The Passionate Spies: How Gertrude Bell, St. John Philby and Lawrence of Arabia Led the Arab Revolt. And How Saudi Arabia Was Founded

The modern Middle East was shaped in conflict between local tribes and Western powers that had crushing, mechanized armies and entitled, obtuse leaders. Against what they perceived as a dense wall of plain stupidity masquerading as real-politik, three British spies threw the power of their idealism and their belief in the humanity of ordinary Arabs. They succeeded in extraordinary ways, and yet paid a heavy price. Two took their own lives. The third raised a son who became a notorious double agent in the Cold War.

Gertrude Bell, St. John Philby, and TE Lawrence show us how to fight wealth and power on one hand and ignorance and violence on the other-how to inject ideals into real world institutions that will improve the lives of ordinary people. Lawrence and Bell accomplished a lot and yet could never do enough. They simply could not outlast the national governments who served the interests of first world wealth.

St. John "Jack" Philby, on the other hand, was all too successful. He chose to back the Saud tribe for leadership of the Arabian Peninsula. He enabled these men in kaffiyehs to become a force in the modern world and to spread their stunning wealth among Arabs-rather than sending it to the West.