A rare first edition of this classic modern history of the Trucial States, one of the first books written on the UAE in this period. Covers the early history of the region, the arrival of the European powers, the key family groups, the discovery of oil, and the lead-up to the formation of the UAE. The author was a British diplomat based in the region for an extended period, who wrote a number of other works on the Gulf. Features a series of excellent appendices on geography, family trees, key legal treaties and more. Hardback. First edition, first impression, published in 1970 by George Allen and Unwin. Increasingly rare in this first printing. In very good condition, original unclipped jacket, crisp and bright, with minor edgewear. Clean inside with no writing. Binding tight and square.