Britain and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1948-51

In an analysis of Britain's policy towards Palestine in the post-mandatory era, the author examines the circumstances which led to the formulation of Britain's policy - the partition of mandatory Palestine between Israel and Jordan - and the stages of its implementation. The major theme that emerges is that Britain's Middle East policy was a function of two main features: Britain's close alliance with Transjordan, and its pragmatic adaptability to developments in the area. Based on primary sources made available only recently in British, Israeli and American archives, the book offers new insights into a policy which was to have far-reaching effects.