Monday's Read: The GCC and the International Relations of the Gulf: Diplomacy, Security and Economic Coordination in a Changing Middle East

Legrenzi, Matteo. The GCC and the International Relations of the Gulf: Diplomacy, Security and Economic Coordination in a Changing Middle East. (New York: IB Taurus, 2011).





The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven wealthy Gulf kingdoms, was founded in 1971. Despite its status as one of the more powerful political players of the Middle East (by dint of its control of oil), the UAE is not a widely-studied country. This is because, like many other Middle Eastern countries, its national archives are closed. Access to key information is barred from foreigners and scholars. Matteo Legrenzi's sources for his book, an evaluation of the international relations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) of which the UAE is a part, are derived in large part from British consular dispatches released in 1998.