William James’ article, "There and Back Again: The Fall and Rise of Britain's 'East of Suez' Basing Strategy", was published yesterday by War on the Rocks.

The essay examines the causes of the UK’s withdrawal from its major bases in the Arabian Peninsula & Southeast Asia midway through the Cold War. It also draws out the lessons for current policymakers in London who are charting a "return" East of Suez.

Many of the ideas & findings in the essay are explored at greater length in Will’s recent article for the European Journal of International Security: "Global Britain's strategic problem East of Suez".