The First World War in the Middle East /

In this concise yet deeply researched book, Ulrichsen (Insecure Gulf) seeks to correct widely held Western misperceptions about WWI and its role in staging the collapse of the Islamic Caliphate and the resultant shaping of arbitrary Middle Eastern borders. Writing primarily for an academic audience, Ulrichsen details the lasting effects of the war, from North Africa through Mesopotamia, and explores how Muslim communities around the world reacted to the war. He notes that the British, for example, feared that Indian Muslim soldiers sent to Egypt would defect to the Ottomans, but that their fear "proved unfounded, owing to the substantive ethnic and linguistic differences that prevented... serious communication or collaboration." Foreshadowing more recent misadventures, Ulrichsen writes that, late in the war, "the War Cabinet in London belatedly grasped the value of gaining control of [northern Iraq] as a potential source of oil supplies for the British Empire." Long sections of drily catalogued historical minutiae will deter nonspecialists, but Ulrichsen's central thesis, which states that ad hoc and ill-considered decisions made by distracted foreign powers crystallized into immutable realities that continue to constrain life in the region a century later, is relevant for anyone with an interest in the Middle East. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Most studies of World War I focus on Europe, but Ulrichsen's (history, London Sch. of Economics) detailed and concise chronicle reminds readers of the broad impact of the war in the Middle East, deftly balancing military campaigns and social and political consequences. The author presents a precise exposition of the interests and engagement of the five imperial powers in the region and describes the costly military campaigns from the Caucasus to North East Africa and -Palestine to Mesopotamia. In addition to heavy losses in men and resources for the warring powers, the local populations suffered immensely from battles, famine, disease, and destruction of property. This thorough study begins with historic background and concludes with an analysis of the postwar settlements as incipient national movements struggled with revived French and British colonial ambitions and the newly formed states in the region strained to create viable governments and economies. VERDICT Ulrichsen draws on a wide range of archival and monographic sources to present a comprehensive summary of this major theater of World War I and suggests how the war continues to influence developments in the region.--Elizabeth Hayford, formerly with -Associated Coll. of the Midwest, Evanston, IL (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.