Review
"...her careful, scholarly study is a reminder that it can be risky to put too much stock in the status quo...." Philadelphia Inquirer

"Jill Crystal...has produced an important analysis of the crucial consequences of oil exploitation upon the evolution of political life and state formation in the contemporary Gulf...Congratulations are in order." Middle East Journal

"This book is vital for an understanding of Kuwait's political economy--or economic politics." New York Review of Books


Book Description
Why in recent years have the social and economic upheavals in Kuwait and Qatar been accompanied by a remarkable political continuity? In a region of revolution and coups, these particular monarchies have somehow survived. In her analysis of political change in the Gulf, Jill Crystal investigates this apparent anomaly by examining the impact of oil on the formation and destruction of political coalitions and state institutions. She also adds to our understanding of state formation by highlighting the ways in which states and rulers structure the relationship between those with money and those with power. This updated edition includes a discussion of the Gulf War and its aftermath.

FROM THE PUBLISHER