Wages of Empire

March 11, 2024
Cooper (author of The Rabbi’s Night) renders a panoramic view of the First World War in this absorbing offering. Gunter von Wertheimer and Rahman B’Shara, Guardians of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, are determined to save it from treasure hunters, even if the German king himself, Kaiser Wilhelm, aided by opportunist Montagu Walker and Aryan supremacist Guido von List, is set on excavating the Holy Land. Far away in Utah, Evan Sinclair, son of archeology professor Clive Sinclair, runs away to volunteer for the war, landing instead with the Flemish resistance. The storylines intersect as the parties navigate the driving forces behind World War I, each determined to master their own fates.
The cast of characters is sweeping, with several fictionalized versions of real-life people. Especially interesting is the portrayal of the Kaiser, a rendering that whispers of an earlier, fainter version of Hitler, with a similar lack of empathy and greediness for power, aided by the sinister von List. Evan and Clive’s estrangement is affecting, particularly as it results from the grief of Evan’s mother dying in childbirth, and Clive’s decision to volunteer in the war effort to search for his son illuminates the strength of their tumultuous bond. Perhaps the most intriguing character is British archeologist and writer Gertrude Bell, outspoken with often-polarizing political views, and committed to doing exactly as she pleases in an overwhelmingly masculine world.
Cooper explores several other plot strands that hold historical significance, including the Arab desire for independence, the Zionist movement, and Western interest in Middle Eastern oil and control of Jerusalem. The pace is steady, allowing Cooper to plumb various facets of the war as it unfolds, with special emphasis on its Middle Eastern front, and he skillfully braids the disparate plot strands together into a cohesive narrative with a fair amount of suspense and tension.
Takeaway: Character-driven WWI novel with a healthy dose of suspense.
Comparable Titles: Naguib Mahfouz’s Palace Walk, Lawrence Durrell’s Mountolive.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A