Focusing on the attitudes and experiences of American female diplomats and spouses, this book examines the social, political, and cultural dimensions of American interactions with the Middle East and North Africa in the five decades after the Second World War. A turbulent period, marked by conflicts associated with the Cold War and decolonization, it was also characterized by changing attitudes to women at odds with those in Moslem societies. The impact of those changes is explored throughout this book, principally drawing on personal oral histories included in the 'Frontline Diplomacy' collection, but reinforced by cables passing between regional U.S. embassies and the State Department in Washington DC.

Anthony J. Barker is Associate Professor and Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia (UWA). His publications include twelve previous books on Australian, British, sporting and especially United States history.