JMD on NBN: Masters of the Pearl
Michael Quentin Morton
Nov 3, 2020 / James M. Dorsey
Masters of the Pearl
A History
of Qatar
REAKTION BOOKS 2020
History is not the
first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of young, energy-rich monarchies
of the Gulf that often punch above their weight in geopolitics and
geoeconomics. Yet, that is the rich, mostly unknown story of Qatar that Michael
Quentin Morton tells in his book, Masters of the Pearl: A History of
Qatar (Reaktion Books, 2020).
It is a story that
sheds light on a country that is ruled by an autocratic family that has wielded
power for centuries and that frequently dominates headlines with its grand and
often controversial ambitions, including its hosting of the 2022 World Cup, as
well as its predicaments, controversies, and idiosyncrasies. Morton, author of
nine books on the Gulf and oil, brings an understanding of Qatari history to
the table based on extensive research and the fact that he lived as a young age
in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates where his father worked as a geologist.
Morton puts into
perspective Qatar’s differences with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE that
exploded in 2017 with the imposition of a diplomatic and economic boycott that
its detractors unsuccessfully hoped would force Qatar to fall into line with
their designs for the Gulf and the Middle East at large. Morton draws the
reader in by weaving a well-written tale of tribal intrigue, regional and
historic animosities, and big power rivalry.
It is a history that
on the one hand illustrates the forces that have shaped Qatar and other Gulf
states and on the other describes how much the region has and is changing as
the result of economic and social development and wealth garnered from oil and
gas. Masters of the Pearl constitutes a critical, yet
compassionate contribution to an understanding of a small state that manages to
punch above its weight and the stormy winds that attracts.
Click here to listen to the
podcast
Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning
journalist, senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam
School of International Studies in Singapore and the National University of
Singapore’s Middle East Institute, and the author of the syndicated column and
blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East
Soccer
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