Long before they came as occupiers, the British were drawn to the Middle East by the fabled riches of its trade and the enlightened tolerance of its people. The pashas - merchants and travellers from Europe - discovered an Islamic world that was alluring, dynamic and diverse. Ranging across two and a half centuries and through the great cities of Istanbul, Aleppo and Alexandria, James Mather tells the forgotten story of the men of the Levant Company who sought their fortunes in the Ottoman Empire.

'Wonderful ... Mather excels at portraying the everyday life of the Englishmen who joined the Levant Company ... The importance of this excellent and balanced study cannot be underestimated.' William Dalrymple, The Observer

'Vivid and well-written.' Linda Colley, Times Literary Supplement