Presents unique insights from key player in first Gulf War, who continues to have an extremely high profile. There is renewed interest in diplomacy of first Gulf War in wake of current Iraq crisis. As Iraqi troops surged into Kuwait in 1990, British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alan Munro played a vital role in both forging and maintaining a formidable coalition to evict them. Never before had Western and Arab states fought side by side against another Arab country. He reveals here all the behind-the-scenes manouevring that made this possible. He recalls with verve and candour the frantic phone calls, the diplomatic interplay, the confusion of the battlefield, and the difficulties of dealing with the international media. Munro surrounds his revelations with a thoughtful and informed analysis of the international politics of the Middle East. With Western armies once more deployed in the Gulf, this new updated paperback edition of Munro's book provides a timely reminder of the pressures, pitfalls and potential of international diplomacy in the region.