Telling a story with more twists and turns than a good suspense novel, Gardner (History, Rutgers University) uncovers the facts behind how the U.S. replaced the British Empire as the dominant power in the Middle East. Beginning with Franklin Roosevelt's presidency and continuing to the LBJ years, the author shows how U.S. policymakers scrambled for political influence and oil concessions in the region, and established a new American military presence based on airpower and generous aid to shaky regimes in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and Iraq. In an account whose particulars are more than vaguely reminiscent of current events, Gardner chronicles three decades of U.S. moves in the region, from early efforts to support and influence the Saudi regime to the CIA-engineered coup in Iran, and from the Nasser revolution in Egypt to the rise of Iraq as a major oil power. Authoritative and very well written, this book will appeal to anyone interested in current events in the Mideast. ^^^^ Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)