There can be few countries in the world today, begins Dr. Dann, whose modern history is as "political" as that of Jordan—the immediate heir to Transjordan territorially, dynast ically, and "politically." The reason is clear, he asserts. The land east of the Jordan River had not been an identifiable state or nation at least since the early Christian era; then, over the span of a single generation following the First World War, it became both. State and nation continued to work out their identity during the vicissitudes that followed Abdallah's annexation of the West Bank, and they gained strength with every major crisis, thus proving the solidity of Abdallah's achievement. This collection of articles examines how a number of events and crises helped to shape Jordan in its formative years.