This study uses the private papers of Glubb Pasha to rethink the end of Britain's imperial presence in the Middle East.

In 1921, Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Gerald Peake formed the Arab Legion as a police force in the former British protectorate of Transjordan. The Legion's main roles were to keep order among Transjordian tribes and safeguard the villagers from Bedouins. In subsequent years, under the leadership of Glubb Pasha, the Arab Legion was transformed into the best-trained of all Arab armies. This richly illustrated book examines the history of the Arab Legion, detailing the infantry, supporting arms and services, and air, sea, police and national guard forces. It also profiles leaders, like Pasha, who were influential in the evolution of this force.

The Arab-Israeli conflict is one of the most intense and intractable international conflicts of modern times. This book is about the historical roots of that conflict. It re-examines the history of 1948, the war in which the newly-born state of Israel defeated the Palestinians and the regular Arab armies of the neighbouring states so decisively. The book includes chapters on all the principal participants, on the reasons for the Palestinian exodus, and on the political and moral consequences of the war. The chapters are written by leading Arab, Israeli and western scholars who draw on primary sources in all relevant languages to offer alternative interpretations and new insights into this defining moment in Middle East history. The result is a major contribution to the literature on the 1948 war. It will command a wide audience from among students and general readers with an interest in the region.

T. G. Fraser provides a balanced and thoughtful analysis of one of the most tragic conflicts in modern history. From the creation of Israel to the situation today, this text follows the key events and issues arising from the partition of Palestine. The major regional wars and Palestinian Intifadas are examined, with a particular focus on the series of crises over Gaza. This thoroughly updated edition features a new final chapter, covering events since 2007. It takes into account attempts by the USA to work towards a peace settlement, including John Kerry's initiative of 2013-14. These much-needed additions ensure that The Arab-Israeli Conflict remains an invaluable guide for students of the Middle East.

During the 1950s, John Glubb and the Arab Legion became the 'cornerstone' of Britain's imperial presence in the Middle East. Based on unprecedented access to the unofficial archive of the Arab Legion, including a major accession of Glubb's private papers, Graham Jevon examines and revises Britain's post-1945 retreat from empire in the Middle East. Jevon details how Glubb's command of the Arab Legion secured British and Jordanian interests during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, answering questions that have dogged historians of this conflict for decades. He reveals how the Arab Legion was transformed, by Cold War concerns, from an internal Jordanian security force to a quasi-division within the British Army. Jevon also sheds new light on the succession crisis following King Abdullah's assassination, and uses previously unseen documents to challenge accepted contentions concerning King Hussein's dismissal of Glubb, the 1956 Suez Crisis, and the nature of Britain's imperial decline.