King Abdullah, Britain and the Making of Jordan

by Mary Christina Wilson

Overview

Because of his role in the partition of Palestine, King Abdullah has always been one of the most controversial figures in modern Middle Eastern history. This book is the first in-depth description and analysis of the historical and personal circumstances that made him so significant. Abdullah, a son of the Sharif of Mecca and a member of the Ottoman elite, emerged after the First World War as a contender for power in a Middle East dominated by Britain owing to his alliance with Britain in the Arab revolt. To his disappointment, he ended up in the arid territory of Transjordan. Within the constraints of British interests, he was left to make something of his lot. Since Transjordan had little to draw on to resist total dominance by Britain, Abdullah spent the remainder of his life looking for a role, a clientele, or a stable balance of interests that would allow him a future independent of British fortunes. He found all three after 1948 when, in conjunction with the creation of Israel, he came to rule the portion of Palestine known as the West Bank.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521399876
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/28/1990
Series:	Cambridge Middle East Library , #13
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.83(d)

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; List of maps; Note on transliteration; Acknowledgements; 1. Prologue; 2. Mecca and Istanbul; 3. The Arab revolt; 4. The creation of Transjordan; 5. Settling in; 6. Discovering the limits; 7. Abdullah and Palestine, 1921–39; 8. War and politics; 9. Abdullah, Britain and the Arab world, 1945–8; 10. 1948; 11. The end of ambition; 12. Epilogue; Appendix I: British high commissioners of Palestine; Appendix II: British residents in Transjordan; Appendix III: Prime ministers of Transjordan; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Mary Wilson has provided us with a definitive study of King Abdallah/Abdullah, his relations with Britain and his role in the creation of Jordan, based on a thorough use of British, French, American, and Israeli archives, official reports, private papers and newspapers, as well as dissertations and printed sources." Canadian Journal of History

"The perplexities of Abdullah's career are now much more intelligible, thanks to Mary C. Wilson, who has written a comprehensive study of Abdullah's entire public life based on as full an inventory of sources as is likely to be accessible for some time." International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies

From the Publisher