Author(s): James Barr

History

BOOK OF THE DAY - The Guardian

'James Barr's beautifully written and deeply researched book covers 25 years of competition between Britain and the US for hegemony in the Middle East ... Barr also deftly integrates the role of secret intelligence in foreign policy, drawing on the diary of a little-known journalist-cum-MI6 agent to add indiscreet and illuminating detail.' Ian Black, The Observer

'Barr describes this transfer of power in a brilliant, detached and eye-opening narrative that matches his A Line In The Sandfor pace. It is a gripping tale of diplomatic legerdemain, political hypocrisy and, once the intelligence boys got going, derring-do.' Lawrence James, The Times

'Compelling... This is essential, gripping history with major relevance for those who wish to understand that tortured region today.'
--Nicholas Burns, Professor, Harvard University and former Under Secretary of State
 
'High adventure and covert action meet in this account of a momentous power shift that decisively shaped today's world.'
--Stephen Kinzer, author of All the Shah's Men and Overthrow
 
'An essential book for understanding the modern Middle East--and a thrilling read to boot.'
--Alex von Tunzelmann, author of Blood and Sand
 
Upon victory in 1945, Britain still dominated the Middle East. She directly ruled Palestine and Aden, was the kingmaker in Iran, the power behind the thrones of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, and protected the sultan of Oman and the Gulf sheikhs. But her motives for wanting to dominate this crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa were changing. Where 'imperial security' - control of the route to India - had once been paramount, now oil was an increasingly important factor. So, too, was prestige. Ironically, the very end of empire made control of the Middle East precious in itself: on it hung Britain's claim to be a great power.

Unable to withstand Arab and Jewish nationalism, within a generation the British were gone. But that is not the full story. What ultimately sped Britain on her way was the uncompromising attitude of the United States, which was determined to displace the British in the Middle East.

The British did not give in gracefully to this onslaught. Using newly declassified records and long-forgotten memoirs, including the diaries of a key British spy, James Barr tears up the conventional interpretation of this era in the Middle East, vividly portraying the tensions between London and Washington, and shedding an uncompromising light on the murkier activities of a generation of American and British diehards in the region, from the battle of El Alamein in 1942 to Britain's abandonment of Aden in 1967. Reminding us that the Middle East has always served as the arena for great power conflict, this is the tale of an internecine struggle in which Britain would discover that her most formidable rival was the ally she had assumed would be her closest friend.

Reviews for A Line In The Sand:-
'Masterful' --The Spectator
'With superb research and telling quotations, Barr has skewered the whole shabby story' --The Times
'Lively and entertaining. He has scoured the diplomatic archives of the two powers and has come up with a rich haul that brings his narrative to life' --Financial Times