The Grand Mirage

The Grand Mirage

by Darrell Delamaide

Overview

The entire crew at a railroad work site in the Syrian desert is mercilessly slaughtered. A German spy in Constantinople is mutilated and killed as the Kaiser backs the building of the Baghdad Railway, which will connect Berlin to the Persian Gulf. The British Foreign Office dispatches Lord Leighton, an accomplished Orientalist and commissioned army officer, to spy out progress on the railway and to stop it if he can. On the threshold of war in 1910, the British, German and Ottoman empires are vying for position in the Middle East as London tries to fend off Germany's threat to its rule in India. From legendary Constantinople across a rugged terrain of mountains, tundra and desert, Leighton follows the trail to Baghdad as he attempts to fulfill his mission. The Grand Mirage is an historical thriller that combines Wilbur Smith's sense of rugged adventure, Eric Ambler's taste for intrigue and Alan Furst's period atmosphere to transport the reader back to an exotic Orient now lost to history.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780983995807
Publisher: Barnaby Woods Books
Publication date: 09/13/2011
Pages: 304
Product dimensions: 0.68(w) x 5.50(h) x 8.50(d)
Age Range: 3 Months

About the Author

Darrell Delamaide is a veteran journalist who has reported from five continents. He is the author of three previous books, including Gold, a financial thriller. He lives in Washington, D.C.

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The Grand Mirage 5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 3 reviews.
LeeHolz More than 1 year ago
The Grand Mirage is a realistic historical novel with nothing of the fantastic or supernatural about it. This happens to be the type of historical fiction I like best. The requirements of the genre are that the setting (here the Middle East and Great Power European politics circa 1910) be accurately depicted, that real historical characters be accurately depicted (here among others: Lord Grey and Winston Churchill), that characters act as people in that time period acted and that technology and other details conform as well. The time and place are well explored by historians, but not often by novelists. The Grand Mirage is more than accurate. Author Delamaide has told his story so vividly it comes alive. He has added plenty of action, intrigue and romance and created an absolutely first rate read! Highly recommended.
ReadersFavorite More than 1 year ago
The Grand Mirage.by Darrell Delamaide.. In 1910, before World War I, the Germans plans were to build a railway connecting Berlin to the Persian Gulf. But the British wanted to block those plans, so they send out army officer Lord Leighton to spy on the progress of the Baghdad Railway and do everything he could to stop the progress and plans altogether. Leighton had a most adventurous journey as he forges ahead on his mission to Baghdad. Along the way he encounters many life-threatening attacks only to have an unknown group freeing him from those who capture him. On his way he also meets and has an affair with Elena, wife of a Turkish pasha, thus creating more danger to himself because of Elena's conniving husband. Will Leighton survive until the end of his mission? And who is sending this unknown group to follow Leighton, freeing him from his attackers? "The Grand Mirage" was not a disappointment at all. Not having a lot of knowledge about the Baghdad Railway, this book brought the subject to life for me, very well educating me with the detailed history explained so vividly by the author. The characters were unique to the story itself and so believable I felt as though I was living the story with them. Leighton's captivating journey as a spy is dangerous, exciting, thrilling, horrific, and sometimes enjoyable and will keep you turning those pages until the very end. This book is full of adventure and I won't give more details because it will spoil the read for you. If you like WW I, historical fiction and spy stories, you will enjoy this book. So go grab a copy and enjoy reading this great thriller, and learn a little bit of history while you are reading!
Anonymous More than 1 year ago
This is a well-told yarn about intrigues in the Middle East just before World War I, when the Ottoman and German Empires were building the Baghdad Railway, linking north and south of the vast Ottoman territories, much to the chagrin of Britain, whose leaders feared its military potential if a world war were to erupt, as it did. The book's great strength is its attention to the detail of espionage and diplomatic maneuvering among the great powers of the time, including a cast of fascinating characters. There's the British Lord, Islamic scholar turned amateur spy; the American ex-Rough Rider and pal of Teddy Roosevelt; the conflicted German banker, ultimately torn to take steps he wouldn't have earlier dreamed of. There is romance and intrigue. It's a real page-turner, but in a gently captivating way. Reminded me much of Gore Vidal's historical novels. Wonderful descriptions of old Istanbul, Though dealing with events a century ago, there's an extraordinary relevance to the story today: struggle among great powers for control of the region, its oil and its transportation, the backlash of local populations, all continue to permeate international politics every much as it did then, even if the cast of players has changed somewhat. The ending suggests a possible sequel. Can't wait for it.