The US, the UK and Saudi Arabia in World War II : the Middle East and the origins of a special relationship / Matthew Fallon Hinds.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hinds, Matthew Fallon, author.

Series:

International library of twentieth century history ; 87.

International library of twentieth century history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

World War, 1939-1945--Diplomatic history.

World War, 1939-1945.

Diplomatic history.

World War, 1939-1945--Saudi Arabia.

International relations.

Saudi Arabia--Foreign relations--United States.

Saudi Arabia.

United States.

United States--Foreign relations--Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia--Foreign relations--Great Britain.

Great Britain--Foreign relations--Saudi Arabia.

Great Britain.

United States--Foreign relations--Great Britain.

Great Britain--Foreign relations--United States.

Diplomatic relations.

Physical Description:

x, 246 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

London : I.B. Tauris, 2016.

Summary:

The story of Anglo-American relations in Saudi Arabia during World War II has generally been viewed as one of discord and hegemonic rivalry, a perspective reinforced by a tendency to consider Britain's decline and the ascent of US power as inevitable. In this engaging and timely study, Matthew Fallon Hinds calls into question such assumptions and reveals a relationship that, though hard-nosed, functioned through interdependence and strategic parity. Drawing upon an array of archives from both sides of the Atlantic, Hinds traces the flow of key events and policies as well as the leading figures who shaped events to show why, how and to what extent the Allies and Saudi Arabia became 'mixed up together', in the words of Winston Churchill. Perhaps most fundamentally, Britain and the United States were enthralled by the promise of Saudi Arabia serving as an auxiliary to Allied strategy. Obtaining King Ibn Saud's tacit support or, more specifically, his 'benevolent neutrality1 meant having vital access not only to the country's prospective oil reserves, but to its prized geographic location, its centrality within Islam and, as international politics increasingly followed an anti-colonial path, to its credentials as a sovereign and independent Arab state. Given what was at stake, London and Washington saw their engagement in Saudi Arabia as seminal; a genuine blueprint for how to forge a lasting 'Special Relationship' throughout the Middle East. Hinds's bold new interpretation is a vital work that enlarges our understanding of the Anglo-American wartime alliance. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Oasis: Anglo-American Relations and Ibn Saud prior to 1941 20

2 Storm: Anglo-American Relations in Saudi Arabia, 1944 37

3 The Empty Quarter: Anglo-American Relations in Saudi Arabia and Wartime Strategy, 1942 60

4 Nahal: Anglo-American Relations and Ibn Saud outside Saudi Arabia, 1943 80

5 Shifting Sands: Anglo-American Relations inside Saudi Arabia, 1943-4 94

6 Mirage: Anglo-American Relations in Saudi Arabia and the Limits and Advantages of Co-operation, 1944-5 121

7 Wadi: Anglo-American Relations in Saudi Arabia in 1945 and the Postwar World 146.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 174-238) and index.

ISBN:

1784531820

9781784531829

OCLC:

928449560