In the troubled island of Cyprus, the national interests and rivalries of Greece and Turkey still collide, the population remains divided between the Greek and Turkish communities and the country is still a cat's paw of outside powers--especially the USA and the now resurgent Russia--as it has been since the acquisition of the island by Britain in 1878. These are problems that have been brought into sharp focus by Cyprus's entry into the European Union.

William Mallinson's book is a fast-moving and incisive narrative history which portrays Cyprus as a continuing source of...

Cyprus after World War II was -- and continues to be -- a focal point for diplomatic and military negotiations and disagreements between both local and international powers. In Britain and Cyprus, William Mallinson, a former British diplomat, has selected from a wealth of documents drawn from the National Archives, skilfully combining the chronology of events with vital themes and motifs. Several of these documents have been obtained directly from the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence, thanks to the help -- and pressure -- of the Information Commissioner, under the Freedom of...