Ties of Blood and Empire: New Zealand Involvement in Middle East Defence and the Suez Crisis 1947-57

In two world wars New Zealander left home to fight in the Middle East.  When World War II was over, New Zealand remained committed to join Britain in defending its basis and lines of communications in the Middle East, should another major conflict break out.  In 1956, after President Naser of Egypt nationalised the Suez Canal, the British, French and Israeli governments colluded in an attempt to overthrow him by military means and restore international control of the canal.  New Zealand gave Britain full support in this ill-fated enterprise, came close to direct involvement in the invasion of Egypt and shared British humiliation as United States and United Nations pressure forced the abandonment of the action almost as soon as it had begun. 

Incisively written and thoroughly researched, this book recounts and analyses these events from the perspective of the New Zealand Government at the time and casts new light on this aspect of New Zealand history.