Precipice

A masterclass in page-turning historical fiction from the bestselling author of Fatherland and Act of Oblivion, Precipice imagines the British Prime Minister on the verge of leading the nation into war and the secret love affair which could have world-changing implications.

Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe.

In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley - aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless – is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to her obsessively, sharing the most sensitive matters of state.

As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, a young intelligence officer is assigned to investigate a leak of top secret documents – and suddenly what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that will alter the course of political history.

Seamlessly weaving fact and fiction in a way that no writer does better, Precipice is the thrilling new novel from Robert Harris.