Suez : Britain's end of Empire in the Middle East / Keith Kyle ; foreword by Wm. Roger Louis ; afterword by Peter Hennessy.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [653]-663) and index.

On 26 July 1956, the British Empire received a blow from which it would never recover. On this day, Egypt's President Gamal Abdul Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal Company, one of the gems of Britain's imperial portfolio. It was to be a fateful day for the Empire. The British government led by Anthony Eden considered this to be a test case of Britain's standing as a world power - the prestige of the Empire was already in decline and one last stand was essential. Britain, together with France and Israel, became involved in the instigation of the Suez campaign which ended with the USA becoming the leading power in the United Nations, its opposition to the campaign having been decisive in forcing ignominious withdrawal. The campaign swiftly became known as "The Suez Crisis" and is widely regarded as the major stage in Britain's decline as a world power. In this, the seminal work on the Suez campaign, Keith Kyle draws on a wealth of documentary evidence and first-hand interviews to reveal the political, military and diplomatic aspects of this fascinating story. Including a new foreword and afterword, this revised edition of a classic work will be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the twentieth century, military history and the end of empire.