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A Brief History Of Saudi Arabia
Traces the history of Saudi Arabia, from its pre-Islamic origins, through the rise of the House of Saud, to issues facing the country today.
334 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 8, 2014
There's an assumption when reading a Facts on File book that one will get a whirlwind tour of the nation in focus, with an emphasis on the last two centuries, and maybe a millenium or two of placing the region in larger contexts. In the case of Saudi Arabia, one would expect a story beginning largely in the 18th century with the rise of Abd al-Wahhab, and the relation of extreme conservative brands of Islam with the Saudi state.
Wynbrandt provides a good deal more than that. This brief book gives an overview of the miniature empires that arose in the era of Jahiliyya, the time before Mohammed. He gives a quick look at the life of the prophet, the first conquering wave of Islam, and the Arabian Peninsula's role in the Islamic Renaissance of 800 to 1200 AD.
Perhaps more important, Wynbrandt distinguishes the west coast keepers of the holy sites in the Hijab region, from the Bedouin-influenced conservative clans in the interior Najd region. Wynbrandt makes the important point that al-Wahhab made his most important influence not with the Medina or Mecca aristocracy, but with a backward clan, the Saud clan, who came to prominence precisely because family members embraced Wahhabism.
The quick run-through of the 20th and 21st centuries can't provide more than a peek into Saudi ties with the U.S. and U.K., but we gain some unique insights on the November 1979 seizure of the Grand Mosque and Kaaba; on CIA machinations in the region; in the investigations of Saudi banks possibly linked to funding of terrorism; etc.
There are gaps, to be sure. A more comprehensive coverage of key neighbors such as Yemen, Bahrain and Oman would have shown how these nations influenced the royal family. In particular, there was a lot to say about the split of Yemen into North and South Yemen and the reunification of those two nations, But many of these topics can be addressed in the source materials Wynbrandt relies upon.
We walk away understanding the economic impact of oil in building the modern state, and we also understand that Wahhabism was not an accidental appendage of the Saudi regime, but a key framework. Hence, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which Saudi Arabia is not, in the final analysis, an enemy of Western interests, unless the nation drops its Islamic monarchy structure and its support of Wahhabism. Don't hold your breath.
Wynbrandt provides a good deal more than that. This brief book gives an overview of the miniature empires that arose in the era of Jahiliyya, the time before Mohammed. He gives a quick look at the life of the prophet, the first conquering wave of Islam, and the Arabian Peninsula's role in the Islamic Renaissance of 800 to 1200 AD.
Perhaps more important, Wynbrandt distinguishes the west coast keepers of the holy sites in the Hijab region, from the Bedouin-influenced conservative clans in the interior Najd region. Wynbrandt makes the important point that al-Wahhab made his most important influence not with the Medina or Mecca aristocracy, but with a backward clan, the Saud clan, who came to prominence precisely because family members embraced Wahhabism.
The quick run-through of the 20th and 21st centuries can't provide more than a peek into Saudi ties with the U.S. and U.K., but we gain some unique insights on the November 1979 seizure of the Grand Mosque and Kaaba; on CIA machinations in the region; in the investigations of Saudi banks possibly linked to funding of terrorism; etc.
There are gaps, to be sure. A more comprehensive coverage of key neighbors such as Yemen, Bahrain and Oman would have shown how these nations influenced the royal family. In particular, there was a lot to say about the split of Yemen into North and South Yemen and the reunification of those two nations, But many of these topics can be addressed in the source materials Wynbrandt relies upon.
We walk away understanding the economic impact of oil in building the modern state, and we also understand that Wahhabism was not an accidental appendage of the Saudi regime, but a key framework. Hence, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which Saudi Arabia is not, in the final analysis, an enemy of Western interests, unless the nation drops its Islamic monarchy structure and its support of Wahhabism. Don't hold your breath.
July 31, 2014
One of the best history books of Saudi Arabia. It's condensed, informative, and chronological.
April 19, 2022
The first 2 chapters of this book were completely unnecessary in my opinion. Many books already Chronicle the Islamic golden age which mostly took place in Syria Iraq and Persia anyways so idk why it was mentioned. He also got some basic Islamic facts wrong like spelling the name of the companions incorrectly. His book really only starts with 18th century Arabia. However once I got there it was great. The book detailed the conquest of ibn saud, how he basically used his might and intellect to unite warring tribes into 1 country. The book instilled a respect in me for the Saudi state that I didn't have before ( notwithstanding their current messy state of affairs) and I think it's a good reader for the region if you skip the first 2 chapters.
December 11, 2024
Excellent. Only 2 drawbacks - some of the earlier names are so similar that one gets confused and obviously the book was written in 2004 and so much has happened in the last 20 years.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews