"A British Prime Minister urging a sceptical public to war in the Middle East. A project, both desperate and ambitious, to radically change the political landscape of the Arab world." "With Bush and Blair's reputations ever more damaged by their venture in Iraq, the Suez Crisis of 1956, which brought down a government and changed the pattern of world politics, has taken on a new relevance. Fifty years after Anthony Eden's decision to take on Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of Britain's most respected foreign affairs commentators revisits this cautionary tale of power over-reach. Bringing to life the mood and the personalities of the post-war scene, Martin Woollacott shows how Suez changed the Middle East, Britain, and the world."--Jacket.