The book gives a good account of a part of history of a region often overlooked when considering the era, and more - a better understanding of the principal players of the first world war, and their travails and blunders.
Pretty much like a story rather than history that it is, the book reads well, much like a PG Wodehouse story, that would be funny if it were not so serious.
The author makes one mistake repeatedly, whether from blinders or from a deliberate prejudice, it is unclear. He repeatedly says "India" or "Government of India" when all he intends to mean (as indeed he makes it amply clear) is British rulers of India, specifically that part of British government which dealt with matters concerning India from station in India. This confusing of a ruled nation with rulers that were soon thereafter thrown out is somewhat parallel to confusing of US children and other simple minded or relatively ignorant people of the world by using the word "Indian" when what is meant really is the original people of the continent(s) across Atlantic from Europe, which - the continents, that is - lost their original names as well and were named after a relatively obscure sailor Vespucci Amerigo. Such confusion coupled with an attitude of "this is not important, don't make trouble by pointing it out" is really indicative of a deep racism and imperial view of the world as a slate for European descendants to wipe and re write and draw on at whim. Pretty much what Europe did with Asia, Africa and as told in in this book, with the East Europe- North Africa - western Asia confluence region named "middle east". East is a relative direction though, unlike north or south, so even this name is indicative of what is assumed to be centre of the world.
Nevertheless, amongst all these extremely prejudicial terms, calling British rulers of India by the name of India or Government of India instead of British or British rulers of India is taking cake, bakery and all the pattisseries of France, with all the boulangeries thrown in for free yet, as far as prejudices go.
These are some of the books I read during last half a century or so, and some of the thoughts, questions, reactions and insights, emotions - and so forth -, evoked on reading them, either then or later sometime during the interim years and decades, or even thinking over now, that are summed up here while trying to record my impressions about what I read.
Serene, Reflecting
Life Recedes