Philby of Arabia

Book excerpt: Harry St John Philby was for the most part of his career at odds with the British Government over broken promises to the Arabs. And it was out of admiration for the Arab king, Ibn Saud, that he chose to earn his living in Arabia. He saw nothing incompatible in adopting the Muslim faith and the way of life while maintaining his British home and his links with British politics and institutions or, when in Palestine, in furthering both the Jewish and Arab causes. But he was in his element in the desert, and there were few travellers who surpassed his map-making skills or is Arabian discoveries.