A history of British diplomatic activity in the Middle East during a period in which Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Palestine were carved out of the former Ottoman Empire. The Indian link arose in that Mesopotamia (later Iraq) was initially administered by British Officers under the direction of the British RAJ in India. These officers had concerns regarding a large number of Indian migrant workers in the Middle East, and on the effect of Arab and Islamic nationalism on the very large Muslim population in India. Arab nationalism was more strongly supported by British interests based in Cairo including T E Lawrence. Diplomats in London attempted to resolve these divergent views, while dealing with French interests, pressure from the US to grant self government, and Balfours undertaking to create a Jewish State in Palestine. Essential reading for understanding the origins of Iraq particularly. The reader is immersed in tremendous detail, very narrowly focussed on the confused and conflicted path British Diplomacy took throughout this period. Some prior reading on the history of this period is essential, but even with that this book takes a sustained effort. It is perfectly typical of the book that, while the book title is technically accurate, it leaves the reader completely confused as to what it is actually about. It carries considerable veracity, however, and fills in a gap in understanding how the modern Middle East came into being. ( )