Mavericks: empire, oil, revolution and the forgotten battle of World War One

REVIEW BY JONATHAN EATON Despite the vast literature on the First World War, there remain important aspects of the conflict that have yet to be fully explored. In recent years, a series of valuable treatises have expanded our understanding of the conflict beyond the Western Front. In his new book, Nick Higham makes a significant contribution by shedding light on an extraordinary and little-known episode around the Caspian Sea in the closing days of WWI. In the early 20th century, Baku (now capital of Azerbaijan) was a significant source of oil, producing around 50 per cent of global supply in 1901. Following the Bolshevik Revolution and withdrawal of Russian forces from the internation