Mavericks

The forgotten story of a group of British mavericks who took on impossible missions with a daring and fearless approach. For most people, the First World War is a grim tale of brave soldiers led to slaughter on the Western Front, pawns in a brutal and senseless conflict. For countless honourable young men who served their country, this is tragically true. Yet beyond the familiar narratives lies an overlooked chapter where a band of misfits defied the odds and carved their own paths through history. In this page-turning account, Nick Higham introduces us to a small band of British soldiers, diplomats, spies and adventurers dispatched to the distant and chaotic shores of the Caspian Sea amidst the revolutions of 1917. These men - enterprising, fearless and often reckless - embarked on a hastily devised mission devised by officials with little local knowledge. They were to block the advance of the Turks, hold back the rising Bolsheviks and secure the vital supply of oil from Baku, while also protecting India from the communist contagion. With old regimes collapsing around them, these men masterfully navigated a complex theatre of war, knowing their life-or-death decisions had the potential to alter the course of history. Drawing on personal diaries, memoirs and once-secret government archives, Mavericks brings to life a cast of eccentric heroes who survived against all odds to tell their extraordinary tales. This is a gripping story of boldness and intrigue, set in a forgotten corner of the Great War where the rules were made to be broken.