Rating: 
Summary: A magnificent introduction to the Middle East
Review: It reads like a novel, but it's history.Abdul Aziz did for Saudi Arabia what George Washington and Thomas Jefferson did for the United States. Despite his personal flaws and his Wahabism, he deserved admiration and respect. You're in for a treat if you can get your hands on this book.
Rating:
Summary: A magnificent introduction to the Middle East
Review: It reads like a novel, but it's history. Abdul Aziz did for Saudi Arabia what George Washington and Thomas Jefferson did for the United States. Despite his personal flaws and his Wahabism, he deserved admiration and respect. You're in for a treat if you can get your hands on this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Serious but dated, lacking a contrarian perspective
Review: Robert Lacey's book is a well-researched book that gives valuable insights into the history of Saudi Arabia and the mindset of its ruling family. Unfortunately, it lacks critical distance and paints an overly flattering portrait of the House of Saud, and should be balanced by reading Said K. Aburish's "The Rise, Corruption and Coming Fall of the House of Saud". My father worked with the USSR in the 70s and Saudi Arabia in the 80s, and he told me Saudi Arabia was the most stifling place he ever was in, even worse than communist Russia (this is not anti-muslim bigotry, by the way, I am one myself). A lot has changed since this book was written, due to demographic pressure and the collapse of the oil-driven welfare state after Gulf War I, so this book should be used mostly as a reference for the period before 1980.
Rating:
Summary: Encyclopedic
Review: This book seemingly presents every detail about the political, economic, and social history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since its founding. It is well researched and the sources are annotated carefully. At times it can be a little disjointed as it jumps from one topic to another. Because of its discussion of the links between the 1973 Israeli war and the ensuing OPEC oil embargo, it is highly recommended for students of modern history as well as anyone interested in the Middle East.
| 
