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by David E. Long
David Long’s portrait of Saudi Arabia depicts the kingdom as
one of the least understood countries in the world. Encompassing
all facets of Saudi life—the land and people, their religion
and culture, the country’s history, politics, economics, and
foreign policy—the book presents scholarship in a highly
readable narrative. Drawing upon extensive firsthand experience,
Long depicts the often contradictory impulses of a country
committed both to modernization and to the values of a
traditional society. Alongside his discussion of oil and the
Saudi economy, for example, is a chapter on the annual Hajj, or
pilgrimage, to Makkah, a subject about which little has been
written in English but one that is far more important to the
millions of Muslims worldwide than the kingdom’s oil wealth.
At every turn Long looks at issues from a Saudi point of view as
he explores the kingdom’s successes, failures, and, most of
all, its remarkable resiliency in response to the pressures of
social change.
22 b&w photographs, 7 tables, 3 maps, notes, bibliography, index.
ISBN 0-8130-1471-9
ISBN 0-8130-1473-5
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"Long's book is remarkably successful in providing a feel for this country of startling contrasts and anomalies, and he does so in a sympathetic yet certainly not uncritical way. This short and readable handbook is an extraordinary resource for up-to-date information and fair-minded interpretation, not only for Saudi Arabia but also for the Islamic Middle East."--Choice "This is a short introductory work on Saudi Arabia, intended for a non-specialist readership, but written by a scholar who has devoted more than twenty years to the study of the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf. It is comprehensive in its approach to the subject, dealing with geography and history, culture and economics, domestic politics and foreign
policy. "Lavishly illustrated with photographs, this book is highly readable and offers a non-expert a sympathetic insight into the present predicament of Saudi Arabia."--Digest of Middle East Studies "This is the
outstanding book on Saudi Arabia for readers desiring a
comprehensive view of the subject embracing both background and
contemporary foreign policy issues."--David L. Mack,
chairman, Department of National Security Policy, National War
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