At the age of only 36, Sir Mark Sykes was signatory to the Sykes-Picot agreement, one of the most reviled treaties of modern times. A century later, Christopher Sykes' lively biography of his grandfather reassesses his life and work, and the political instability and violence in the Middle East attributed to it.
The Sykes-Picot agreement was drawn by the eponymous
British and French diplomats in 1916 to determine the divide
of the collapsing empire in the event of an allied victory in
World War I. Excluding Arab involvement, it negated their
earlier guarantee of independence made by the British -
and controversy has raged around it ever since.
But who was Mark Sykes?
A century on, Christopher Simon Sykes reveals new facets
of a misremembered diplomatic giant. Using previously
undisclosed family letters and cartoons by his grandfather,
he delivers a comprehensive and humbling account of the man behind one of the most impactful policies in the Middle East.
Christopher Simon Sykes best autobiography offers a detailed history of international relations, focusing on the military strategies and political decisions that have influenced the Middle East. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the region's past and its present.
For fans of Martin Gayford (Venice), Andrea Wulf (Magnificent Rebels), Arthur Parkinson (Chicken Boy), Robert O'Byrne (Tyrone House and the St George Family), and Eliot Higgins (We Are Bellingcat).
