Gold and dust
Timbuktu. Can any other three syllables evoke such a thrill? For travellers, explorers and historians of Africa, the ancient desert…
Lawrence of Arabia
The centenary of General Allenby’s capture of Jerusalem falls later this year. On 11 December 1917, the commander-in-chief of Britain’s…
Muslim magic
In 1402, when the Turkic conqueror Temur, better known in the West as Tamerlane, was poised to do battle with…
Muslim magic
In 1402, when the Turkic conqueror Temur, better known in the West as Tamerlane, was poised to do battle with…
Cocktails, castles and cadging
Here is a veritable feast for fans of Paddy Leigh Fermor. This is the story of a well-lived life through…
Piety and savagery
First a confession. Like many modern British readers, I have contracted a severe case of Jihad Overload Syndrome. Symptoms of…
