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Lords of the Desert
- Britain's Struggle with America to Dominate the Middle East
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
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Lords of the Desert
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Summary
Guardian Book of the Day
New Statesman Book of the Year
History Today Book of the Year
Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year
BBC History Magazine Book of the Year
'Bustles impressively with detail and anecdote' —Sunday Times
‘Consistently fascinating’ —The Spectator
'Beautifully written and deeply researched' —The Observer
'Barr draws on a rich and varied trove of sources to knit a sequence of dramatic episodes into an elegant whole. Great events march through these pages' —Wall Street Journal
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.
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What listeners say about Lords of the Desert
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert Herron
- 21-01-21
Excellent insight
Excellent insight into the West's interference in the Middle East.
well read and full of information. I did struggle a little with the timeline of events but they have just been me and not the author
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Marwan Ali
- 03-07-21
So much valuable information and accounts
I think reading this after finishing A line in the sand, has given a good overview on Imperial interference and power struggle between Western and Eastern powers, and can explain alloy of the issues that remain today in the middle east.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 17-07-21
Withdrawal from the Middle East
Well written account of the UK’s exit from the Middle East & the selfish interests of the USA, vs the UK.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hassan Afifi
- 07-10-22
Excellent historical accounts (albeit with a few errors)
I listened to the audiobook and did read the book after reading “A Line In The Sand”. The chronology of both books fit very well.
The historical accounts were eye opening, to say the least, since I have followed both Middle Eastern and British history very closely over decades.
There were a couple of slight errors, though, such as certain area names in the Gulf, or calling “Naguib” and “Nasser” of Egypt “prime ministers” when they were “presidents” post the military coup in 1952 that turned Egypt from monarchy to a republic.
But, with such books, I usually don’t focus on the details, but what interests me are general themes and sequence of events.
So, it is not an academic book, but an excellent general historical account of rather important events that have had major consequences on the whole world.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Abusam
- 21-02-23
Complex recent policis, simply explained
Overall this is the story of the rivalry between the UK and US after World War Two. However, while they scrapped and/or agreed over various aspects of the Middle East world, we learn about the emergence of the Arab nations, who now dominate our energy and commerical worlds.
The author has a gift for narrative flow, which is beautifully suited to the measured tones of Peter Noble, the narrator.
I look foreard to listening to the earlier volume, which tells the story of the UK and France scrapping over the Middle East at the end of World War One.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- jeremy hurley
- 19-08-20
Better than any thriller
Fantastic book, full of spies politicians, shieks and dodgy characters. A must read too understand the modern middle east.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Jubilee Coast
- 29-05-21
astonishing story!
well read and just an epic story which explains so much about British and US roles in the Middle East.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Chris I
- 29-12-22
Excellent history, well narrated
A lot of detail. Seemed well researched. Covers a little known aspect of British history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- EEG Master
- 28-11-21
More skulduggery in the Middle East: Britain vs US
Having seen their role in the Levant extinguished by the late 1940's, after a fierce but largely hidden death struggle with their French allies, the British were desperate to cling on in Egypt and Arabia. The Americans and Nasser had other ideas and this is the story of how Britain, was eased out by the US, helped in no small degree by British policy decisions that failed to recognise their much diminished status in the post-war world. A great example of the saying "Great Powers do not have friends, they have interests" and when British and American interests clashed, the Americans were quite ruthless in asserting dominance. A sequel to James Barr's 'Line in the Sand' which, although each book stands alone, should be read first if possible. An excellent read. Highly recommended.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Shumayl Arshad
- 16-06-24
A brilliant account of Middle East after WW2
James Barr has again written a wonderful, insightful and detailed account of why the Middle East is they way it is. The book provides a detailed account of what went on behind the scenes and how it shaped the Middle East of today. A must read / listen.
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