Oman was, until the coup which brought Sultan Qaboos (1940–2020) to power in July 1970, one of the most remote and least known countries in the world. This book, originally published in 1977 and written by someone who worked in Oman for a period spanning the old and new regimes, discusses the legacy inherited by the late Sultan from his father. The government which was formed in 1970 was made up of a ruler and ministers who had little confidence in themselves, little training and no experience of government. Yet despite this over the next 50 years, Oman saw massive progress in the construction of essential economic and social infrastructure as well as the fight against an extremist guerilla uprising in Dhofar. The book analyses how challenges were tackled and considers Oman’s relations with its immediate oil producing neighbours, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.