What I’m Reading

To add a peek into the reading habits of your humble bloggers here at Coming Anarchy and in the interest of exchanging recommendations, I’ll be occasionally noting the books I’m reading here with short descriptions. Enjoy!

Upcoming book:
The River War: An Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan by Winston Churchill

Written in 1899, a young Churchill recounts Lord Kitchener’s operations in the Sudan against the Mahdi. I’m reading it on the recommendation of Robert Kaplan who has mentioned Churchill’s works in books and interviews.

Currently Reading:
Lawrence of Arabia by B.H. Liddell Hart

B.H. Liddell Hart, a British military Historian, recounts Lawrence’s upbringing briefly and goes into considerable detail about his activities in Arabia before and during World War I. I’m only 1/3 of the way through so far but chose it on John Robb’s recommendation as it goes into the tactical and strategic details of his method of fighting the Turks and disrupting their lines.

Last book read:
Like Hidden Fire: The Plot to Bring Down the British Empire by Peter Hopkirk

For fans of The Great Game, this is a must. While the European theater of World War I has been thoroughly covered and is what most children learn in history class, the overt and covert action in the rest of the world from the Balkans to Afghanistan is largely overlooked. From outright fighting to cloak and dagger stories, Like Hidden Fire begins with the German Empire’s plot to incite jihad amongst the Muslim subjects in the British Empire. To do so, an assortment of characters set out stirring up trouble in Persia, Afghanistan and India. For anyone interested in the rest of WWI, Like Hidden Fire does a fantastic job of blending history and readable narrative.