Masters of the Pearl: A History of Qatar
Sheds new light on Qatar, a country that has previously defied explanation
Qatar is a country of spectacular contrasts: from pearl fishing, its main industry until the 1930s; to gas and oil, which generate immense wealth today; to the triumph and controversy of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Almost a lifetime since he grew up in Qatar, Michael Quentin Morton writes about the country's colourful past and its controversial present. The book is filled with stories about the people of this land: the tribes and the travellers, the seafarers and slaves - as much a part of Qatar's history as its rulers and their wealth. The opaque Arabian world guards its secrets well, but Masters of the Pearl penetrates the veil to shed light on a country that has previously defied explanation.
Michael Quentin Morton grew up in Qatar, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in the 1950s and '60s. He has written a number of books on the history of the Middle East, including Buraimi: The Struggle for Power, Influence and Oil in Arabia (2013) and Keepers of the Golden Shore: A History of the United Arab Emirates (Reaktion, 2016).
Author: Michael Quentin Morton
Format: Hardback, 256 pages, 156mm x 234mm
Published: 2020, Reaktion Books, United Kingdom
Genre: Regional History
Sheds new light on Qatar, a country that has previously defied explanation
Qatar is a country of spectacular contrasts: from pearl fishing, its main industry until the 1930s; to gas and oil, which generate immense wealth today; to the triumph and controversy of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Almost a lifetime since he grew up in Qatar, Michael Quentin Morton writes about the country's colourful past and its controversial present. The book is filled with stories about the people of this land: the tribes and the travellers, the seafarers and slaves - as much a part of Qatar's history as its rulers and their wealth. The opaque Arabian world guards its secrets well, but Masters of the Pearl penetrates the veil to shed light on a country that has previously defied explanation.
Michael Quentin Morton grew up in Qatar, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in the 1950s and '60s. He has written a number of books on the history of the Middle East, including Buraimi: The Struggle for Power, Influence and Oil in Arabia (2013) and Keepers of the Golden Shore: A History of the United Arab Emirates (Reaktion, 2016).