Imperial crossroads

At the junction of three great continents and oceanic trade routes that link the cities of the world, the Persian Gulf, like a magnet, has pulled powerful nations into its waters and adjacent lands for centuries. This study examines the contested history for control of the Gulf and its resources, concentrating on Portugal, Holland, Britain, and the United States, and concludes with a look at possible future involvement by India and China. The contributors' thorough analysis reveals several consistent broad interests, including the fact that the great powers entered the region mostly to further trade, to maintain order there, and in the case of the Europeans, to establish a military presence that would protect colonial possessions farther east. Such a historical perspective of the West's involvement provides readers with a new understanding of this vital region.