Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Parry’s magisterial history of Britain’s arrival in Ottoman lands relates these lurches from masterstroke to misadventure with mordant precision."
---Michael Ledger-Lomas, The Critic"Parry’s pen-portraits of a range of British politicians, diplomats, merchants and men on the spot are marvellous; the book is so rich in detail that its story is sometimes hard to follow. But his main contention, that by the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854 Britain had staked a claim to everywhere it ended up ruling after 1918, stacks up. And this tale of how a rising trading power exploited greed to acquire insidious political influence is worth reading for its relevance today."
---James Barr, Engelsberg Ideas"Handsomely produced. . . . [and] deeply instructive."
---Jeremy Black, New Criterion"The author provides a tremendously readable synthesis of scholarly studies of this sectarian and arcane field."
---Sean Sheehan, Scottish Left Review"An excellent resource on British imperial history in the Middle East, host to international rivalries and birthplace of past civilizations and world religions."
---G. M. Stearns, Choice"
[Promised Lands] successfully fills the gap in scholarship about the crucial time period and events that eventually set the stage for the making of the modern, twentieth century Middle East. . . . The thoroughness of its storytelling serves as a strong reflection of Perry’s meticulous research. Its broad and deep history is an important contribution to the field. Enriched by an impressive narration of complex historical events, Promised Lands is highly recommended.—Leila Fawaz, Journal of Interdisciplinary History
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