Early volumes reveal the legendary fascination of ´Arabia Felix´ (as the Yemen was once known), the competition of European powers for the coffee trade and the arrival of the British, by force, in Aden in 1839. The later volumes show the political instability of the post-war period which was to lead to the departure of the British in 1967. For much of the modern period the volumes provide evidence for the development of the Imamate in the north, the Aden Colony and Protectorate in the south, the impact of the British and Ottoman empires, and the complex political relations between Sana´a and Aden. The documents trace the ferment of conflict and shifting allegiances between the tribes. Negotiations and treaties on boundary affairs are examined in detail and the Saudi-Yemeni flashpoints of the twentieth century are fully covered. The collection is magnificent - illustrated with historic prints, photographs, colour plates and full-colour maps.
