The British Navy, the largest in the world, is for the first time in a century under serious threat. World War 1 is imminent. Three very different characters converge to change the course of history.

The eminent female archaeologist Gertrude Bell is exploring the ancient treasures of Persia. The charismatic Englishman Jackie Fisher, Admiral of the Fleet, is battling to convince the British Navy to modernise. William D'Arcy, a determined Queensland businessman is in the process of founding the Middle East's oil industry. Together these extraordinary personalities shine a light on one of the most dramatic periods of the twentieth century. Love too, weaves a path through these important historical events: from Persia to London to Far North Queensland and Gallipoli, this fascinating story is populated by a host of famous (and infamous) characters, from Winston Churchill and T. E. Lawrence ('Lawrence of Arabia'), to the new King Edward VII and Wilhelm II, the Emperor of Germany.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Paul Ashford Harris about the events that marked enormous change for the British Empire, the three great figures in the early 20th century history that each played important roles in that new century, and how different the geo-political world might have looked without them.