"From the author of Punjab Nights comes thoughtful espionage and adventure, a well-told tale set in one of the most interesting and formative periods of world history." "What better way to approach history than as an unsentimental tale of love and adventure told by a man who aspires to be good in a world that will make him, and those around him, pay for such hubris?" "The main protagonist is no simple-minded Billy Budd; he has charm, wit and talents, and employs them in pursuit of selfish, but unconventional, ends. And there's the rub." ." . . fully-developed characters of both sexes who stay with you to the endand beyond."