I spent some time collecting and evaluating material for my new topic.
Last week, I started writing a first draft. I offer you its template (unfinished):
a. The Importance of Crete (on the geopolitical map)
b. The Emirate of Crete (as the Muslim polity, ca. 824-961)
c. The Preparations for the Campaign (the energetic chief minister, the young emperor, and the head of the expedition)
d. The Voyage (we do not have the entire itinerary but only some stopovers)
e. The Landfall (The armada anchors at Crete, and Nikephoros Phokas conducts the pitched battle on the beach)
f. Setting the Military Camp (Pitching the siege camp in the view of Chandax. The Byzantine practice of setting up camps)
g. The Siege (The failure of the direct assault, the drawn-out confrontation, an attempt to starve out the besieged)
h. Guerilla Operations (The elimination of a Byzantine detachment and Phocas' revenge on Cretan partisans)
i. The Winter (The weather hardships fortified by running out of provisions and the chief minister's brave move to remedy the situation)
I have written these items and now need to complete the chapter with the two additional items: the final assault on March 7, 961, and Phocas' triumph in Constantinople. I don't know yet about the Bottom Line. I might include it as the chapter's summing up or prefer to combine all chapter conclusions in an additional chapter at the unit's end.
The second unit, titled "The Intricacies of Naval Warfare," includes five chapters, which is not all.
I wrote these lines two days ago. In the meantime, I added three additional sections:
a.
The Relations Between
Muslim Allies
b.
The Final Assault
c.
The Triumph
I still have to develop several pages of notes to make necessary amendments. Last but least, I must write a conclusion to this chapter.
