[SOLD] Donald Hawley – The Trucial States – Signed and Inscribed

A rare signed example of this classic modern history of the Trucial States, one of the first books written on the UAE in this period.

Covers the early history of the region, the arrival of the European powers, the key family groups, the discovery of oil, and the lead-up to the formation of the UAE.

The author, Donald Hawley, was a British diplomat based in the region for an extended period, who wrote a number of other works on the Gulf. Features a series of excellent appendices on geography, family trees, key legal treaties and more.

Signed by the author to the title page, dated 30th January 1975 in Nizwa, Oman. With a separate dedication on the front free endpaper, reading ‘Presented to the Officers Mess / The Muscat Regiment / By the Author / 17 January 1975.’ Under this reads a further dedication from the Officers of the Muscat Regime to Lieutenant Colonel IA Christie, on the occasion of his relinquishing command on 4 December 1976.

The Muscat Regiment  refers to a division of the Royal Army of Oman, formed in 1957 under Sultan Said bin Taimur. It consisted of both British and Omani soldiers, and was involved in various operations including the Dhofar Rebellion of southern Oman in the late 1960s.

Hardback. First edition, second impression, published in 1971 by George Allen and Unwin. Increasingly scarce in this early printing, and very rare to find signed and with a relevant regional inscription.

In good condition, original clipped jacket, with some edgewear. Binding tight and square. 380 pages. Rear endpapers show a map of boundary claims in Eastern Arabia prior to the formation of the UAE.