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Sowing The Wind: The Seeds Of Conflict In The Middle East
Troubling, fascinating and accessible, this is an outstanding account of how the Middle East was shaped by Western interests. This edition features contemporary photographs and a new foreword by one of today’s most respected journalists.
Never has there been a greater need for us to understand the political, economic and religious agendas that, taking root shortly before the First World War, have engulfed the Middle East in relentless conflict. The rights, ambitions and beliefs of the people indigenous to this volatile region have been courted, manipulated, appropriated and denied perhaps more than those of any other on earth – both by their own ruling classes and by Western powers. The "tangled web of British commitments" on the future of the region between the crucial period of 1900 to 1960, whose many threads included the concerns of France, Germany and the United States, interwoven with the manifold interests of the Arabs and Jews, sealed rifts and resentments that have only increased in their resistance to reconciliation. John Keay’s even-handed and approachable book relates this tragic history before closing with an epilogue that culminates at the Gulf War and 9/11. This Folio edition includes a foreword by Robert Fisk, the Middle East correspondent for The Independent, and a wealth of illuminating photographs and maps.
No-man’s-land
Until the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the lands now known as the Middle East – a strategic, shape-shifting term coined in 1902 by the United States – was perceived by the West as a no-man’s-land. Keay’s account of how this attitude changed begins in Egypt, whose fertile Nile delta became a hotbed of imperial zeal. From this "cockpit of contention" unfolded a series of interventions that extended across the wilderness, motivated and inflamed by the emerging role of oil as the engine of progress, the strategic value of the Suez Canal, the rise of Zionism and the exigencies of two world wars.
As Keay notes, it is often difficult to gauge the degree of intention behind the obfuscations and deceits enacted by the imperial powers, but it is certain that many Arabs were offered "dream palaces" as insubstantial as sand. Charting the alliances, rebellions and land divisions that determined the Middle East’s precarious contemporary shape, and examining figures such as T. E. Lawrence and Theodor Herzl, this is essential reading for anyone interested in the background to the humanitarian crises, atrocities and political dilemmas that confront the modern world.
Production Details
Bound in printed and blocked cloth
Set in Guardi. 536 pages
Frontispiece and 32 pages of black & white plates; 4 maps
10" x 6¾"
Never has there been a greater need for us to understand the political, economic and religious agendas that, taking root shortly before the First World War, have engulfed the Middle East in relentless conflict. The rights, ambitions and beliefs of the people indigenous to this volatile region have been courted, manipulated, appropriated and denied perhaps more than those of any other on earth – both by their own ruling classes and by Western powers. The "tangled web of British commitments" on the future of the region between the crucial period of 1900 to 1960, whose many threads included the concerns of France, Germany and the United States, interwoven with the manifold interests of the Arabs and Jews, sealed rifts and resentments that have only increased in their resistance to reconciliation. John Keay’s even-handed and approachable book relates this tragic history before closing with an epilogue that culminates at the Gulf War and 9/11. This Folio edition includes a foreword by Robert Fisk, the Middle East correspondent for The Independent, and a wealth of illuminating photographs and maps.
No-man’s-land
Until the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the lands now known as the Middle East – a strategic, shape-shifting term coined in 1902 by the United States – was perceived by the West as a no-man’s-land. Keay’s account of how this attitude changed begins in Egypt, whose fertile Nile delta became a hotbed of imperial zeal. From this "cockpit of contention" unfolded a series of interventions that extended across the wilderness, motivated and inflamed by the emerging role of oil as the engine of progress, the strategic value of the Suez Canal, the rise of Zionism and the exigencies of two world wars.
As Keay notes, it is often difficult to gauge the degree of intention behind the obfuscations and deceits enacted by the imperial powers, but it is certain that many Arabs were offered "dream palaces" as insubstantial as sand. Charting the alliances, rebellions and land divisions that determined the Middle East’s precarious contemporary shape, and examining figures such as T. E. Lawrence and Theodor Herzl, this is essential reading for anyone interested in the background to the humanitarian crises, atrocities and political dilemmas that confront the modern world.
Production Details
Bound in printed and blocked cloth
Set in Guardi. 536 pages
Frontispiece and 32 pages of black & white plates; 4 maps
10" x 6¾"
536 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
John Keay
61 books254 followersJohn Stanley Melville Keay FRGS is an English journalist and author specialising in writing popular histories about India and the Far East, often with a particular focus on their colonisation and exploration by Europeans.
John Keay is the author of about 20 books, all factual, mostly historical, and largely to do with Asia, exploration or Scotland. His first book stayed in print for thirty years; many others have become classics. His combination of meticulous research, irreverent wit, powerful narrative and lively prose have invariably been complimented by both reviewers and readers.
UK-based and a full-time author since 1973, he also wrote and presented over 100 documentaries for BBC Radios 3 and 4 from 1975-95 and guest-lectured tour groups 1990-2000. He reviews on related subjects, occasionally speaks on them, and travels extensively.
John Keay is the author of about 20 books, all factual, mostly historical, and largely to do with Asia, exploration or Scotland. His first book stayed in print for thirty years; many others have become classics. His combination of meticulous research, irreverent wit, powerful narrative and lively prose have invariably been complimented by both reviewers and readers.
UK-based and a full-time author since 1973, he also wrote and presented over 100 documentaries for BBC Radios 3 and 4 from 1975-95 and guest-lectured tour groups 1990-2000. He reviews on related subjects, occasionally speaks on them, and travels extensively.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 6, 2015
An excellent background book for the history of empire in the middle east. Keay takes up the topic from just before WW I, when the Near East was part of the Ottoman Empire. It starts later than the interests the Russian and German Empire had in what is now Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Iran, and takes a view from the British perspective. Egypt was already a British protectorate, and the Suez was the lifeline of Empire.
It proceeds to look at WW I, and the angling of the UK and its competition, mainly France at that time, in claiming this area. Crucial was the Suez Canal, and nearly all the manoeuvring was initially around securing that, and defensible territory around it. Woven in is Zionism, the new importance of oil (almost all sourced from the USA at this time), and the calculations that lead to the formation of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Transjorden. It explains why they look the way they do, and why they contain diverse and contending peoples, instead of having borders that reflect ethnic divisions. (The reason is, of course, that internal conflict meant that there was a justification for continued presence of the Imperial powers, under the Mandate system under the League of nations).
It looks at personalities, and shifts of political realities as the area begin to assert its independence, ant the slow collapse of European empires, and the rise of that of the US. It details the inception of the CIA, and first steps in the early practice of regime change.
It's a very valuable book for anyone wanting background in the complexities of the Middle East, and it is narrated in a lively fashion through the twists and turns, people and ideologies of a fascinating region, and one of great importance today.
It proceeds to look at WW I, and the angling of the UK and its competition, mainly France at that time, in claiming this area. Crucial was the Suez Canal, and nearly all the manoeuvring was initially around securing that, and defensible territory around it. Woven in is Zionism, the new importance of oil (almost all sourced from the USA at this time), and the calculations that lead to the formation of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Transjorden. It explains why they look the way they do, and why they contain diverse and contending peoples, instead of having borders that reflect ethnic divisions. (The reason is, of course, that internal conflict meant that there was a justification for continued presence of the Imperial powers, under the Mandate system under the League of nations).
It looks at personalities, and shifts of political realities as the area begin to assert its independence, ant the slow collapse of European empires, and the rise of that of the US. It details the inception of the CIA, and first steps in the early practice of regime change.
It's a very valuable book for anyone wanting background in the complexities of the Middle East, and it is narrated in a lively fashion through the twists and turns, people and ideologies of a fascinating region, and one of great importance today.
January 1, 2022
This edition from the Folio Society is beautiful and looks fantastic on the shelf.
I'm a bit underwhelmed by the content. Overall a decent history but be prepared for an over-the-top anti-colonial view. There is no doubt colonialism brought terrible things but to pretend it was 100% evil is silly when it brought sanitation, education, roads, and mass communication. The author assassinates the character of most of his fellow-countrymen, and I use this terminology freely in that I noted a few instances where he takes little time to explain who someone is and what they did but makes sure to get his negative comments in on their character along with his brief description of their life's work.
Perhaps the oddest comment: "Yet the captain, with that blinkered ardour of the heavily bearded, pushed on regardless." (Page 179). So we're writing a history of the Middle East and mocking colonialists and people with heavy beards. That's an interesting choice.
I'm a bit underwhelmed by the content. Overall a decent history but be prepared for an over-the-top anti-colonial view. There is no doubt colonialism brought terrible things but to pretend it was 100% evil is silly when it brought sanitation, education, roads, and mass communication. The author assassinates the character of most of his fellow-countrymen, and I use this terminology freely in that I noted a few instances where he takes little time to explain who someone is and what they did but makes sure to get his negative comments in on their character along with his brief description of their life's work.
Perhaps the oddest comment: "Yet the captain, with that blinkered ardour of the heavily bearded, pushed on regardless." (Page 179). So we're writing a history of the Middle East and mocking colonialists and people with heavy beards. That's an interesting choice.
May 5, 2023
This is an incredible book - and will be my go-to recommendation for anyone looking to understand the Middle East.
It's riveting account of the West's manipulation, management, and mismanagement of the Middle East from 1900 up to the early 1960s is filled with prose, humor, and a depth of perspective that contests orthodox accounts. To many Westerners, we only see the highlight reels of history - newspaper headlines, dates, deaths, and little more -- this book pulls back the curtain on what happened before, in-between, and after -- making for a broader narrative that reaches for true understanding.
It's also a book that fundamentally changed my perception of the Israel-Palestine conflict. I'd argue that this book looks at the issue from the perspective of Britain - why they acted as they did? Should they have? And what could they have done differently? While I'll need to read further to understand other players including most importantly the perspectives of the Zionists and the Arabs, this book provided much needed context to one of the most contentious issues of our time.
Only days after reading this book, I saw a documentary on Nasser that had blatant misinformation -- I was able to catch the mistake due to having already read this book and confirm that the book was correct with further research.
It's riveting account of the West's manipulation, management, and mismanagement of the Middle East from 1900 up to the early 1960s is filled with prose, humor, and a depth of perspective that contests orthodox accounts. To many Westerners, we only see the highlight reels of history - newspaper headlines, dates, deaths, and little more -- this book pulls back the curtain on what happened before, in-between, and after -- making for a broader narrative that reaches for true understanding.
It's also a book that fundamentally changed my perception of the Israel-Palestine conflict. I'd argue that this book looks at the issue from the perspective of Britain - why they acted as they did? Should they have? And what could they have done differently? While I'll need to read further to understand other players including most importantly the perspectives of the Zionists and the Arabs, this book provided much needed context to one of the most contentious issues of our time.
Only days after reading this book, I saw a documentary on Nasser that had blatant misinformation -- I was able to catch the mistake due to having already read this book and confirm that the book was correct with further research.
November 6, 2022
I always took Lawrence of Arabia as Gospel.That this is a one sided view only recently occured when I read The Empire Project by John Darwin and examined the Britsh Empire.The middle East is not at all that simple and Keay has disbused me of any romance in the region.I can not say it has the heft of absolute truth but many things are now at least plausibly clear
February 18, 2021
Honestly pretty well written, and probably super interesting to someone who’s more of an History fan, I just got lost with the many names and details.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews