By Christopher Miskimon
From 1965 to 1975, the Sultanate of Oman fought a counterinsurgency campaign against a communist backed revolt in Dhofar Province, a remote and barren area. British military and intelligence agencies provided overt and covert support for the Sultanate. This war occurred largely out of the public eye, due to its location and world attention focusing elsewhere during the period. More than 700 British troops served there, including engineers, artillery, the Royal Air Force Regiment and members of the elite Special Air Service. While there were difficulties, this campaign succeeded, dealing a setback to communist influence in the world and further securing the supply of Middle Eastern oil for world markets. It stands as an example of a Cold War counterinsurgency campaign which did not go perfectly but nevertheless met its overall goals.
In this comprehensive and balanced account of the Dhofar War, the author’s arguments are effectively presented and backed up with research. The book is interesting not only due to its non-political bent, but also that it informs the modern public about a war few of them are even aware of.
The Dhofar War: British Covert Campaigning in Arabia 1965-75 (Stephen Quick, University of Exeter Press, Exeter UK, 2024, 253 pp., maps, photographs, bibliography, index, $123, HC)
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