The Greater Middle East and the Cold War: US Foreign Policy Under Eisenhower and Kennedy(v. 30 Library of International Relations)

Roby C Barrett casts fresh light on US foreign policy under Eisenhower and Kennedy, illuminating the struggles of two American administrations to deal with massive social, economic, and political change in an area sharply divided by regional and Cold War rivalries. With a dramatic backdrop of revolutionary Arab nationalism, Zionism, indigenous communism, teetering colonial empires, unstable traditional monarchies, oil, territorial disputes and the threat of Soviet domination of the region, this book vividly highlights the fundamental similarities between the goals and application of foreign policy in the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations as well as the impact of British influence on the process.Drawing on extensive research in archives and document collections from Kansas to Canberra, as well as numerous interviews with key policy makers and observers from both the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations, Roby C Barrett explores the application of the Cold War containment policy through economic development and security assistance. Within the broader context of the global Cold War struggle, the Greater Middle East also held the potential as the flashpoint for nuclear war, and Barrett analyses fully the implications of this for international relations. In the process, this book draws some unexpected conclusions, arguing that Eisenhower's policies were ultimately more successful than Kennedy's, and offers an important and revisionist contribution to our understanding of the Cold War and the Middle East.

About the Author :
Roby C. Barrett is an Adjunct Scholar at the Middle East Institute, Washington DC and an Adjunct Professor of History at Texas A&M Commerce. He has a doctorate in Middle East and South Asian history from the University of Texas at Austin and is a former US Foreign Service Officer in the Middle East. He has been an Eisenhower-Roberts Research Fellow at the Eisenhower Institute in Washington, D.C. and a Rotary International Fellow at the University of Munich Institute for Russian Studies. He is a specialist on security and defence issues and has over twenty-five years of government, business and academic experience in the Middle East. He is the president of CCOMM Corporation, a firm specializing in national security policy and advanced defense technology applications.

Review :
'This is a breakthrough book because of its superb research. The central drama is not unlike today: a sustained crisis in the Middle East, including the violent overthrow of the Iraq Government, causes tsunami waves throughout the international political system. It is a must-read history for anyone grappling for a perspective on prospects for the Middle East and the US role there.' - Allen L. Keiswetter, Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East; 'Informed by the practical insights of a former US Foreign Service officer and fuelled by primary research in archives across the world, Roby Barrett's The Greater Middle East and the Cold War is a timely and relevant book. With a United States administration grappling with the political, cultural and military implications of its current engagement with the Greater Middle East, Dr Barrett offers a stimulating and perceptive view of the successes and failures of its predecessors.' - Peter Stanley, Director, Centre for Historical Research, National Museum of Australia; 'Roby Barrett presents an important new framework for viewing American foreign policy following World War II, providing significant new insights into contemporary US policy in the Islamic world as well as a better understanding of the foundations of those policies. It should be required reading for current policy makers.' - John Voll, Professor of Islamic History and Associate Director, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University