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Title: If you like this stuff- read it
Review: For me, this was a hard book to read without context. When I first grabbed it 7 years ago, I put it down after 50 pages. When I picked it up last month after having read more on the history of the region, I could not put it down. For anyone with an interest in Middle Eastern History, the book is fascinating and has some truly "truth is stranger than fiction" nuggets. The events surrounding Turkey's entry into the first world war, the story (myth) of T.E. Laurance, and the Dardenelles fiasco all translate into great stories and when viewed in detail serve to reiterate the idea that history is a chain of blunders rather than any kind of coherent conspiracy.The author's clear anti-British bias, not undeserved mind you, does detract a little but only because such tales stand best on their own without sarcasm. One thing that was missing, which I like to see in a book like this, is a better indication of the author's credentials or motivations.
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