What do you think?
Rate this book
Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula
On the map of global trade, China is now the factory of the world. A parade of ships full of raw commodities—iron ore, coal, oil—arrive in its ports, and fleets of container ships leave with manufactured goods in all directions. The oil that fuels China’s manufacturing comes primarily from the Arabian peninsula. Much of the material shipped from China are transported through the ports of Arabian peninsula, Dubai’s Jabal Ali port foremost among them. China’s “maritime silk road” flanks the peninsula on all sides.
Sinews of War and Trade is the story of what the making of new ports and shipping infrastructure has meant not only for the Arabian peninsula itself, but for the region and the world beyond. The book is an account of how maritime transportation is not simply an enabling companion of trade, but central to the very fabric of global capitalism. The ports that serve maritime trade, logistics, and hydrocarbon transport create racialized hierarchies of labour, engineer the lived environment, aid the accumulation of capital regionally and globally, and carry forward colonial regimes of profit, law and administration.
Sinews of War and Trade is the story of what the making of new ports and shipping infrastructure has meant not only for the Arabian peninsula itself, but for the region and the world beyond. The book is an account of how maritime transportation is not simply an enabling companion of trade, but central to the very fabric of global capitalism. The ports that serve maritime trade, logistics, and hydrocarbon transport create racialized hierarchies of labour, engineer the lived environment, aid the accumulation of capital regionally and globally, and carry forward colonial regimes of profit, law and administration.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
65 people are currently reading
1426 people want to read
About the author
Laleh Khalili
17 books43 followersLaleh Khalili is an Iranian American and Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London. She was formerly a Professor of Middle Eastern Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
She graduated from University of Texas, and received her PhD from Columbia University. Her primary research areas are logistics and trade, infrastructure, policing and incarceration, gender, nationalism, political and social movements, refugees, and diasporas in the Middle East.
She graduated from University of Texas, and received her PhD from Columbia University. Her primary research areas are logistics and trade, infrastructure, policing and incarceration, gender, nationalism, political and social movements, refugees, and diasporas in the Middle East.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
August 16, 2023
A dense, sometimes daunting book on contemporary capitalism's great secret - the sea - beautifully and richly described, more as a series of vignettes than as an argument, but full of fascinating material nonetheless - most of which I had never come across before.
August 4, 2020
A few passages from Sinews of War and Trade:
While derivatives were ostensibly invented as a risk management scheme for buyers and sellers to protect themselves (or ‘hedge’) against price fluctuations, from the very first they had two major effects. First, they allowed for speculation, in ways that made the underlying goods or products immaterial to the process of exchange. It did not matter what commodity was exchanged. The wagers were placed on the price going up or down rather than on the commodity itself. In effect, financial derivatives encouraged ‘the greatest gambling game on earth’ by placing bets on stock markets. Second, the derivatives could – and did – directly affect prices through a feedback loop. In Donald McKenzie’s words, the mathematical models that underlay options pricing were ‘an engine not a camera’ – producing the effect they claimed to represent. And, as McKenzie’s meticulous account shows, the model ‘provided an economic justification for what might otherwise have seemed dangerously unrigorous mathematics’. Though McKenzie’s language is circumspect, ‘dangerously unrigorous mathematics’ is a euphemism for wild gambling on a completely imaginary future.
*
In the twentieth century, one of the most important functions of such tribunals became protecting alien property (property owned by foreign nationals and corporations) overseas. The expropriations of foreign property that followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the Mexican nationalization of foreign petroleum companies in 1938 provided the impetus in Western Europe and North America to develop complex legal apparatuses, doctrines and rules to protect the alien property of North American and European investors and firms. The postwar wave of decolonization only intensified this urge, as newly decolonized states staked claims to their usurped national properties. In many instances, their attempts at changing the terms of existing contracts ran into ‘stabilization clauses’ written in after Mexico’s nationalization of oil. Stabilization clauses froze ‘the provisions of a national system of law chosen as the law of the contract as of the date of the contract’ to prevent future alterations – in other words, nationalization. Another condition was the settling of disputes not in the decolonizing countries, but in international tribunals. After Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, Iran insisted that any disputes with the Company would have to be settled in Iranian courts, since international arbitration would be ‘humiliating and incompatible with the concept of state sovereignty’; Mossadegh had nevertheless found himself facing the Company in the Hague.
International arbitration protected the property of investors, made the contract sacrosanct, and guaranteed confidentiality and secrecy to corporate litigants that did not want their practices exposed to court transparency. The aforementioned Justice Schwebel declared triumphantly that international investment law and its tribunals ‘dethroned the State from its status as the sole object of international law’ at exactly the moment former colonies were becoming sovereign states. This was no coincidence.
*
But the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), the majority of whose shares were held by the British government, operated under additional constraints. The Corney Commision and the 1948 strike both took place while Clement Attlee’s Labour government was in power in London. Therefore, the company’s wish for a ‘responsible and representative’ trade union, which would act as a liaison between management and workers rather than as an adversarial institution, converged with the Labour government’s wish to encourage trade unions in British colonies. After all, in this feverish Cold War moment, trade unions could also act as a safety valve and prevent the spread of Communist ideologies among the workers. The postwar decades were also the era of decolonization. A fear of revolutionary contagion was one factor in British encouragement of a more conciliatory union movement in its colonies. Worldwide reconstruction, production and trade all depended on the movement of petroleum and ships – and cooperation between management and labour was crucial to the circulation of goods and capital.
*
In the migrant-receiving countries, gathering storms of protests pushed the governments to seek out replacement categories of workers that could be more easily disciplined. Historically, the category of ‘native’ workers on the Peninsula had included communities considered part of the life of the cities: Indians in Bahrain; Iranians in Kuwait; Baluchis in the Trucial Emirates; Somalis in Aden. These communities only became ‘migrants’ after such categories were invented by modern states to classify and control workers.
While derivatives were ostensibly invented as a risk management scheme for buyers and sellers to protect themselves (or ‘hedge’) against price fluctuations, from the very first they had two major effects. First, they allowed for speculation, in ways that made the underlying goods or products immaterial to the process of exchange. It did not matter what commodity was exchanged. The wagers were placed on the price going up or down rather than on the commodity itself. In effect, financial derivatives encouraged ‘the greatest gambling game on earth’ by placing bets on stock markets. Second, the derivatives could – and did – directly affect prices through a feedback loop. In Donald McKenzie’s words, the mathematical models that underlay options pricing were ‘an engine not a camera’ – producing the effect they claimed to represent. And, as McKenzie’s meticulous account shows, the model ‘provided an economic justification for what might otherwise have seemed dangerously unrigorous mathematics’. Though McKenzie’s language is circumspect, ‘dangerously unrigorous mathematics’ is a euphemism for wild gambling on a completely imaginary future.
*
In the twentieth century, one of the most important functions of such tribunals became protecting alien property (property owned by foreign nationals and corporations) overseas. The expropriations of foreign property that followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the Mexican nationalization of foreign petroleum companies in 1938 provided the impetus in Western Europe and North America to develop complex legal apparatuses, doctrines and rules to protect the alien property of North American and European investors and firms. The postwar wave of decolonization only intensified this urge, as newly decolonized states staked claims to their usurped national properties. In many instances, their attempts at changing the terms of existing contracts ran into ‘stabilization clauses’ written in after Mexico’s nationalization of oil. Stabilization clauses froze ‘the provisions of a national system of law chosen as the law of the contract as of the date of the contract’ to prevent future alterations – in other words, nationalization. Another condition was the settling of disputes not in the decolonizing countries, but in international tribunals. After Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, Iran insisted that any disputes with the Company would have to be settled in Iranian courts, since international arbitration would be ‘humiliating and incompatible with the concept of state sovereignty’; Mossadegh had nevertheless found himself facing the Company in the Hague.
International arbitration protected the property of investors, made the contract sacrosanct, and guaranteed confidentiality and secrecy to corporate litigants that did not want their practices exposed to court transparency. The aforementioned Justice Schwebel declared triumphantly that international investment law and its tribunals ‘dethroned the State from its status as the sole object of international law’ at exactly the moment former colonies were becoming sovereign states. This was no coincidence.
*
But the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), the majority of whose shares were held by the British government, operated under additional constraints. The Corney Commision and the 1948 strike both took place while Clement Attlee’s Labour government was in power in London. Therefore, the company’s wish for a ‘responsible and representative’ trade union, which would act as a liaison between management and workers rather than as an adversarial institution, converged with the Labour government’s wish to encourage trade unions in British colonies. After all, in this feverish Cold War moment, trade unions could also act as a safety valve and prevent the spread of Communist ideologies among the workers. The postwar decades were also the era of decolonization. A fear of revolutionary contagion was one factor in British encouragement of a more conciliatory union movement in its colonies. Worldwide reconstruction, production and trade all depended on the movement of petroleum and ships – and cooperation between management and labour was crucial to the circulation of goods and capital.
*
In the migrant-receiving countries, gathering storms of protests pushed the governments to seek out replacement categories of workers that could be more easily disciplined. Historically, the category of ‘native’ workers on the Peninsula had included communities considered part of the life of the cities: Indians in Bahrain; Iranians in Kuwait; Baluchis in the Trucial Emirates; Somalis in Aden. These communities only became ‘migrants’ after such categories were invented by modern states to classify and control workers.
May 29, 2020
A really phenomenal piece of scholarship that really unpicks the complex history of shipping trade routes through the Gulf states, particularly as a product of imperial enterprises. What Laleh does so well, is to give us a palpable sense of how the current construction of Gulf states, is inextricably linked to the capitalist and militarist designs. Full review coming soon.
March 18, 2022
So good! Interview forthcoming...
February 11, 2022
this book is a dense and detailed history of gulf state ports and the role of imperial power in initially shaping them, and oil driven finance in remaking them. there are so many details in this book that are fascinating, particularly in the two chapters on labor. it's much more nuanced take on oil and its disruption than a book like timothy mitchell's carbon democracy. all that said i felt like there was a big absence of overall argumentation or takeaways here. khalili is so freaking knowledgeable about the history of shipping across multiple nations, bringing in analysis of places like Aden in Yemen that I had very little knowledge about, as well as aspects of shipping such as insurance and futures markets which are often ignored in the contemporary focus on the material itself. yet there are so many questions about what this tells us about logistics and shipping more broadly that could have been (and still can be) made from the evidence presented here. maybe there's a desire to write a trade publication in a certain way, i don't know, and obviously some of this writing might be in journal articles and the like. but i was left really thirsting for more than a 4 page epilogue as a conclusion, and a deeper engagement (esp disagreement) with other academics and thinkers who have written about these issues! but don't let that deter you if any of these topics is of interest, it really is a fascinating book.
February 7, 2025
Did you know you can ride on a cargo ship as a passenger? Laleh Khalili did this for research purposes and this is probably one of the least monotonous history books I've ever read. I learned so much about how shipping routes and ships work around the Arabian peninsula, from the nineteenth century to the present. Like it might seem so obvious that most of the world's trade is done through shipping but I never really grasped it or visualized it until reading this book.
Khalili uncovers how and why certain routes/ports/harbors get chosen over others, due to the environment, war, geopolitics, and port logistics. The people she pays most attention to are the laborers in ships and on ports - their lives, struggles, strikes, the oppression they face, their camaraderie on board, and their day-to-day work.
If you're interested in ships, shipping routes, and the people who make them happen, past and present why certain shipping routes/ports/harbors get chosen over others, the lives and struggles of laborers on ships and ports, and how piracy, cartels, and war are all intertwined - you will learn some really fascinating things from this book
Khalili uncovers how and why certain routes/ports/harbors get chosen over others, due to the environment, war, geopolitics, and port logistics. The people she pays most attention to are the laborers in ships and on ports - their lives, struggles, strikes, the oppression they face, their camaraderie on board, and their day-to-day work.
If you're interested in ships, shipping routes, and the people who make them happen, past and present why certain shipping routes/ports/harbors get chosen over others, the lives and struggles of laborers on ships and ports, and how piracy, cartels, and war are all intertwined - you will learn some really fascinating things from this book
December 20, 2021
Fascinating and erudite but oddly charmless and disorganized. At least, I found myself struggling to wade through chapters that were not dense but seemed to wander around their subjects. More of an immersive text than an argumentative one, if I had to summarize, and not without interest. Khalili makes a point early on that the book is not a tightly wound argument but instead is composed of stories. Well, I wish it would be more developed in this regard, as more narrative organization and interest were exactly what I found missing. As to the topic material, it is informative but hardly revelatory to link the development of marine infrastructure with commerce (especially imperial / post-colonial capitalism) and war, but the topic is an interesting one in the history of the region.
Read
July 24, 2025I didn’t even get to finish it I left it on a PLANE WHYYY😫😫
February 10, 2025
Genuinely incredible book. Most firmly based critical account of the development of the peninsula over the last century that I’ve read, a possible criticism is that it’s maybe stretched a bit thin, wish it were double its size. I finished this book a couple weeks ago and still think about it constantly, feels like a paradigm shift in how I want to read critical histories of imperialism in the Arab world
November 15, 2023
I’m fascinated by international trade, particularly trade deals. This book wasn’t what I expected, and it wasn’t exactly easy reading, but it was definitely an eye opener, and shines a light on the invisible elements of capitalism.
Pretty essential reading.
Pretty essential reading.
Want to read
January 31, 2023HE559.A73 K43 2020 Memorial Library
July 15, 2020
Maritime trade, logistics and hydrocarbon transport,” Laleh Khalili argues in this detailed and enjoyable book, “are the clearest distillation of how global capitalism operates today.” The Arabian peninsula that Khalili describes has been reshaped, going beyond the mere production and transport of oil and becoming a centre for cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zones. These are “infrastructures that aim at (though rarely achieve) frictionless accumulation of capital”
http://isj.org.uk/logistical-nightmares/
http://isj.org.uk/logistical-nightmares/
May 14, 2025
Heel interessant over hoe olie en scheepvaart het Midden Oosten heeft veranderd en de koloniale invloeden die nog steeds doorspelen. Wel een beetje chaotisch. Moest het lezen voor studie maar blij dat ik het gelezen heb :)
April 25, 2025
Being a shipping lawyer (yes, I don’t specialize on any other subject), this book was a 5 star find as I now have a historical context to the work I do. I have ever wondered about the ethical and moral considerations of my job and lifestyle in the UAE as a lawyer and legal adviser to companies operating in the maritime space over years, and this book enlightens me about my role in this very, very large industry. Shipping is 90% of world trade, and the Gulf countries have been central to International trade since time immemorial.
As a legal adviser, I have unwittingly and unquestioningly rejected European (because most of them are Civil Law countries) law and jurisdiction (“L&J”) clauses, Local L&J clauses (specially in the Middle East and Africa region), and substituted same with English L&J clauses, simply because the admiralty and maritime jurisprudence under English laws in second to none. The authors take on this—— that this is a product of colonization (internal) is interesting at best. The book challenges shipping and logistics professionals to examine their contribution to a very capitalist cycle of exploitation of resources (natural and human) for gain, but falls short of including any perspectives from owners and operators.
Environmental organizations, ITF, and other regulatory bodies exist for a reason, however, what is conveniently ignored is the colonial mindset of the people at the helm of these organizations. I would definitely take some portions with a pinch of salt, and while it is not unknown that the shipping industry is a cruel one, it is far from the capitalist crony it is shown to be. The middle east’s success story and UAE’s phenomenal (often hedonistic) rise and rise is one full of skeletons in the closet, but also one that continues to draw people from all over. There is no discussion of financial and economic sanctions and how these have also contributed to trade within the region, keeping aside the fairness of it all.
The academic in me loved every page of this book and I only regret that being in UAE, and in shipping, I never asked or researched these questions myself. However, the capitalist in me tried too hard not to cringe at the parts that forces me to take a harder look at my choices.
Overall, a great book for anyone and everyone who was curious what is shipping all about and how did maritime and shipping businesses (heavily influenced by the English and the Greeks) prosper in the Middle East.
As a legal adviser, I have unwittingly and unquestioningly rejected European (because most of them are Civil Law countries) law and jurisdiction (“L&J”) clauses, Local L&J clauses (specially in the Middle East and Africa region), and substituted same with English L&J clauses, simply because the admiralty and maritime jurisprudence under English laws in second to none. The authors take on this—— that this is a product of colonization (internal) is interesting at best. The book challenges shipping and logistics professionals to examine their contribution to a very capitalist cycle of exploitation of resources (natural and human) for gain, but falls short of including any perspectives from owners and operators.
Environmental organizations, ITF, and other regulatory bodies exist for a reason, however, what is conveniently ignored is the colonial mindset of the people at the helm of these organizations. I would definitely take some portions with a pinch of salt, and while it is not unknown that the shipping industry is a cruel one, it is far from the capitalist crony it is shown to be. The middle east’s success story and UAE’s phenomenal (often hedonistic) rise and rise is one full of skeletons in the closet, but also one that continues to draw people from all over. There is no discussion of financial and economic sanctions and how these have also contributed to trade within the region, keeping aside the fairness of it all.
The academic in me loved every page of this book and I only regret that being in UAE, and in shipping, I never asked or researched these questions myself. However, the capitalist in me tried too hard not to cringe at the parts that forces me to take a harder look at my choices.
Overall, a great book for anyone and everyone who was curious what is shipping all about and how did maritime and shipping businesses (heavily influenced by the English and the Greeks) prosper in the Middle East.
September 18, 2025
Amazing book on the seamless links between capital accumulation and militarization of maritime trade routes on the Arabian Peninsula
.
Highly recommend the Guerrilla History interview with author Laleh Khalili, because the author can give a better summary than I could.
.
Highly recommend the Guerrilla History interview with author Laleh Khalili, because the author can give a better summary than I could.
January 17, 2023
Fantastic. It’s a bunch of sketches of different aspects of the growth of global shipping through the gulf, and it doesn’t really add up to a coherent theory or thesis. But that’s okay when these sketches are so thought provoking and interesting on their own.
September 10, 2022
History of the development of international shipping, centering on the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Touches on everything from economics, infrastructure, labor movements, politics, and the interchange between war and commerce. What was particularly interesting was that the author conducted research by gathering first hand accounts and taking passage aboard cargo ships.
One of my main takeaways was the observations of how laws and military strength are often the source of protection for corporate and government interests, prioritizing profit and political stability over the interests of individuals.
One of my main takeaways was the observations of how laws and military strength are often the source of protection for corporate and government interests, prioritizing profit and political stability over the interests of individuals.
July 20, 2020
Deep dive into probably all possible aspects of shipping in the Arabian Peninsula. Many fascinating details, but sometimes felt a little thesis-less, almost paint-by-numbers modern history.
December 12, 2020
The chapter on Aristotle Onassis and the machinations of international arbitration tribunals was fascinating.
July 2, 2024
Luv ships, ‘ate capitalism, simple as.
June 12, 2023
I love buying and reading these types of books.
Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.
The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.
For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...
Top 10 benefits of reading for all ages:
1. Reading Exercises the Brain
As we read, we need to remember the different characters and settings of a particular story. Even if you enjoy reading a book in one sitting, you need to remember the details during the time you devote to reading the book. Therefore, reading is an exercise for your brain that improves memory function.
2. Reading Is a (free) Form of Entertainment
Did you know that most of the popular TV series and movies are based on books? So why not indulge in the original form of entertainment by immersing yourself in reading? Most importantly, it's free with your Markham Public Library card.
3. Reading Improves Concentration and Focus
We all agree that there can be no reading without focus, and we need to concentrate on every page we read to fully understand the story. In a world where gadgets only speed up and shorten our attention span, we must constantly practice concentration and focus. Reading is one of the few activities that requires your undivided attention, so it improves your ability to concentrate.
4. Reading Improves Literacy
Have you ever read a book where you come across a word you don't know? Books have the power to improve your vocabulary by introducing you to new words. The more you read, the more your vocabulary will improve as well as your ability to communicate effectively. Also, reading improves writing skills by helping the reader understand and learn different writing styles.
5. Reading Improves Sleep
By creating a bedtime routine that includes reading, you can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Now more than ever, we rely on increased screen time to get through the day. That's why you put your phone away and pick up a book and tell your brain it's time to calm down. Also, since reading helps you relieve stress, reading right before bed helps calm your mind and anxiety and improve your sleep quality.
6. Reading Increases General Knowledge
Books are always full of fun and interesting facts. Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, books have the ability to provide us with information we might not otherwise know. Reading various topics can make you a more knowledgeable person and therefore improve your speaking skills.
7. Reading Is Motivating
By reading books about heroes overcoming adversity, we are often encouraged to do the same. Whether it's a romance novel or a self-help book, the right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive.
https://numberoneboats.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/triton-tr-21/
https://numberoneboats.com/triton-tr-21/
https://theboatyacht.com/formula-357-...
https://numberoneboats.com/formula-35...
Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.
The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.
For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...
Top 10 benefits of reading for all ages:
1. Reading Exercises the Brain
As we read, we need to remember the different characters and settings of a particular story. Even if you enjoy reading a book in one sitting, you need to remember the details during the time you devote to reading the book. Therefore, reading is an exercise for your brain that improves memory function.
2. Reading Is a (free) Form of Entertainment
Did you know that most of the popular TV series and movies are based on books? So why not indulge in the original form of entertainment by immersing yourself in reading? Most importantly, it's free with your Markham Public Library card.
3. Reading Improves Concentration and Focus
We all agree that there can be no reading without focus, and we need to concentrate on every page we read to fully understand the story. In a world where gadgets only speed up and shorten our attention span, we must constantly practice concentration and focus. Reading is one of the few activities that requires your undivided attention, so it improves your ability to concentrate.
4. Reading Improves Literacy
Have you ever read a book where you come across a word you don't know? Books have the power to improve your vocabulary by introducing you to new words. The more you read, the more your vocabulary will improve as well as your ability to communicate effectively. Also, reading improves writing skills by helping the reader understand and learn different writing styles.
5. Reading Improves Sleep
By creating a bedtime routine that includes reading, you can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Now more than ever, we rely on increased screen time to get through the day. That's why you put your phone away and pick up a book and tell your brain it's time to calm down. Also, since reading helps you relieve stress, reading right before bed helps calm your mind and anxiety and improve your sleep quality.
6. Reading Increases General Knowledge
Books are always full of fun and interesting facts. Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, books have the ability to provide us with information we might not otherwise know. Reading various topics can make you a more knowledgeable person and therefore improve your speaking skills.
7. Reading Is Motivating
By reading books about heroes overcoming adversity, we are often encouraged to do the same. Whether it's a romance novel or a self-help book, the right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive.
https://numberoneboats.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/triton-tr-21/
https://numberoneboats.com/triton-tr-21/
https://theboatyacht.com/formula-357-...
https://numberoneboats.com/formula-35...
September 23, 2021
As Laleh Khalili points out in the preface of Sinews of War and Trade, it seems an especially poignant time to publish a book about the histories and modern-day realities of the ports, harbors and shipping routes in the Arabian Peninsula. It can seem hard to believe, especially for many Americans, that one of the most vital regions for the world economy is one so far away and located in an area so often depicted as being wracked with instability. Sinews came together for Khalili after spending months on two different container ships, traveling side-by-side with their crew members and visiting ports and harbours along the Arabian Peninsula. The evidence of the effect of her time on those ships is clear in her chapter on shipboard workers, where she lays out the harsh reality of the lives that the laborers onboard the most important vessels in the world lead. As an entire book, Khalili herself admits that it is “untidy. It is curious about everything and hungry to tell stories.” Despite being organized into 8 chapters, each with its own clear subject matter, the book’s subject is sprawling and seems to have very little aim beyond compiling various facts, figures and anecdotes. Each chapter jumps to a different topic and while there are occasionally connections being made between them, more often than not, it feels as though each chapter exists as its own mini book, rather than building on each other to draw the reader to the book’s conclusion. While the book does often wander to far-flung places and ideas, Khalili is aware of this and embraces the sprawling nature of her narrative. Whether she’s detailing the story of Aristotle Onassis’ shipping company’s legal battle with the United States government or divulging tales of British colonial maneuverings in the Peninsula, each narrative accounting unearths another aspect of the region in a way that is often entertaining to read and always easy to understand. Another conscious choice that Khalili makes is eschewing a linear timeline. She jumps back and forth between modern times, the 20th century and the 19th century, often within the same paragraph. While this can sometimes cause confusion, Khalili seems to be purposely avoiding the trappings of a chronologically linear narrative. The Arabian Peninsula and its history, as she portrays it to be, cannot be explained in a simple A leads to B schematic. In fact, all of Sinews turns away from the model of the conventional political science book, from its lack of coherent argument to its more narrative-style structure. Khalili has a unique and commanding voice that lends itself well to the daunting task Sinews undergoes of conveying a vast array of information on a fascinating topic.
September 1, 2025
I did not think I could find Laleh Khalili any more badass than I already did, but then found out she prepared for this book by travelling around on freight ships in the Red Sea; absolutely based and cargopilled. The book is not a travelogue, though, as its main arguments are woven together from meticulous academic research combined with the occasional personal observation or interview. All together it makes for a hugely interesting, critical and (over?)ambitious rundown on shipping, oil, finance, port infrastructure and military logistics in the Gulf. The chapter on labour migrants - and on "migrants" as a category which only came into being as a tool of discipline and exploitation in the first place - is easily the best one.
The downsides: 1) the structure is pretty disjointed and fragmentary, and a bit confusing at times, making it harder to pin down or remember key points. 2) A book like this could really have benefited from some pictures and maps. What an idea to rave about "beautiful" admiralty charts, yet then never show us what they look like.
The downsides: 1) the structure is pretty disjointed and fragmentary, and a bit confusing at times, making it harder to pin down or remember key points. 2) A book like this could really have benefited from some pictures and maps. What an idea to rave about "beautiful" admiralty charts, yet then never show us what they look like.
December 27, 2020
I'll preface this review by saying this; I just wish I could give it 3.5 stars, as that is the fairest possible assessment.
In Sinews of War and Trade Khalili has constructed an excellent narrative history. But that's all it is. What it isn't is an overarching thesis. It's a book full of fascinating history, of interesting tidbits, of reading recommendations, but you never quite feel like the author is getting to the heart of the matter. However, I must credit the book for its well-sourced bibliography and strong structure, backed up by easy-to-read prose.
This book succeeds as an academic text largely because readable analyses of the shipping industry are incredibly rare, it is an industry where those who work in, and cover, it understand it, and the outside world does not. For that reason, if you are interested in understanding the industry that powers so much of our economy, read the book. Just do not expect a decisive thesis.
In Sinews of War and Trade Khalili has constructed an excellent narrative history. But that's all it is. What it isn't is an overarching thesis. It's a book full of fascinating history, of interesting tidbits, of reading recommendations, but you never quite feel like the author is getting to the heart of the matter. However, I must credit the book for its well-sourced bibliography and strong structure, backed up by easy-to-read prose.
This book succeeds as an academic text largely because readable analyses of the shipping industry are incredibly rare, it is an industry where those who work in, and cover, it understand it, and the outside world does not. For that reason, if you are interested in understanding the industry that powers so much of our economy, read the book. Just do not expect a decisive thesis.
December 2, 2023
There is so much specific, detailed information about shipping, and capitalism, in the Arabian Peninsula, that this should be a history text no one dares to undertake reading; BUT Laleh Khalili, while very academically qualified and extraordinarily knowledgeable about her topic, is NOT a dry-as-dust academic writer of soporific texts. Her career is a long and interesting story in itself but just keep in mind that along the way the has been, among other things, a journalist and...that has made all the difference! This book reads beautifully and I urge you to read it, because Laleh will give you information and insights that will permanently change, for the better, your understanding of what went on, and is going on, in that part of the world. This is the most roadworthy book on the Middle East that I have encountered since Thomas Friedman's From Beirut to Jerusalem,. I highly recommend it.
January 19, 2023
This is an academic work by Laleh Khalili, Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London.
A very informative read on the shipping industry covering various aspects from its history, labour and the vital role it plays in the current world economy.
Although an academic work its highly readable and the author does not subdue the reader with clichés and academic jargon. She has chosen to research an industry which rarely sees the light of the mainstream media unless there is something dramatic like an oil spill or a collision. Little wonder why society at large has little information about the lives of seafarers and an industry which delivers about 90% of all the commodities in our homes.
A very important read for all those who wish to connect the dots and understand the world better.
A very informative read on the shipping industry covering various aspects from its history, labour and the vital role it plays in the current world economy.
Although an academic work its highly readable and the author does not subdue the reader with clichés and academic jargon. She has chosen to research an industry which rarely sees the light of the mainstream media unless there is something dramatic like an oil spill or a collision. Little wonder why society at large has little information about the lives of seafarers and an industry which delivers about 90% of all the commodities in our homes.
A very important read for all those who wish to connect the dots and understand the world better.
December 3, 2022
Found this from Khalili's interview on Jacobin's Dig podcast. Wasn't quite what I expected and doesn't really provide many overarching arguments or theses on the history of Arabian shipping and oil or their place in capitalism and geopolitics. The chapters I liked the best were the last three on labor and the connection between shipping and regional wars -- probably because they came the closest to drawing out themes or offering arguments. The rest is comprised of fairly disorganized thematic histories, which may be useful for specialists but I found myself often having to skim. This was still a window into an often underexamined industry in a region I don't know much about, but I just wish it had been a clearer one.
July 20, 2025
In theory, I was all about a non fiction book about ports with a free flow structure. In practice, I want to hit it with some structure; specifically, a thesis—or if it is going to be purely “descriptive” and I do not se the vision with my thesis requirement, hit it with an enhanced exploration of perspective and the ethos of relevancy within its own specificity. This dispersed textbook did end up doing what textbooks do: taught me things I would not have otherwise learned.
If someone responds, “the thesis is that ports matter”. I will have to cry myself a river with no sand to extract.
If someone responds, “the thesis is that ports matter”. I will have to cry myself a river with no sand to extract.
May 19, 2021
Khalili has done some stunning research to showcase how the discovery of oil in the Middle East led to a Logistics revolution centered on the ports and inlets of the peninsula. Having grown up in the Middle East, this book was an eye-opener. While I've criss crossed places like Jebel Ali and Khor Fakkan in the UAE, I only now realize the strategic significance of these cities in the larger scheme of things!!
June 22, 2021
The author poured a significant amount of effort into compiling this text on the Middle Eastern ports, resulting in all sorts of interesting observations about such matters as capital flows and the abuse of those who staff freighters. However, the writing is not always engaging, making the book easy to put down. Also, each chapter covers a significantly different topic underneath the overarching ports theme, so there does not appear to be much crossover between chapters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews