The Third River: Aspects of Oil in the Middle East 1887-1979

by Michael Quentin Morton

This is the account of an oil consortium, the Iraq Petroleum group, from its birth through its development across the Middle East to its eventual demise. By the 1960s, the IPC group of companies controlled 20 per cent of the world's oil reserves, producing oil from wells in Iraq, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and exploring many other countries. Based on personal accounts and his own research, the author tells a compelling story of the people and politics behind one of the most powerful - and controversial - influences on the oil development of the region.

Among its achievements was a 555-mile oil pipeline that carried oil from eastern Iraq to the Mediterranean coast. The oilmen called this pipeline ‘The Third River’, a river of oil complementing the two great waterways of that country, the Tigris and Euphrates. As such, it symbolised the group at the height of its powers, and provides the title of this book.

426 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2014

About the author

Michael Quentin Morton grew up in Qatar, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in the 1950s and 1960s. He then worked as a barrister until he decided in 2008 to write full time. He has written nine books and many articles on the history of the Middle East. His latest book, "Masters of the Pearl: A History of Qatar" was published in August 2020.