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Lords of the Desert

Britain's Struggle with America to Dominate the Middle East

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Lords of the Desert

By: James Barr
Narrated by: Peter Noble
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 'Beautifully written and deeply researched' The Observer

Upon victory in 1945, Britain still dominated the Middle East. 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.

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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'Bustles impressively with detail and anecdote' Sunday Times

‘Consistently fascinating’ The Spectator

'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 War Middle East Africa Iran Royalty Refugee Imperialism Soviet Union Military

Critic reviews

'Masterful'
'With superb research and telling quotations, Barr has skewered the whole shabby story'
'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'
'A masterful account of Anglo-American rivalries that shaped the modern Middle East after WWII—brilliant storytelling with a rich cast of characters, Lords of the Desert is irresistible reading.' (Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of the Ottomans)
'With its oil and its waterways, the Middle East was and remains a first step for any rising world power, and also the final trap for empires on the decline. In this lively page-turner, Barr unearths the obscure history of our disastrous engagement with the Middle East today—and of our own imperial decline.' (Elizabeth F. Thompson, Mohamed S. Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace, American University)
'Many of the events in this book will be familiar, but instead of presenting them from the more usual perspectives of the Cold war confrontation between the US and Russia, or Imperial withdrawal, James Barr considers them instead from the angle of US-British rivalry. This is refreshing, but it is perhaps also closer to the angle from which many contemporaries would have considered the Suez canal crisis of 1956 or the coup that removed Mohammad Mosaddeq in 1953, for example. This book is therefore not just an excellent, lively account of salient events in this period in the history of the Middle East; it also opens up some new ways to think about them.' (Michael Axworthy, author of A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind)
'In this compelling new book, James Barr recalls a now forgotten story of British-American competition for power in the Middle East during and after their victory in the Second World War. 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. Lords of the Desert reshapes our understanding of the modern Middle East—and also helps explain how the United States became a global power.' (Stephen Kinzer, author of All the Shah’s Men and Overthrow)
'James Barr lifts the curtain on British plotting and intrigue in the Middle East. A wonderful raconteur, Barr brings to life the characters whose schemes and miscalculations brought an end to Britain as a great power. Meticulously researched, Lords of the Desert provides ample evidence as to why people in Middle Eastern countries remain so suspicious of Western intentions. A superb book.' (Emma Sky, author of The Unraveling)
All stars
Most relevant
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.

Complex recent policis, simply explained

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If you really want to understand the politics of the Middle East today, especially if you too sometimes asking yourself ”how come governers in the region act in such awfully, extremely and unwisely” you need to read this book and the previous one ”A line in the sand”.
Very good insights to understand the personalities of the dictators of the region, double faces of developed countries such as the USA, UK and France, and their money and interest-oriented struggle and selfishness. Shortly, ”Real Politics”.

Allies or rivals

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Fantastic book, full of spies politicians, shieks and dodgy characters. A must read too understand the modern middle east.

Better than any thriller

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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.

Excellent historical accounts (albeit with a few errors)

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A lot of detail. Seemed well researched. Covers a little known aspect of British history.

Excellent history, well narrated

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