Empire of Betrayal: the Arab Revolt, Balfour Declaration, and Making Modern Middle East: Broken Promises, Secret Agreements, Fall Ottoman World

Before the borders of the modern Middle East were drawn, promises were made.And broken.As the First World War consumed the Ottoman Empire, British diplomats, military officers, and political strategists made a series of commitments that would forever reshape the region.To Arab leaders, they promised independence.To their allies, they promised territory.To Zionist leaders, they promised a national home.Many of these promises could not coexist.The consequences would echo for generations.Empire of Betrayal is a gripping narrative history of the Arab Revolt, the Husayn-McMahon Correspondence, the Sykes-Picot Agreement, the Balfour Declaration, and the political decisions that transformed the Middle East from an Ottoman heartland into a region of competing national aspirations.Through the eyes of diplomats, soldiers, revolutionaries, tribal leaders, and ordinary civilians, this book reveals how wartime alliances became postwar divisions and how the hopes of millions collided with the ambitions of empire.Inside, discover: - The hidden negotiations behind the Arab Revolt- The secret Sykes-Picot Agreement- The story behind the Balfour Declaration- The rise and fall of Prince Feisal's Arab Kingdom- T. E. Lawrence and the reality behind the legend- The Paris Peace Conference and the Mandate System- The origins of many modern Middle Eastern disputes- The human consequences of imperial diplomacyBlending documentary-style storytelling with rigorous historical research, Empire of Betrayal uncovers one of the most consequential episodes in modern history.Because some wars are fought with armies.Others are fought with promises.