This book examines why the government led by Harold Macmillan remained ready to use military force to prop up the regime of King Hussein. Stephen Blackwell provides new historical insights into the origins of the Anglo-American use of military power to protect their interests in the Middle East.

1. Introduction: Jordan, Suez and the Decline of British Influence in the Middle East 2. Glubb's Jordan: The Arab Legion, the Hashemites and the Nationalist Challenge, 1948-1956 3. Amman under the Shadow of Nasser: Jordanian Nationalism and the Suez Crisis, April - November 1956 4. The British Abandonment and the American Retrieval of Jordan, November 1956-April 1957 5. The Kings against the Colonels: Jordan and the Anglo-American Plot to Overthrow the Syrian Government, 1957 6. Combating Nasser: Anglo-American Support for Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, November 1957 - June 1958 7. The Baghdad Coup and the Macmillan Government's Decision to Intervene in Jordan, 14-17 July 1958 8. A Tenuous Foothold: British Paratroops Deploy in Amman, July-August 1958 9. Managing the International Crisis: Creating a UN 'Mantle' for Jordan, September-November 1958 10. Belated Reappraisals: Anglo-American Policy, Regional Nationalism and the Future of Jordan, November 1958-March 1959. Conclusion