Empire of Sand

A Sweeping Historical Saga of Power and Survival

A richly imagined epic of empire, intrigue, and personal destiny

About the Ebook

At the end of the First World War Britain and to a much lesser extent France created the modern Middle East. The possessions of the former Ottoman Empire were carved up with scant regard for the wishes of those who lived there. Frontiers were devised and alien dynasties imposed on the populations as arbitrarily as in medieval times.From the outset the project was destined to failure. Conflicting and ambiguous promises had been made to the Arabs during the war but were not honoured. Brief hopes for Arab unity were dashed, and a harsh belief in western perfidy persists to the present day. Britain was quick to see the riches promised by the black pools of oil that lay on the ground around Baghdad. When France too grasped their importance, bitter differences opened up and the area became the focus of a return to traditional enmity. The war-time allies came close to blows and then drifted apart, leaving a vacuum of which Hitler took advantage.Working from both primary and secondary sources, Walter Reid explores Britain's role in the creation of the modern Middle East and the rise of Zionism from the early years of the twentieth century to 1948, when Britain handed over Palestine to UN control. From the decisions that Britain made has flowed much of the instability of the region and of the world-wide tensions that threaten the twenty-first century. How far was Britain to blame?

Why You'll Love This Ebook

• Be drawn into a vividly realised historical world
• Experience storytelling that brings the past to compelling life
• Enjoy literary fiction with depth, scope, and momentum
• Read another celebrated title from Birlinn Ltd - Independent Scottish Publisher

Reviews

'Reid is judicious, and his very capable prose just begs to be read — a gripping and intelligent account of Britain's role in shaping the modern Middle East.' The Scotsman

'Extremely well written and enjoyable to read — a clear and engaging narrative of a complex and consequential history.' European Review of History

'Structured in an accessible and intelligent way, Empire of Sand is a useful, meticulously written introduction to a history of direct relevance to our own times.' Journal of Israeli Foreign Affairs

About the Author

Walter Reid studied at the universities of Oxford and Edinburgh and is the author of a number of acclaimed biographies and books of military and political history. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Publication Details

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd

Publication Date: 01 September 2011

Print Length: 414 pages (Ebook edition)

ISBN (Ebook): 9780857900807

Format: Ebook

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