The Emergence of the Gulf States: Studies in Modern HistoryEdited by J. E. Peterson

Abstract

At time of writing, in mid-July 2017, the Qatar crisis is in full swing. Senator Bob Corker, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says that Saudi support for extremism dwarfs that of Qatar, French Foreign Minister Le Drian comments that the blockade should end, while, according to the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, Al Jazeera may not have to close down after all. All in all it seems a mad spat, but the region has faced three major wars in the last 30 years, so the possibility of a fourth should not be excluded. The Emergence of the Gulf States edited by J. E. Peterson is an unusual book, for the humanities at least, because it’s the product of real teamwork. With the support of the Al Tajir Trust, Peterson has assembled ten really expert contributors supported by four experienced advisory editors. He held two conferences with them before they started writing and it shows in the impressive result. Anyone who wants to understand the Qatar crisis at a deep level, or indeed the Persian Gulf as a whole, will profit greatly from it. It will be a standard work of reference for many years to come.