"This is an excellent study, comprehensive, clearly argued, and well written" - Rudi Matthee, John and Dorothy Munroe Professor of History, University of Delaware, 'H. Lyman Stebbins' British Imperialism in Qajar Iran: Consuls, Agents and Influence in the Middle East constitutes an important contribution both to the history of British indirect imperialism and to the history of Qajar Iran. While the use of trade concessions and military advisors, and later direct military force, by Britain in Iran have been studied, the use of a "softer" consular power in the provinces has not been investigated in detail. Mr. Stebbins' work, which addresses this important issue, is both detailed and revealing-in fact it is something of a tour de force in its scope and ability to compose a compelling narrative from a huge assemblage of dispersed and at times seemly minor data. Through it we see the complicated relations between policymakers in London and in British India, the ways that consular authority was used to develop unofficial military power in the provinces, Britain's efforts at establishing and maintaining control over important routes of communication and trade, and the degree to which these efforts had the result of further undermining the actual effective authority of an already rather weak Iranian central government. This book should be of great interest to those interested in the history of nineteenth century Iran, diplomacy, trade, and British imperialism.' - A. Holly Shissler, Associate Professor of Middle Eastern History, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago