BRITISH IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Why did Britain seize or acquire bases in the Mediterranean, and for what reasons did she decide to keep them or give them up? As British power and interest changed so did her interests in the Mediterranean. Why were some bases retained rather than others? What is the future for Gibraltar and sovereign bases in Cyprus? This study provides a brief description of the Mediterranean basin and a history of the British military and naval involvement in such places as Tangier, Gibraltar, Malta and Cyprus. It recounts the gradual occupation of bases from West to East, and the reasons for their acquisition. Mainly historical, the book also includes some accounts of the impact of the area on the literary and social consciousness of the British visitors and settlers, and the growth of British tourism in the Mediterranean is also examined. Filled with information on military architectural/archaeological remains, this book is aimed at the general reader, as well as the military historian. Brigadier Peter Dietz is the author of "Garrison: Ten British Military Towns" and "The Last of the Regiments: Their Rise and Fall".