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74 SMITH, Maurice L. Diary in the Sand. San Antonio, TX: Leland’s Publishing, 1992 “many of the hostile events revealed will give the reader an understanding of the existing problems in the middle east” First and only edition, inscribed by the author on the title page, “Maurice L. Smith, 6 October 2001, to Mitscher my friend”. This is a scarce and fascinating memoir by a US Army Special Forces advisor covering his time in “the land of sand and oil”, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, with only eight entries in WorldCat, all in American libraries. Published two years after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, the present work serves as a highly relevant educational guide to a country recently brought to the attention of the American public for the first time by the Gulf War. Working from 1977 to 1980, Smith’s role as an American advisor was to “provide advice to the Kuwait Armed Forces on requisitioning, receipt, distribution, and issue of all US Army procured equipment”; he also worked as an advisor to the Saudi National Guard’s modernization programme. A detailed and sensitive work, presented in a straightforward style, Smith’s memoir finishes with an assessment of the prospects for peace in the region, determining that there is “no solution, no common ground, no peace” in the Middle East (p. 104). However, in the tumultuous years following the end of the Cold War and the West’s victory against Iraq in 1991, Smith’s unassuming work represents a conscientious American perspective on the region based on his experiences living and working there. Smith’s position saw him working with senior Kuwaiti and Saudi officials, and this work presents his insider’s perspective on Kuwaiti affairs, including the succession of Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah in 1977, Kuwait’s role in the Israel-Palestine conflict, relations with Iraq and other Gulf states, and key regional events such as the Iranian Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, and the controversial Israel-Egypt detente. Smith’s memoir is also a fascinating document of social relations and politics in Kuwait, detailing the experiences of
himself and his family as early expatriates in the Gulf. Smith’s identity as an African American also exposes him to local tensions surrounding race, as well as concerns about the increasing US role in military and political affairs in the Gulf. Octavo. Original black and white photographic wrappers, lettered in black. With 3 maps of Africa, the Middle East, and Saudi Arabia to rear. A near-fine copy, wrappers a little rubbed and marked, but contents remaining fresh. £1,750 [159262]
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