The Rise, Corruption and Coming Fall of the House of Saud

Obviously, the author has strong views of the rulers of Saudi Arabia but I still find this read astonishing and it explains (whether right or wrong) why some people may think like Ben Laden...
The original book is very old but still an excellent read

'...awe to grind' (2/4 people found this helpful)

This book is a poorly written and fails to keep the reader interested. Published in 1994, just about every prediction Arburish made has not come to pass. Either he doesn't actually know what goes on in KSA, or has been purposely economical with the facts. Hence the review title,'...axe to grind'. If the book was well written in the first place, the reader's imagination might have been tickled. That the Tmes Literary Supplement, Newsday, and the Guardian have endorsed it, either means no-one read the book from start to finiah, or, who knows.! I say all this as an expat professional working and living in KSA over a number of years.

An angry work (4/5 people found this helpful)

It is hard to read this book and not get some sense that Aburish is both angry and passionate in his views on the Saudi regime. At the time of writing, it was becoming increasingly popular to 'foretell' the collapse of the regime in Riyadh. However, Aburish's forecasts have not come true, at least not yet.

This is not a badly-written book. Aburish is indeed capable of painting a highly vivid and entertaining picture. Anyone interested in Saudi Arabia will enjoy the book. However, its argument and the emotion with which it is delivered make it a less than reliable source on the Saudi regime. At times it borders on an intellectual Michael Moore-ish attack on a fundamentalist government. It also fails to adequately comprehend the lessons of history regarding the Saudi regime's survival. The Al-Saud are far more adept at meeting challenges to their rule than Aburish gives them credit for. This has been recently proved by their largely successful apprehending of many militants around the kingdom.

This not to say that his criticisms of their rule are wrong. The Saudi regime is guilty of many, if not all, of the horrific things that Aburish charges them with. The problem is that the student of Gulf politics, or the lay reader on the subject, cannot rely on this subjective and angry work.

Nevertheless, there is something to be said for an entertaining and illuminating read on any subject. So if you're going to read this...enjoy.

Detailed history of the House of Saud (8/9 people found this helpful)

Firstly a quick warning, this book was written in 1994 and re-printed in 2005, with only a minor preface detailing the events of the last decade. This book lacks any analysis of the W Bush administrations policies in the Middle East or of the Clinton administrations relations with the House of Saud. An additional chapter detailing the House of Sauds reaction and involvement in the second Iraq war would have been welcome. That said this book is still relevant, given the importance of Saudi Arabia and the House of Saud as the worlds largest exporter of crude oil.

I have read a great deal about the Middle East post-1919 having studied it at University. A lot of books on this subject are superficial, written from a western perspective. This book really gives a detailed insight into the House of Saud, its links with the US and its oil and business dealings. The tone of this book is decidedly against the ruling dynasty but the criticisms are always well supported, which makes the content of this book even more alarming. Aburish's prediction has not yet come about but for a history of the kingdom this is certainly well worth a read.

A good read but... (2/6 people found this helpful)

The auther sometimes makes strong statements without backing them up with factual , historical evidence to support his views. This book is not neutral - the author has taken sides. Where his remarks are not backed up by factual evidence, those bits I take with a "big question mark"

It would be nice if I could find a book covering the same subject matter but one which is 100% factual from start to finish.

The Rise, Corruption and Coming Fall of the House of Saud

Said K. Aburish

Reader Reviews:

A must read to understand better the middle east (0/0 people found this helpful)

'...awe to grind' (2/4 people found this helpful)

An angry work (4/5 people found this helpful)

Detailed history of the House of Saud (8/9 people found this helpful)

A good read but... (2/6 people found this helpful)

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