A Modern History of Oman details the British influence in Oman from early contacts with the Sultan of Muscat in 1800. The discovery of oil in the region in 1932, following earlier Middle East discoveries, increased the key strategic importance of Oman and set the pattern for the 20th century. The "modernizing" Sultan Qabus, supported by the British, seized power by a coup in 1970, confirmed Oman’s position as a key state in the Persian Gulf region. This illuminating work is based on state documents from Europe, US, Japan and the Arab world covering Oman and Western geopolitical policy.