Strictly Limited Edition (1 Viewer)

[Harrytheheid]

I think it has something to do with the setting and, as Pete says, the opponents. Aside from Western Europe, which is where many people in the US hail from (not to ignore that many of us also come from Eastern Europe and Russia, along the pale of settlement), in the Western imagination there is something mystical, idyllic and alluring about the desert, be it Lawrence of Arabia or the North African war. To further the point, there is much more interest in the western desert phase than the Tunisian operation (not as much desert to enliven the imagination I'm afraid).

Just as the desert exercises some sort of hold on our imagination, there is something dark and forbidden about the mystical east and the "nomadic hordes" descending on the west, whether as cossacks or communists. After all Russia is half western and half asian and the scepter of the "asiatic hordes" descending upon the west has made western society shiver.

So, when you're going to collect, do you want something idyllic or something that exercises a dark hold on the imagination? Please do not get me wrong, I'm not defending these misconceptions about the east but they did -- and I think still do -- have a hold on the Western psyche as it's developed over the centuries.

You know Brad, I do believe you're correct. There is something about the mystical, idyllic and alluring desert that stirs the soul. Rudolph Valantino is probably to blame.

Seriously though, I do wonder if sometimes we who grew up in the Cold War West do have a lingering folk memory of the dread and terror spread by the Mongol invasions of eastern europe. Possibly even worse than the deprivations committed by Ghengis Khan and the Golden Horde were those of Tamerlane and his rather jolly team of homicidal maniacs who came out of modern-day Uzbekistan in the 14th Century. If you can find it, may I suggest "Tamerlane" by Justin Marozzi, first published by Harper Collins in 2004. I promise you, it's so shocking, it'll make your hair stand on end....!!!!

Cheers
H