
It is 1916. The Allies are struggling in the Great War. The Ottoman Sultan calls for a pan-Islamic jihad against all non-Muslims except Germans. But Sharif Husein, ruler of the holy city of Mecca, is smarting under Turkish rule, fomenting Arab nationalism & lobbying the British to support him. It seems to the British a good idea secretly to encourage an Arab revolt. ” Setting the Desert on Fire” is a masterly account of this key moment made legendary by T. E. Lawrence, but here filled with a wide range of characters including the British Prime Minister Lloyd George, whose desire to capture ` Jerusalem by Christmas` had consequences that reverberate to this day.