Percy Sykes was sent by Army Intelligence in the 1890s, first as an explorer and spy, then to open consulates along Persia's eastern borders. His job was to deter Russian expansion towards India. Unpaid, he rode through thousands of miles of the harshest desert, marsh and mountain, often with his indomitable sister. When consul at Meshed during a very turbulent time, he bugged the Russian consulate and, armed only with diplomacy, single-handedly faced down a Russian attempt to annex north-east Persia. During World War, Wassmuss - the German Lawrence - incited the southern tribes of Persia against the British. Sykes, who knew everyone that mattered in Persia, was sent out to raise a regiment of local villagers to keep Persian oil safe for the Royal Navy. Sykes was no blimp. He hunted gazelle with princes, read Persian poetry, sat at the feet of dervish masters and got to the heart of the country. His 25 years in Persia, laced with humour and domestic detail, give an insight into Persia that is still instructive today.