Lorimer: His Gazetteer and Britain’s Pursuit of Knowledge reveals how and why this monumental work came into being. Alan Dillon traces Lorimer’s career through the British administration, his time gathering information from Gulf rulers, merchants, and travellers, and the painstaking process of compiling intelligence into a coherent whole.

The Gazetteer was divided into two parts: a Geographical and Statistical section, cataloguing every settlement, tribe, and political entity in remarkable detail, and a Historical section, narrating centuries of Gulf history, from tribal migrations and trade routes to the rise and fall of regional powers. Together, they created an encyclopaedic portrait of the Gulf at a time when British influence was growing, yet much of the region remained little understood by outsiders.

Although it was intended as a tool for governance and diplomacy, the Gazetteer has endured as one of the most valuable historical sources on the Gulf before the profound changes of the later 20th century. It captures a world of tribal alliances, maritime trade, and regional politics that would soon shift under new global forces.

Dillon’s study not only explores Lorimer’s life and methods but also reflects on the Gazetteer’s legacy—both as a work of scholarship and as an instrument of imperial ambition. It asks important questions about how knowledge was collected, classified, and used, and how such records continue to shape the way we understand the region today.

By revisiting Thomas’s crossing, Evans highlights the enduring value of exploration—not just for discovery, but for understanding our relationship with culture, heritage, and the environment. Arabia Felix reflects on how much can change in a century, and what still remains the same: the resilience of communities, the power of landscapes, and the need for dialogue across time.

Alan Dillon is a historian specialising in British imperial policy in the Middle East and the making of knowledge under colonial rule. His research draws on extensive archival material from the UK and the Gulf, offering fresh insights into how intelligence, geography, and history intersected in the service of empire.