Includes bibliographical references (pages 218-251) and index.
Introduction : Britain's colonial legacy and its postwar Middle East policy -- Thatcher and the 'Finchley factor' -- The new Soviet threat -- Thatcher endorses the Venice Declaration -- Operation Babylon -- The crisis in Anglo-American relations -- Israel's invasion of Lebanon -- Thatcher's diplomatic initiative -- Thatcher's landmark visit to Israel -- The Reagan administration spurns the London Agreement -- The collapse of the 'Jordanian option' -- A new approach towards the PLO -- The end of a friendship -- Conclusion.