Glimpses: 2013 - 2022

by Jonathan Phillips

MOLLYCODDLING IN BANGALORE
“The severity of the master is more useful
than the indulgence of the father.”
SA’DI
Since I’m over 6ft 2in long, space will have me lock my knees
in front of my seat on one of those cheap flights that will last for
at least 13 hours. If I happen to be on the aisle side and one of
my legs drifts into the gangway, that particular foot will be
trodden on and its shin will be kicked. In a while I’ll stand and
stumble up and down the aisle. I will struggle back to my seat
and, just as I imagine being asleep, the trolley comes along with
some sort of nutrient to replenish me.
After 13 hours in the sky, exhausted, I’ll descend onto the
Hong Kong runway. The first wheel will land smoothly but the
second will be a few seconds late just enough to wonder
whether I’ll make it. I’ll disembark with my hand baggage and
make for the next leg to Bangalore.
I’m a survivor. Once through the departure gate, bound for
the continent of India, we forgo swallowing the little yellow pill
loaded with Apo-oxazepam. We assumed fatigue would have
set in to have us sprawled unconsciously belted to our seats. No
such luck. We now succumb to a new unpleasantness -
turbulence. Our plane is shaken, not stirred, and we hear rivets
popping off the fuselage. Our pilot warns us that winds

123 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2023

About the author

Dr. Jonathan Phillips is Professor of Crusading History in the Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. His scholarly contributions to the crusades include the books Defenders of the Holy Land: Relations Between the Latin East and West, 1119-1187, The Crusades, 1095-1197, and most recently, The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople. His articles have appeared in a number of British publications including BBC History, History Today, and the Independent. Additionally, he is regularly consulted on radio and television programs as a leading expert on crusades history.