Includes bibliographical references (pages 226-232) and index.

Desert, sea and mountain : southeast Arabia in prehistory
Emergence : Greater Oman, the Arabian Gulf and the Bani Yas, AD 630-1909
A maritime kind : the Qawasim, the British and the Trucial Coast, 1718-1906
Jewels of the sea : the rise and fall of the pearling industry, 1508-1949
Something in the air : Dubai and the northern sheikhdoms, 1901-39
The hungry years : the Trucial Coast in the Second World War, 1939-45
Sweet crude : Abu Dhabi and the discovery of oil, 1909-71
Blueprint for a nation : the Trucial states, 1945-68
Divided we stand : unification and beyond, 1964-80
Only one tribe : the United Arab Emirates, 1980-present day.
Machine generated contents note: 1.Desert, Sea and Mountain: Southeast Arabia in Prehistory
2.Emergence: Greater Oman, the Arabian Gulf and the Bani Yas, AD 630
1909
3.A Maritime Kind: The Qawasim, the British and the Trucial Coast, 1718
1906
4.Jewels of the Sea: The Rise and Fall of the Pearling Industry, 1508
1949
5.Something in the Air: Dubai and the Northern Sheikhdoms, 1901
39
6.The Hungry Years: The Trucial Coast in the Second World War, 1939
45
7.Sweet Crude: Abu Dhabi and the Discovery of Oil, 1909
71
8.Blueprint for a Nation: The Trucial States, 1945
68
9.Divided We Stand: Unification and Beyond, 1964
80
10.Only One Tribe: The United Arab Emirates, 1980
Present Day
Maps
Regional Map of the Arabian Gulf
The United Arab Emirates
Appendices
Al Nahyan
Selected Family Tree
Al Maktoum
Selected Family Tree.

The region now known as the UAE likely began as a trading post between Mesopotamia and Oman, and since that time has been the stage of important economic and cultural exchanges. It has seen the rise and fall of a thriving pearl industry, piracy, invasions and wars, and the arrival of the oil age that would make it one of the richest countries on earth. Since the early 1970s, when seven sheikhs agreed to enter into a union, it has been a sovereign nation, carrying on the resourceful spirit ;with resplendent fervor ;that the brutally inhospitable landscape has long demanded of the people. Ultimately, Morton shows that the country is not only rich in oil and money but in an extraordinarily deep history and culture.
For those who visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE), staying in its the lavish hotels and browsing in the ultra-modern shopping malls of Abu Dhabi or Dubai, the country can be a mystery, a glass and concrete creation that seems to have sprung from the desert overnight. Keepers of the Golden Shore looks behind this glossy façade, illuminating the region's history, which stretches from the ancient Arabian tribes who controlled a desolate but economically important shoreline to the ostentatious architectural wonders-bankrolled by a massive wealth of oil-that characterize it today. As Michael Quentin Morton recounts, the region now known as the UAE likely began as a trading post between Mesopotamia and Oman, and since that time has been the stage of important economic and culture exchanges. It has seen the rise and fall of a thriving pearl industry, piracy, invasions and wars, and the arrival of the oil age that would make it one of the richest countries on earth. Since the early 1970s, when seven sheikhs agreed to enter into a union, it has been a sovereign nation, carrying on the resourceful spirit-with resplendent fervor-that the brutally inhospitable landscape has long demanded of the people. Ultimately, Morton shows that the country is not only rich in oil and money but in an extraordinarily deep history and culture.