Al Qabas, Kuwait.  

In November 2022, a spy novel titled “Our Man in Kuwait” was released by the British author Louise Burfitt-Dons. The title is reminiscent of the famous novel “Our Man in Havana” (1958) by Graham Greene. While browsing through an online bookstore, I stumbled upon this book, which quickly gained a lot of admiration and positive comments, receiving high ratings. For me, the fact that the novel is related to Kuwait is reason enough to buy it immediately and start reading it on the same day it arrived. I then proceeded to write my impressions about it directly after finishing it a week later.

Here is my quick impression after reading it once.

The novel “Our Man in Kuwait” consists of 319 pages in a medium-sized format, divided into 58 chapters. The story primarily takes place in Kuwait, specifically in the area near the oil fields known as Ahmadi. Ahmadi was home to an English-American community that worked for the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). The company had been drilling oil wells and exporting oil since 1946. The Ahmadi area also housed Kuwaiti, Indian, and Palestinian workers who had their own residences there.

The events of the novel take place in the second half of 1960, during the Cold War between the Western camp led by the United States and Britain, and the Eastern camp led by the Soviet Union. It coincided with the formation of the United Arab Republic, which included Egypt and Syria. Most importantly, it was a year when Iraq, the northern neighbour of Kuwait, was ruled by Abdul Karim Qasim, a communist military leader who overthrew the ruling Hashemite monarchy and executed them in 1958. These events, along with others like the Tripartite Aggression against Egypt, pushed the Kuwaiti society to engage more in politics and pay attention to ideologies, listening to the active Arab nationalist media. Nationalist ideas spread strongly among Kuwaitis and Arab residents, while Kuwaiti local ideologies were weak or absent, limiting and balancing the nationalist thinking within acceptable and reasonable boundaries.

The author chose Kuwait as the backdrop for one of the espionage operations between the two camps. At that time, Kuwait was still under British protection, while Iraq was supported by the Soviet Union with its communist ideology. The events of the novel unfold amidst the concerns of Kuwaiti and Western societies in Kuwait regarding a possible Iraqi invasion to expel the British and Americans and replace Western influence with Soviet influence.

The novel tells us about the activities of secret groups with political loyalty to Iraq that infiltrated both Kuwaiti and British-American societies in Ahmadi. Their members were among the employees of the oil company, and their mission was to pave the way for the Iraqi invasion by conducting espionage on Kuwaiti oil fields, sending maps and photographs, monitoring the movements of senior British and American officials, planting explosives, smuggling chemical weapons from Iraq to Kuwait, assassinating certain figures, burning oil wells to darken the sky and prevent British air forces from targeting the Iraqi ground forces, distributing publications inciting against the ruling family in Kuwait and casting doubt on it, and other publications inciting the expulsion of the English. Additionally, they attempted to recruit Kuwaiti elements to join the Iraqi project and reject Kuwait’s future independence.

The author captures the essence of Kuwait’s strategic position, which has been established by its geographical location in the centre of the world, on the dividing line between the superpowers. Since pre-Islamic times, Kuwait (and the Arabian Peninsula) has been a battleground for conflicts between major powers, witnessing political and military operations driven by this struggle. History has recorded many battles fought in Kuwait between the Persians, Romans, and Kindah over influence and caravans. In the Islamic era, the villages of Kazma and Failaka, populated by civilized people, fell victim to the Abbasid Jannabi (Qarmatian) conflict in the early 10th century AD, a period I personally wrote a novel about titled “Hadith Kazma,” which will be published soon. The list goes on, mentioning how Kuwait’s land has been affected by international conflicts throughout history.

However, what concerns us in this article is the novel “Our Man in Kuwait,” in which the author delves into the events by shedding light on the daily lives of several English and American families consisting of parents and children attending the Ahmadi school. The author portrays the daily routines of these families and describes their lavish lives filled with parties, sports activities, and social events in the numerous clubs they have established, the most important of which is the Hubara Club where Western families gather. They enjoy swimming in its large pool, dining on the finest cuisine in its restaurant, drinking alcoholic beverages from its bar, and dancing to fast and slow-paced songs. The author focuses intensely on the interests of English housewives, their fascination with gossip, rumours, typical domestic and telephone conversations, reciprocal visits, and the relationships between their children. The author not only depicts the social lives of the English, but also vividly portrays the landmarks of Ahmadi, describing its small houses with gardens and Indian servants, and providing detailed descriptions of its streets, hospital, laboratory, central market, golf courses, tennis courts, and other landmarks.

The Author in Ahmadi

It is no surprise that the author herself, Louise Byres (later Burfitt-Dons after her marriage), was a member of this community in the 1950s and 1960s. She was born in Ahmadi in 1953 at the Southwell Hospital, and grew up in 5 Main Street, Ahmadi, attending the Anglo-American School of Ahmadi. Her father, Ian Byres, of Scottish origin, worked in the Preventive Health Administration of the Kuwait Oil Company. Her mother was the director of the kindergarten in Ahmadi. Louise Burfitt-Dons states that she and her family experienced fear from the threat of Iraq to Kuwait in the period before and after Kuwait’s independence, and rumours circulated among them about Abdul Karim Qasim’s intention to invade Kuwait. The author describes the events of her novel as fictional but based on facts. Among these facts is the visit of the famous novelist and author of the James Bond novels, Ian Fleming, to Kuwait at the request of the Kuwait Oil Company to write about the prosperous country. The author recalls that her father received Fleming in their home and went on a desert hunting trip with him.

The main protagonist of the novel is Gordon Carlisle, who works, like Louise’s father in reality, at the Southwell Hospital in Al-Magwa, which is part of the Health Administration of the Kuwait Oil Company. He keeps a collection of wild animals that he studies in glass cages at his workplace. He is a newlywed man married to a beautiful and headstrong woman named Anita, who has political and social ideas that differ from his own. Despite that, he is infatuated with her and turns a blind eye to her peculiar behaviour. Gordon works with a group of Palestinian employees, the most important of whom are Mansour and Najib. His manager is John Dickson, who suddenly sends a British journalist and secret agent from British intelligence named Pip Foster to turn Gordon Carlisle’s life and the English community in Ahmadi upside down. Gordon discovers that the Soviets have established a small facility in the northern Kuwaiti desert to store chemical materials that can be used as weapons. He also discovers outbreaks of anthrax bacteria and begins to trace their source, leading him to the carpet market in Kuwait City and some Bedouins who weave the Sadu rugs across the Iraqi border, as well as to that secret desert facility.

The novel tells us about the increasing activity of communist agents loyal to Iraq of Palestinian and Iraqi nationality in Ahmadi and Kuwait, and their connection to a Soviet agent residing in Kuwait named “Alex,” who manages their intelligence and military activities aimed at destabilizing security and paving the way for the Iraqi invasion supported by the Soviets. In November, the author of James Bond novels, the renowned writer Ian Fleming, visits Kuwait to write about the country. Additionally, he maintains a relationship with the British Naval Intelligence, and he evaluates the security situation in Kuwait and has a conversation with Gordon Carlisle. Fleming meets Gordon and they go together to the desert for a hunting trip.

The story becomes more complex after the assassination of one of Gordon’s friends, who was an operative with British intelligence, and who revealed to Gordon about a sabotage cell. This is followed by the death of John Dickson’s wife (Ophelia), who was previously involved in a romantic relationship with Gordon, and then an explosion at the storage facility of Southwell Hospital where Gordon works, resulting in the death of one of the Palestinians inside. Later, Ian Fleming himself becomes the target of an assassination attempt in the desert during the hunting trip. The novel reaches its climax with the terrorists kidnapping an English girl who witnessed the assassination of Gordon’s friend. Gordon is accused by the Kuwaiti and British police of being the Soviet agent and the one behind all these troubles. Then a rapid series of surprises unfolds at the end of the novel, revealing the mysteries that were introduced at the beginning and middle. The novel ends in December, six months before the “Operation Vantage” after Kuwait’s independence on June 16, 1961. In this military operation, British forces arrived at the request of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, to defend the country after the Iraqis had gathered their army on its borders.

The author relied on the omniscient narrator as a storytelling tool and transitioned through scenes. However, the majority of the text was dominated by dialogue. The dialogue stands out for its smoothness and adherence to the way English was spoken in the 1950s. It seems that the author’s memory is vivid, and she succeeded in utilizing what remained in her memory to write this fascinating and convincing narrative. She was also inspired by the character of Kim Philby, the famous British spy who defected and betrayed Britain to join the Soviet Union. It has been said that Kim Philby worked in Beirut, which was a hub for spies, and visited Kuwait and some Gulf Emirates.

Mustafa Al-Sabah.. A fictional character

The author refrained from extensively portraying the lives of Kuwaitis in the city and instead introduced the character of Kuwaiti officer “Mustafa Al-Ramz Al-Sabah,” who is a fictional character. She tells us that he studied at the prestigious Sandhurst Military College in England, is fluent in English, highly intelligent, diligent, patriotic, and works on maintaining security in Kuwait and preparing special military forces (commandos) to defend Kuwait against a potential Iraqi invasion. He also participates in monitoring and arresting communist sabotage groups loyal to the Iraqi regime. The novel also hints at the urban and cultural renaissance in Kuwait in recent years.

The author’s political orientations and inclinations are prominent in this novel. She stands with Britain and its values against the Soviet Union and its principles. In reality, the author is a member of the Conservative Party, has participated in parliamentary elections in her country, works as a social activist, leads an anti-bullying media and educational campaign, and has initiated a media campaign to support Britain in various fields. She has also worked as a playwright and novelist and pursued acting in Australia, where her New Zealand husband resided, before settling in London.

Will it be translated into Arabic?

The novel “Our Man in Kuwait” is truly enjoyable, well-crafted, and intelligent. It skilfully blends reality and fiction, deserving careful reading and detailed critical analysis. I hope to succeed in translating it into Arabic in the near future after signing a contract with the publishing and distribution company, “Thāt al-Salāsil,” a month ago.

This novel reminded me of a Kuwaiti novel titled “No Music in Al-Ahmadi” by Kuwaiti novelist Mona Al-Shemari, which was successfully adapted into a television series. I hope that all regions of Kuwait receive the stories and novels they deserve, infused with spirit and charm. In conclusion, I would like to thank Louise Burfitt-Dons for sharing her memories and imagination about Kuwait during one of its pivotal historical periods.

Palestinians and the Kuwait crises of 1960 and 1990

The novel also reflects the author’s scepticism about the loyalty of Palestinian elements who, according to her description, were willing to sacrifice Kuwait in order to reclaim Palestine. This idea is conveyed through the words of the Kuwaiti police commander, whom she portrays as aware of this Palestinian inclination. However, the reality was different, as Kuwaitis placed great trust in Palestinians, especially their leaders, officials, and intellectuals. Despite the negative stance of the majority of Palestinians during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the Palestinian cause continues to be their top priority in terms of political interests, and it remains a winning card for their politicians. The significant resemblance in the behaviour of some Palestinians during the Kuwait and Iraq crises in 1960 (as portrayed by the author in the novel) and in 1990 (as described in the documents of the Kuwaiti resistance) is remarkable. It seems evident that the author benefited from the information about what Iraq did to Kuwait during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in 1990-1991, and she projected some of the destructive details and behaviours onto the communist saboteurs during the 1960s era. The author mentioned at the end of the book that she read and gained insights from John Levin’s book, “Days of Fear,” about the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in 1990-1991.

Link to the original article

 Playlists on Spotify: How and why to make one when writing.

There are many examples of music that inspired famous novels. Here are a few notable ones:

1. “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald was inspired by jazz music. The novel’s protagonist, Jay Gatsby, is a wealthy socialite who throws extravagant parties in the 1920s. The jazz music of the time played a significant role in the novel’s setting and themes.
2. “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was inspired by Latin American folk music. The novel is set in a fictional town in Colombia and incorporates elements of magical realism. Marquez was heavily influenced by the music and culture of his home country.
3. “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger was inspired by popular music of the 1940s and 1950s. The novel’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is a rebellious teenager who feels disconnected from the world around him. Salinger used music as a way to convey Holden’s feelings of isolation and disillusionment.
4. “Norwegian Wood” by Haruki Murakami was inspired by The Beatles’ song of the same name. The novel is set in 1960s Tokyo and follows the story of a college student named Toru Watanabe. The Beatles’ music plays a significant role in the novel, and the characters often discuss the band and their music.
5. “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco was inspired by Gregorian chants. The novel is set in a medieval monastery and follows a Franciscan friar named William of Baskerville as he investigates a series of murders. The Gregorian chants that the monks sing play a significant role in the novel’s atmosphere and themes.

Why music when you’re writing a book? Doesn’t silence reign?

When you’re writing a novel, its not bad idea to have a list of music which inspires and excites your imagination.  It’s a quick way to return you to the mode quicker than anything else.

Inspiration for Our Man In Kuwait came much from my childhood. This spotify playlist ranges from from The James Bond them to the Inkspots.

There are several reasons why writers may use music to inspire their novels:

1. Emotion:  Listening to music that matches the mood or tone of a scene or character can help tap into those emotions and infuse them into the writing.
2. Creativity: Music can help break through creative blocks. The rhythm and melody of a song can inspire new ideas.
3. Setting: Music can help writers establish the setting and atmosphere. In Our Man In Kuwait I was trying to capture 1960 in Ahmadi, Kuwait. Listening to music from back then helped me  immerse myself in the past.
4. Characterisation: The type of music a character listens to can reveal a lot about their personality, values, and background. Some of these songs are actually part of the background of the story of Our Man In Kuwait.

How to make a spotify playlist

Open the Spotify app on your desktop or mobile device.

Click on “Your Library” in the left-hand menu on desktop or the bottom menu on mobile.

Click on “Create Playlist”.

Give your playlist a name and optionally add a description and cover art.

Begin searching for and adding songs to your playlist by either typing in the search bar or browsing through recommended songs or playlists.

To add a song, simply click on the “+” icon next to the track.

Continue adding songs until you’ve built the playlist you want.

Save the playlist by clicking the “Create” button (on desktop) or “Done” button (on mobile).

Your new playlist will be available in the “Playlists” section of your Spotify library, where you can access it anytime and play it on your device or share it with others.

1. Finlandia: Sibellius    (the record Ophelia Dickson leant Gordon Carlisle)
2. The Talk Of The Town: Ray Conniff Singers (Played at Golf Dance)
3. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas: Nat King Cole
4. Goldfinger: Shirley Bassey  (Ian Fleming arrives in Kuwait)
5. Stranger in Paradise: Tony Bennett from Kismet (heard by Sylvie when she runs away)
6. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: The Platters (Popular song. Is Gordon blindly in love)
7. Alf Leila We Leila: Umm Kulthum (heard over the radio by Brigadier General Mustafa al-Ramiz al-Sabah)
8. James Bond Theme: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra  (into the desert)
9. Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall: The Ink Spots (Played at Carlisle dinner party)
10. From Russia With Love: Matt Munro  (Who is Agent Alex?)
11. As Time Goes By: David Kates
12. Rockin Around The Christmas Tree: Brenda Lee (Jean Beresford’s Christmas choice)

Kuwait Behind the Scenes

Our Man In Kuwait is a work of fiction but  the political thriller was inspired by what happened behind the scenes of life at the time.

At the end of 1960 Ian Fleming came to Kuwait to write a book about the oil industry which was commissioned by KOC. Due to objections by the Kuwaiti Government it was never published.

During the stay he got to know my father very well and spent many days at our bungalow at 5 Main Street. They had much in common. Both had the same Christian names, were of Scottish extraction and shared a great interest in exotic creatures which sometimes broke loose from my father’s personal zoo. I recall one contest between a viper and scorpion on our green carpet when Ian Fleming was there. He went out with my father on one of his hawking expeditions into the desert which he later described as one of the highlights of his time in Kuwait.

During that period the great charmer Kim Philby, based in Beirut, made a tour of the Gulf States including Kuwait and he modelled for the character of Pip Foster in Our Man In Kuwait.

Philby himself eventually defected to the Soviet Union in 1963 when doubts about his loyalty were about to be confirmed by US and British secret services. His defection shocked the tight expat community of Ahmadi at the time who felt it reflected on their own integrity.

In 1958, Abdul Karim Qasim seized power in Iraq, the Hashemite monarchy established by King Faisal I in 1921 under the auspices of the British. King Faisal II, Prince Abd al-Ilah, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Said as well as many other members of the Iraqi royal family were murdered by the military. Baghdad Radio announced that the Army had liberated the Iraqi people from domination by a corrupt group put in power by “imperialism”.

The Hashemite regime had been a reliable ally of the West as it tried to hold back the Soviets. The change of power produced a volatile situation. Uncontrollable mobs took to the streets of Baghdad. Several foreign nationals staying at the Baghdad Hotel were killed in the chaos that followed. The British Embassy was ransacked and a member of staff killed in the process. Iraq became a republic.

Cross currents of communism, Arab and Iraqi nationalism, anti-Westernism and the ‘positive neutrality’ of President Gamal Abdel Nasser of the United Arab Republic played out their effects in the region. This raised fears of a domino effect and that the pro-Western oil regime of Kuwait would fall to united Arab nationalism. By March 1959 Iraq withdrew from the Baghdad Pact, a military alliance between Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and the United Kingdom. In its place it created new alliances with left-leaning countries, including the Soviet Union. Because of their agreement with the USSR, Qasim’s government allowed the formation of an Iraqi Communist Party.

The Kuwaiti combat contingents were led by Brigadier General al-Jaber al-Sabah and Colonel Saleh Mohammad Al-Sabah. They commanded the Kuwait 25th Commando Brigade and the Kuwait 6th Mechanised Brigade. Iraq did not attack and British forces were replaced by those of the Arab League. The UK had withdrawn completely by 19 October 1961. Qasim was killed in a coup in 1963 and Iraq recognised Kuwaiti independence. The military threat receded but Britain kept forces in abeyance until 1971. By mid-1970, Iraqi military presence along the border with Kuwait had increased but indicators of imminent danger were not present and British troops left the Gulf in 1971 as planned.

Kuwait Behind the Scenes from Whitehall’s Perspective

The Kuwait crisis convinced the British Government that the security of the Persian Gulf was above all endangered by the President of Iraq, Abd al-Karim Qasim. As a result, a new defense plan for Kuwait was endorsed by the British Cabinet in October 1961.  This plan – code-named  Sodabread – had significant consequences for the scale of Great Britain’s military deployment in the Persian Gulf, as it provided for a larger military force stationed in the area. The existing military base in Bahrain was strengthened and new accommodation for the additional troops was constructed on the island.