The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Rating:
Summary: Best book I have ever read.
Review: A high level writing I have ever meet. I hope every people will introduce with this book to acquire knowledge about SAUDI ARABIA.

Rating:
Summary: Best book I have ever read.
Review: I high level writing I have ever meet. I hope every people will introduce with this book to acquire knowledge about SAUDI ARABIA.

Rating:
Summary: Informative but not critical enough
Review: This book is very informative and takes one on a tour of Saudi life and Saudi politics, including the essential problems facing Saudis Fuedal royal family.

The main downfall of this book, along with so many on Saudi, is that it is not ciritcal enough of this country where the status of women is the worst on earth. In Saudi women can drive, they cant leave the house without written permision of a male, only 4% of Saudi workers are women, in essence this is a fascist country but those being persecuted arnt a race, they are instead a sex. Thier is something profoundly wrong with a country who sends male delegations to international womens conferences(every other delegate is female). The Saudis laws are so archaic, and so backwards and none of this is detailed in this book. Instead the author refers to the country as 'traditiona'. Hmmm, if traditional means the total suppression of half of humanity then I guess thats accurate, except I always thought traditional simply meant conservative, as in Sicily or Mexico.

An informative book but not the whole story. For a more thorough investigation of Saudi women read 'Nine Parts of Desire'.

Rating:
Summary: Succinct Review
Review: This slender book appears to be the published version of a thesis. It covers in brief but reasonably complete form the several aspects of Saudi Arabia, its history, the governing family, the economy, politics, the oil story, the Hajj and security. Its prognostications for the future seem reasonable. I was forced to question its accuracy in every category when I found the date of Abdul Aziz's decease given as 1950. Many have followed the leader in stating that he was born in 1880, as does Long, but it is was in fact the year 1876, probably in October or November, that he first saw light and he died in 1953.. The photographs are reproduced on the text stock, thus reducing their intrinsic value.I find the book overpriced. Its page total is 154, which is less than the total given in the blurb.