Overview

"Keating's authoritative narrative is based on years of research in original archives across the world. She explodes many myths, including the widely held notion that oil companies and geological experts of the time really did know that there was oil in Arabia but kept the knowledge under wraps to keep competitors away. Against an exotic backdrop of international intrigue and folly in high places, Keating also underscores the fact that the Arab sheikdoms after World War I were virtual outposts of the Raj (British rule from India), which helps to explain much about the political manoeuvring that kept the Arab kingdoms from gaining independence and profiting from their own oil reserves for many decades. Complete with maps and photos, a 'who's who' of key persons, and copious notes, ""Mirage"" is both a work of in-depth scholarship and an engaging story of power and politics with striking relevance for our time."

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9781591023463

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[E]xcellent microanalysis...Strong on documentation and factual evidence, this high-quality volume will surely serve historians and those interested in the oil industry....Highly recommended. <br>- Choice<br> Any studying Middle East history or culture, particularly those at the college level, will find the weighty 560-page Mirage: Power, Politics, and the Hidden History of Arabian Oil to be a methodical and important survey of the discovery, development and use of Middle Eastern oil...An in-depth, essential pick for any collection solid in Middle Eastern studies and issues. <br><br>- Midwest Book Review<br> The book is extensively researched, and written so well...very readable and interesting. <br><br>- Books-On-Line.com<br> Well researched, well written, and eminently readable. I have known some of the personalities mentioned, and also experienced the oil industries in the localities with which this study is concerned, but until I read it, the truth had not been clear to me. <br><br>Peter Avery, OBE<br>Emeritus Professor, Oriental Studies<br>Kings College, Cambridge

Author Information

Aileen Keating, Ph.D. was associated with the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at Australian National University, Canberra. She came to academia after a twenty-year career as an international journalist, having worked as the Arab Gulf Reporter for Time, Fortune, and Life.

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