The Passionate Spies describes how Britain, in June 1916, attempted to end the slaughter of World War I by undermining Turkey (a German Ally). Three British spies, motivated by their aversion to the imperialism of the major powers and their own idealism, were able to spark a revolt among Arab tribes from the Turkish border to the Red Sea. With some help from British troops, they succeeded in overcoming Turkish forces and established Damascus as the Arab capital. They freed Arabs to begin the bruising negotiation with Western powers that set the course for the Middle East as we know it today.

The intention of Harte’s book is to provide a true story of the 1916-1918 Arab Revolt as concisely and clearly as possible to engage with general readers of adventure stories and history, as well as biography, by revealing it through the colorful lives of its three main protagonists.