Synopses & Reviews
Saudi Arabia: land of oil, terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism, and a crucial American ally. John R. Bradley uniquely exposes the turmoil that is shaking the House of Saud to its foundations, including the problems within the new leadership. From the heart of the secretive Islamic kingdom's urban centers to its most remote mountainous terrain, he provides intimate details and reveals regional, religious, and tribal rivalries.
Bradley highlights tensions generated by social change, the increasing restlessness of Saudi youth with limited cultural and political outlets, and the predicament of Saudi women seeking opportunities but facing constraints.
What are the implications for the Sauds and the West? This book offers a startling look at the present predicament and a troubling view of the future.
Review
"The geopolitics of oil is beyond the author's scope, but for readers interested in the social forces at work in the country, including terrorism, Bradley provides perceptive access to current trends." Booklist
Review
"A highly informed, temperate and understanding account of a country that...is an enigma to other Arabs, and...Saudis themselves." New York Times
Review
"Recommended as popular background reading on a country much in the news." Library Journal
Review
"Introduces us to a complex world, exposing contradictions and anomalies that allow us to see the Saudis in three dimensions." Michael Scott Doran, assistant professor in the Near East Dept. at Princeton University; Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
Synopsis
A journalist's revealing look inside the mysterious Saudi kingdom.
About the Author
John R. Bradley has reported extensively from Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East for The New Republic, Salon, The Washington Times, The Independent and The London Daily Telegraph. He has commentated on related issues for CNN, CBS, the BBC and NPR.
Table of Contents
Liberal Voices of the Hijaz * The Death of the Majlis * Flower Men, Tribal Sheiks * Shia Fear * Expatriate Life (and Death) * Urban Crime Wave * The Segregation of the Sexes * Whos's Censoring Whom? * Ticking Time Bombs: Youth