Oil is the lifeblood of modern economics. It is the precious resource at the heart of empire-building, from the British empire to the American empire today and underpins the world's financial markets. But seventy per cent of the world's oil supplies lie under the sands of the Middle East, which begs the question: did the US invade Iraq to grab Iraq's oil?

Written by an influential oil consultant, with experience of working in both the US and Arab oil industries, this book provides a rare insight into the real motivations behind US intervention in the Arab world, and the relationship between the US and the Arab states. Zalloum provides a historical account of the roots of today's involvement, analysing US intervention in the Arab World since the 19th century.

The book offers a unique perspective on how the US is viewed in the Arab region and how progress should be made if real peace and stability are to be brokered.