The Battle for Saudi Arabia: Royalty, Fundamentalism, and Global Power

Rating:
Summary: Great Introduction to Saudi Arabia
Review: This book is probably the best introduction to Saudi Arabia I have read yet. Over a hundred years of history including the founding of the Saudi state is condensed into a scholarly, yet easy-to-read and always entertaining work. The House of Saud's alliance with the Wahhabist sect (the House of Shaykh) has allowed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to exist today. Saudi Arabia is one of the most enigmatic and oppressive nations in the world today. This book is the perfect introduction for anyone interested in Saudi Arabia or the Middle East in general.