A History of Modern Oman

The ideal introduction to the history of modern Oman from the eighteenth century to the present, this book combines the most recent scholarship on Omani history with insights drawn from a close analysis of the politics and international relations of contemporary Oman. Jeremy Jones and Nicholas Ridout offer a distinctive new approach to Omani history, building on postcolonial thought and integrating the study of politics and culture. The book addresses key topics including Oman's historical cosmopolitanism, the distinctive role of Omani Islam in the country's social and political life, Oman's role in the global economy of the nineteenth century, insurrection and revolution in the twentieth century, the role of Sultan Qaboos in the era of oil and Oman's unique regional and diplomatic perspective on contemporary issues.

Introduction; 1. Oman and the Al Bu Said; 2. Oman, Zanzibar and empire; 3. Oman in the age of British ascendancy and the Arab nahda; 4. The Sultanate as nation; 5. Dhofar; 6. Oil, government and security, 1955–80; 7. Shura, diplomacy and economic liberalization, 1980–2000; 8. Oman in the twenty-first century.

Jeremy Jones has an Oxford-based consulting business and has worked on Oman since the 1980s. His first book Negotiating Change: The New Politics of the Middle East anticipated the Arab Spring.
Nicholas Ridout is the only professor of theatre who also writes and researches extensively on the history and politics of the Middle East. He has worked with Jeremy Jones on research in Oman since 1989, alongside his successful career as an academic in theatre and performance studies.