History of "the Suez Crisis of 1956." Drawing on numerous, previously unexplored sources, this account of the Suez Canal crisis draws vivid portraits of the leaders involved--Eisenhower, Eden, Ben-Gurion, Mollet, Khrushchev, and Nasser--and analyzes its background and causes.

Includes index. MAPS ON LINING PAPERS.

Cast of characters -- Prologue -- Part One: The fuse -- Attackers will not go away unpunished / Ben Gurion -- Helpless and utterly depressed / Sharett -- Where is dignity? / Nasser -- It could lead to war / Dulles -- Reduced to derision / Eban -- Part Two: The spark -- Let us compete/ Khrushchev -- Without the United States, Britain is alone / Churchill -- I was a victim myself / Mollet -- We had no interest in old fashion domination / Lloyd -- I prefer Arabs to Jews / Eden -- We have decided to fight / Peres -- Nasser soon must take vigorous steps / Byroade -- Weaken Nasser / Eisenhower -- Part Three: The explosion -- Israelis have something to lose / Hammarskjold -- We'll be plastered as assassins and baby killers / Mountbatten -- Eden is looking for a pretext / Pineau -- An opportunity to settle accounts / Dayan -- Ugly and unsmiling / Lodge -- The law of the jungle has been invoked / Gaitskell -- We have these socialists to lick / Humphrey -- Epilogue.