Buraimi: The Struggle for Power, Influence and Oil in Arabia

Michael Quentin Morton

Buraimi is an oasis between the mountains and desert of south-eastern Arabia. In the early 20th century it shot to notoriety as oil brought the world's attention to this corner of the Arabian Peninsula. In this exciting account of the conflict Michael Quentin Morton tells the story of how the overwhelming power of oil and the conflicting interests of the declining British Empire and the United States all came to a head shaping the future of the Gulf States.

With colorful additions from firsthand accounts, Morton brings a range of historical figures to life, from the American oilmen arriving in steamy Jedda in the 1930s, to the rival sheikhs of the oasis competing for power, wealth and allegiances as well as the great players in world politics: Churchill, Truman and Ibn Saud. This entertaining, yet thoroughly researched book is both a story of decisive conflict in the history of Middle East politics and also of the great changes that the discovery of oil brought to this otherwise desolate land.