A Line in the Sand

In 1916, amidst the devastation of the First World War, two men—Sir Mark Sykes, a visionary British politician, and François Georges-Picot, a French diplomat with a personal vendetta—fabricated a secret agreement to carve up the Middle East between their respective nations. They drew an arbitrary line in the sand, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Persian frontier, delineating spheres of influence that would become British mandates over Palestine, Transjordan, and Iraq, and French mandates over Lebanon and Syria.

The subsequent three decades saw a sordid tale of violence, intrigue, and stealthy political manoeuvres. The narrative unfolds through the exploits of a cast of remarkable historical figures including T.E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, and Charles de Gaulle. Leveraging declassified documents from British and French archives, Barr vividly recounts the covert and lethal war of espionage and insinuations that transpired between the two former allies now turned bitter rivals.

Barr's meticulous research brings to light the shocking extent of the British and French efforts to undermine each other in their quest for dominance in the Middle East. Through a masterful blend of storytelling and historical analysis, the book reveals how this rivalry sown during the war drastically influenced the geopolitical landscape, setting the stage for many modern conflicts in the region.

‘The very grubby coalface of foreign policy … I found the entire book most horribly addictive’ Independent

‘One of the unexpected responses to reading this masterful study is amazement at the efforts the British and French each put into undermining the other’ Spectator

An enthralling and crucial read, A Line in the Sand offers a keen insight into the secret history that defined the Middle East and continues to impact global affairs today. James Barr's work not only enriches our understanding of this pivotal moment in history but also underscores the enduring consequences of imperialistic ventures and international duplicity.