Enemy on the Euphrates: The Battle for Iraq, 1914-1921, by Ian Rutledge
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Enemy on the Euphrates: The Battle for Iraq, 1914-1921, by Ian Rutledge
Read and Download Enemy on the Euphrates: The Battle for Iraq, 1914-1921, by Ian Rutledge
"Material with acute relevance to the crisis now tearing Iraq to pieces"—Independent
"Rutledge's account displays a novelist's taste for intrigue, espionage, gunboat diplomacy, personal hardship and murder."—BBC History Magazine
"[A] rare treasure that combines a fascinating account of important historical events with penetrating geopolitical analysis"—Professor Michael Klare, Hampshire College, Amherst
In 1920 an Arab revolt came perilously close to inflicting a shattering defeat upon the British Empire's forces occupying Iraq after the Great War. A huge peasant army besieged British garrisons and bombarded them with captured artillery. British columns and armoured trains were ambushed and destroyed, and gunboats were captured or sunk. Britain's quest for oil was one of the principal reasons for its continuing occupation of Iraq. However, with around 131,000 Arabs in arms at the height of the conflict, the British were very nearly driven out. Only a massive infusion of Indian troops prevented a humiliating rout.
Enemy on the Euphrates is the definitive account of the most serious armed uprising against British rule in the twentieth century. Bringing central players such as Winston Churchill, T. E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell vividly to life, Ian Rutledge's masterful account is a powerful reminder of how Britain's imperial objectives sowed the seeds of Iraq's tragic history.
Ian Rutledge is Research Director of the Sheffield Energy Resources Information Services. A graduate of the University of Cambridge where he received his PhD in Economic History, he has taught at the universities of London and Sheffield. His other publications include Addicted to Oil: America's Relentless Drive for Energy Security.
Enemy on the Euphrates: The Battle for Iraq, 1914-1921, by Ian Rutledge - Amazon Sales Rank: #416700 in Books
- Published on: 2015-09-08
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 7.75" h x 1.38" w x 5.00" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 512 pages
Enemy on the Euphrates: The Battle for Iraq, 1914-1921, by Ian Rutledge Review Advance Praise‘Enemy on the Euphrates is that rare treasure that combines a fascinating account of important historical events with penetrating geopolitical analysis. Anyone seeking an understanding of the role of oil in shaping modern Middle Eastern history will want to read this book.’— Michael Klare, author of The Race for What's Left: The Global Scramble for the World's Last Resources‘A lively and well-researched account of the events leading up to the Iraqi ‘revolution’ of 1920, using a number of hitherto unused British and Arabic sources. The leading Arab and British personalities are well-drawn, and the narrow moral universe of the British administrators is especially well portrayed. The description of the military campaign is masterful, and the narrative of the campaign maintains a high level of suspense.’— Peter Sluglett, author of Britain in Iraq: Contriving King and Country‘Ian Rutledge’s brilliant book reveals the folly and delusion of invading Iraq. Read it and shudder’— Nicholas Rankin, author of Churchill’s Wizards: The British Genius for Deception 1914–1945‘Fascinating, lively and very readable … This gripping narrative brings to life the human side of these violent events and of the developments that preceded them through some vivid descriptions and highly relevant anecdotes’Charles Tripp, author of The Power and the People: Paths of Resistance in the Middle EastReviews‘By chance, economist Ian Rutledge has just published an account of the battle for Mosul and oil during and after the First World War ... material with acute relevance to the crisis now tearing Iraq to pieces’ — Robert Fisk, Independent‘Readers will find plenty of food for thought in Ian Rutledge’s well-crafted and lively account ... This timely book delves into the early, troubled history of British controlled Iraq … While offering abundant detail on military operations, lines of communications and warfare tactics, Enemy on the Euphrates also makes for a very lively and human-centred read of imperial history. Populated by a remarkable crowd of spies, diplomats, soldiers, clerics and tribal leaders, Rutledge’s account displays a novelist’s taste for intrigue, espionage, gunboat diplomacy, personal hardship and murder.’ — BBC History Magazine‘Rutledge does an excellent job of conveying the logistical difficulties confronting any military leadership, let alone one operating thousands of miles from home and in physically challenging and hostile enemy territory ... deserving of a wide readership’ — Middle East Journal'An excellently produced book that admirably succeeds in illuminating an important episode in British imperial history’ — History Today‘Compelling, rich with such colorful personalities as Winston Churchill, Gertrude Bell and T. E. Lawrence’ — Saudi Aramco World‘Well-researched, well-written and very useful contribution to the understanding of modern Iraq’ — Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online‘As the legions of ISIS set up their proto-Caliphate in Iraq, the word ‘prescience’ comes forcibly to mind’ — The Oldie‘Timely and rich in detail … highly readable, lively and dramatic. [Rutledge] presents fascinating accounts of the main British and Iraqi personalities involved in the narrative’ —al-Hayat‘A timely reminder of how we got here … an important book’ — The National‘Thought provoking … I like to think this book might find a place on the shelves of the libraries of the RUSI, Sandhurst or West Point’ — War History Online‘Much of Enemy on the Euphrates reads like a great adventure story ... Rutledge’s narrative is highly visual, transporting the reader from the battlefield to Baghdad, villages along the Euphrates, and conference rooms in London and Cairo where diplomats, politicians, military commanders and intelligence officers debate various models for controlling the region … a rare combination of in-depth information, fairness of analysis and readability, reinforced by excellent maps.’ — Jordan Times‘Eye-opening, fascinating and brilliantly-written … Excellent’ — The Long, Long Trail: The British Army in the Great War of 1914-1918‘Exhaustive and very readable … [Rutledge] succeeds in imparting an understanding of why relations between the Arabs and the West remain fraught to this day’ — Asian Review of Books
About the Author Ian Rutledge is an economist and historian. A graduate of the University of Cambridge where he received his PhD in Economic History, Rutledge is Research Director and co-founder of the Sheffield Energy Resources Information Services. He has taught at the Universities of London and Sheffield and for the Workers’ Educational Association. His other publications include Addicted to Oil: America's Relentless Drive for Energy Security. He lives in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
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Most helpful customer reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Solid Five Star Narrative with New Perspectives on Events By Writing Historian I was very impressed with this book as the author successfully managed to write a well-researched book in such a manner as to appeal to a wide variety of readers. Of note is the fact that the author learned Arabic so he could give the Iraqi version of events. I also highly recommend his writing style as it features accessible prose coupled with a unique ability to aid the reader with visualizing events. This book far surpasses previous fare such as Haldane's "The Insurrection in Mesopotamia."Haldane's account cannot (because he wrote soon after events) put these events in proper perspective. This was the largest armed rebellion that the British faced in the twentieth century, far eclipsing the Kenyan Mau Mau rebellion of 1952 - 56; Irish War of Independence 1919 - 21; Palestinian Insurrection of 1936 - 39; the Communist Uprising in Malaya 1948 - 1960, or the Cyprus Emergency of the 1950s. At the height of the 1920 Rebellion, the British estimated there were 131,000 Arabs in arms against them. Indeed, the Iraqis mobilized such a large amount of men and resources against the British that they almost achieved victory.I was amazed to discover that my "received wisdom" e.g. the Sunnis were the ones comprising the ranks of the rebellious (and supporting the Ottoman Army during WW1) was somewhat off base. Rutledge points out that the Shia tribes in south-Central Iraq were the implacable foes of the British, beginning with the Jihad that was declared when Anglo-Indian forces first landed in Iraq in December 1914. The Sunnis were handed the reins of governance, according to the British definition of indigenous governance, following the rebellion in large part because they had not proven as troublesome as the Shia.The book is organized into two parts, with part one (chapters 1 - 20 dealing with strategic overview and pre-1920 events with emphasis on World War One) running from page 5 to page 236 and part two (chapters 21 to 34 which deals with the rebellion itself) spanning pages 237 to 394. The main body of the book is preceded by a list of illustrations, a list of maps, notes on Arabic transliteration, Glossary, Abbreviations, Preface and a series of thumbnail biographies of key players. An afterward, bibliographical notes, acknowledgements, notes, bibliography, and index follow.In summary, Rutledge has produced an excellent and readable account that merits being considered as the "new" standard reference on the Iraqi Rebellion of 1920.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. "Material with acute relevance to the crisis now tearing Iraq to pieces" By Chris Ziesler I chanced upon mention of this book while I was reading an article by Robert Fisk in The Independent discussing the situation in Syria and Iraq in early June 2014.Fisk observed: "Rutledge has researched Britain’s concern about Shia power in southern Iraq – where Basra’s oil lies – material with acute relevance to the crisis now tearing Iraq to pieces."As the activities of ISIS have escalated and their rule has spread throughout Syria and Iraq a thorough understanding of the background to the situation in the region sheds vital light on current events.Rutledge's book provides an excellent history of the region in the aftermath of the Sykes-Picot agreement at two levels: first of all he gives a thorough narrative of the causes and the course of the Arab Revolt against the British rule in Iraq in 1920. As he points out: "Indeed, the insurrection in Iraq of 1920, measured in enemy combatant numbers, was the most serious armed uprising against British rule in the twentieth century. At the height of the rebellion the British estimated that around 131,000 Arabs were in arms against them."Secondly, he provides a great deal of detail about the patchwork of tribal and religious groupings and loyalties that covered the region at the time, many of which persist to this day. He spends considerable effort explaining the motivations and aims of the insurrection, and makes it clear that it was well-organized and well-led and its successes were a deep cause of embarrassment to Britain, the world superpower of the day.Rutledge's style is accessible and incisive without ever stooping to sensationalism. His grasp and analysis of the complexities of the situation is excellent. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in the Middle East or simply in the limits and dangers of applying overwhelming military power to situations that call for a political solution.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. All happened for oil By Gabor Paller I enjoyed this book thoroughly. For me the most relevant "aha" moment was how the performance of warships and transport vehicles depended on oil and how strongly the need for oil decided the fate of "Mesopotamia". Definitely a book to recommend.
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Enemy on the Euphrates: The Battle for Iraq, 1914-1921, by Ian Rutledge
