8vo. xiv, 270 pp., 1 plan, publisher’s original wrappers, glossary, biblio, index, Columbia University Press, New York, first edition, 1997.

Synopsis

Using the Ottoman Imperial Archives, as well as European and Arab sources, the author explains how the combination of poor communication, scarce resources, and misplaced security concerns undermined Istanbul’s control and ultimately drove the Gulf Shaikhs to seek independence with ties to the British. The book shows how the ‘Eastern Question’ – particularly Gulf’s importance to Europe as a viable route – engendered domestic and international tensions that continue to influence the course of events in the Gulf, and around the world. [Back cover].