, but George Washington is certainly an exceptional man and his life is worthy of our celebration.

Washington Crossing The Delaware by Emanuel Leutze
1776 by David McCullough

I'm not going to go into a long dissertation here but I want to point out that Washington was a brilliant commander who successfully fought the far superior British forces and won. He then ushered in the office of the Presidency and then humbly stepped aside.

Unlike Napoleon, who crowned himself Emperor and drank his own kool-aid to the detriment of France and the greater Europe, Washington remained true to the idea of American representative government and individual liberty.

He was a truly great man and a snappy dresser too! If you haven't read 1776 I recommend that you do.

Weekend Reading - A Recommendation

A week before I saw the film 'The Young Victoria' I read, or rather listened to, Paul Johnson's Napoleon: A Life on my ipod.

There was such a contrast between the two most influential leaders of the 19th Century. The legacy left by Victoria was one of an Empire of economic growth and stability. The legacy left by Napoleon was one of an Empire lost. In spite of his 21 years of war, from his participation in First Coalition in 1793 to his final defeat at Waterloo in 1815, the net gain from Napoleon's leadership was negligible. In fact, after years of famous battles, some brilliantly won like Austerlitz and some terribly lost like his tragic Russian campaign, Napoleon's wars led to the unification of the German States and to their growing belligerence and military capability.

Without Napoleon, there couldn't have been a Hitler.

But I won't go into all of that here.

Napoleon: A Life by Paul Johnson

Let's just say that Napoleon was a fascinating yet deeply flawed man and I recommend Paul Johnson's book. (Actually I recommend all of Paul Johnson's books)

Napoleon Crossing The Alps by Jacques-Louis David

My interest in Napoleon was sparked by this cameo. From the book I learned that there was a huge amount of Napoleonic memorabilia created in the 19th Century and this cameo is part of that memorabilia.

Vintage "Napoleon Crossing The Alps" Cameo from Beladora.com $1250

If straight history isn't for you, I recommend instead these two books by William Dietrich. They are historical thrillers, if you will, Da Vinci Code-like stories that are set in the midst of Napoleon's military campaigns in Egypt and the Levant.

Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich

One of the most interesting things about Napoleon's Egyptian campaign is the fact that he was accompanied by 167 members of the French Academy who studied everything from ancient science and mathematics to history and language. Among their discoveries was the Rosetta Stone.

These Academy members play an important part in these books along with the main character, an pragmatic American, who gets drawn into intrigue, eventually solving a mystery that began over a card game and a murder in post revolution Paris.

Other historical characters who appear in the book are Admiral Nelson and British super spy Sydney Smith.

The Rosetta Key by William Dietrich

These books, are generously sprinkled with both actual history and utter nonsense, and they are very amusing. In fact they would make great films...*hint Ron Howard hint*

So if it is raining or snowing where you are this weekend, I suggest staying home with a cup of tea and one of these books.

Help For Haiti

Haiti Before

Haiti After

From the Daily Beast

Why Haiti's Earthquake is France's Problem

When it came to Haiti, France was first a brutal colonizer, and then a usurious bully. Tunku Varadarajan on why it’s time for reparations.

A little history

Haiti's chronic impoverishment began at its birth in 1804, when, having overthrown its French rulers in a bloody, 12-year slave revolt, the newborn nation was subjected to crippling blockades and embargoes. This economic strangulation continued until 1825, when France offered to lift embargoes and recognize the Haitian Republic if the latter would pay restitution to France—for loss of property in Haiti, including slaves—of 150 million gold francs. The sum, about five times Haiti's export revenue for 1825, was brutal, but Haiti had no choice: Pay up or perish over many more years of economic embargo, not to mention face French threats of invasion and reconquest. To pay, Haiti borrowed money at usurious rates from France, and did not finish paying off its debt until 1947, by which time its fate as the Western Hemisphere's poorest country had been well and truly sealed.

And the suggested solution

France must now return every last cent of this money to Haiti. In 2004, at the time of the 200th anniversary of Haiti's independence, the Haitian government put together a legal brief in support of a formal demand for "restitution" from France. The sum sought was nearly $22 billion, a number arrived at by calculations that included a notionally equitable annual interest rate.

In this era of multibillion-dollar bailouts of private banking institutions, $22 billion should scarcely raise a Gallic eyebrow. But to Haiti, the sum would be a godsend.

But this story is not one of law and legality alone, nor even one of wealth and poverty. (France's GDP is $2.85 trillion, while Haiti's is a mere $6.95 billion.) It is, rather, one of historical justice and political morality: No one can dispute that an extortionate and bullying treaty, concluded at a time when France was an imperial hyper-puissance and Haiti a friendless fledgling, is an ugly stain on France's national conscience.

While I agree with the moral argument, I disagree with this article on two points.

First, Haiti is not France's problem alone despite the historical relationship. As a country in the Western Hemisphere, the OAS nations need to step up with immediate monetary and physical aid. Haiti is in our backyard, so to speak.

Second, sending a $22 billion dollar check, like writing a aid check to a banana republic, is just asking for the funds to get squandered or absconded.

I think that France should spend the money on infrastructure in Haiti. Rebuild the ports, roads, bridges, airports and water treatment facilities....and if there is any money left over hospitals and schools. These are things that France does very, very well. Using the funds this way would bring jobs and technical know how to Haiti and stimulate the local economy.

While France's immediate response in terms of humanitarian aid has been strong.

La France envoie 400 membres de la Sécurité civile
Paris a dépêché d’Istres un Airbus A310 avec à bord une soixantaine de membres de la Sécurité civile. Trois avions de transport militaire emportant une cinquantaine de personnes et du 12 tonnes de matériel humanitaire sont arrivés de Martinique. Le dispositif va être complété avec l’envoi d’un hôpital de campagne, d’une soixantaine d’infirmiers, de 400 membres de la Sécurité civile et deux navires militaires, qui apporteront des équipements de terrassement et des hélicoptères Puma.

Eventually, I hope that France will find a way to invest the $22 billion in infrastructure projects and help rebuild the country that has suffered so much for so long. Haiti should be an island paradise not an island hell hole.