Future Reading: Dhofar Rebellion

Future Reading: The Dhofar Rebellion As I've noted in detail elsewhere, I've spent much of the last four years - and most of my time in Aberdeen - working to become one of the world's foremost leading experts in a forgotten 1970's counterinsurgency campaign. I'm currently (sporadically) working on OGHAP, and that's going to require me to read (or reread) The Gordon Highlanders: A Concise History and Life of a Regiment, Volume 4. Once I finish my manuscript, I'll start work on a book about Dhofar. That's going to require me to read some books that I have yet to get to.

Coup D'état Oman by Ray Kane: In the last few years, several British veterans of the Dhofar Rebellion have published their memoirs of the conflict. Ray Kane actually commented on a prior post in which I mentioned his book as a future reading goal, so I'm excited to read his account and possibly get in touch with him.

Dangerous Frontiers: Campaigning in Somaliland and Oman by Bryan Ray: Whereas Ray Kane's book came out after I completed my dissertation, Bryan Ray's book seems to have come out before I arrived in Aberdeen. I'm looking forward to reading about his experiences in both Oman and Somaliland.

Oman and the World: The Emergence of an Independent Foreign Policy by Joseph A. Kechichian: Kechichian is one of the few scholars whose work focuses on Oman, and I'll be consulting his book (in digital form - thank God for my Kindle!) for context on the modern Sultanate and its post-Dhofar foreign policy.

Oman's Insurgencies: The Sultanate's Struggle for Supremacy by J.E. Peterson: I actually enjoyed the extended loan of Peterson's book, Defending Arabia, from the Director when CN Odin and I were working on our article. I haven't purchased this book yet because it's exorbitantly expensive, but it will probably have to join my slowly growing pantheon of sources in due course of time. I'm not sure whether I'll try to procure a copy of Arabia the Gulf & the West by B.J. Kelly, but as used copies appear to be quite reasonably priced, it may be worth the investment.

SAS Secret War: Operation Storm in the Middle East by Tony Jeapes: I actually have three different copies of this book and, I think, the two different versions. Along with John Akehurst's book, Jeapes' volume on the war is one of the two authoritative sources on the conflict. I consulted Jeapes' book while writing my dissertation, but I'll have to read the whole thing for my book.

The Rough Guide to Oman: Travel guides can be a good source of information about a particular country, and in addition to my own trip there in 2012, I plan to use this and other sources to paint a picture of the modern Sultanate.

The Secret War: Dhofar 1971/1972 by David C. Arkless: This is the first of two books written specifically about the role of aviation in the Dhofar Rebellion. I'll probably dedicate a chapter to aviation in Dhofar, so I'll utilize this source for that portion of my manuscript.

Storm Front: The Epic True Story of a Secret War, the SAS's Greatest Battle, and the British Pilots Who Saved Them by Rowland White: This is the second of two books written specifically about the role of aviation in the Dhofar Rebellion.

Warlords of Oman by P.S. Allfree: As I've noted previously, I've finished this book, which deals with the Jebel Akhdar War, which preceded the major combat phase of the Dhofar Rebellion by about a decade. I'll use it for a bit of pre-war context, in conjunction with Thesiger's Arabian Sands.

We Won a War: The Campaign in Oman 1965-1975 by John Akehurst: Along with Jeapes' book, Akehurst offers one of the two authoritative accounts of the conflict. I leaned on this book while writing my dissertation, but to write my book, I'll have to read the whole thing. I'll be reading many other books and shorter sources as I conduct my research, and at some point I may post a near-comprehensive list. However, these are at the top of the Dhofar docket once I'm finished with OGHAP.

More to come.