Darkest Truths of Black Gold

About the Book

Over forty years ago the British Government warned the Italian Government; "Don't trust the Russians." The author was there. Today, forty years later, Newsweek echoes the same warning to any country that puts its energy sources at the political whim and fancy of Mr. Putin. And what of the warnings that the United States Government was given over sixty years ago that Mao-Ze-tung was not the 'second coming of the Messiah'? The author was there. And he seethed in rage and torment as he tried to sleep on the steel deck of a United States evacuation LST while he heard the 'Messiah's guns laying siege to Beijing. But all good things come to an end, even the bad ones, and meeting the Queen of England at the Prime Minister's residence, The Temple Trees, in Ceylon and issuing an invitation to His Royal Highness to play polo more than compensated the author for his first evacuation. But the reasons for his second evacuation from Cairo and his family's evacuation from Beirut are not quite as clear as he would like. Hearing about them might give the reader some thoughts about the difficulties faced by their fellow citizens who serve them abroad.

About the Author

ROBERT PALMER SMITH writes from personal experience as a former aircraft carrier engineering officer hunting German submarines in the North Atlantic, hunting big game in Africa, dealing with Governor-Generals in the colonies, playing polo and being evacuated under fire three times. He lives in Paris with his French wife.