ملوك وجمال :أمريكي في المملكة العربية السعودية

by Grant C. Butler, عاطف فالح يوسف (ترجمة)

First published in 1960, Kings and Camels is a straightforward account of how an American went to work in Saudi Arabia and came home to the US to realize how little the average American appreciated the strategic importance of Saudi Arabia and, more crucially still, how little he understood the people in the area. Grant Butler presents his material in the form of an informal account of his personal experiences in the Middle East, both while he lived there, working for the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO), and as a successful lecturer and writer who has returned to the area often. The book goes behind the scenes in the Arab world, and into private audience with the legendary Ibn Saud. It explains Islam, the religion of the Arabs, and it introduces the reader to the desert Bedouin, and the Arab of the cities. Kings and Camels focuses on human interest, and on the Americans who lived and worked in Saudi Arabia. Above all, the book's emphasis is on the cultivation of understanding between the American and Arab peoples.

247 pages

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1960, it gives a general but very interesting look of earlier perspectives Americans and Saudi Arabs had of each other. The author addresses prejudices and misconceptions that are sadly still present, but with a hope and belief that mutual understanding will be the key to peace. I would recommend this book as introductory but valuable for anyone interested in Saudi Arabian history and culture, the history of US and Middle Eastern relations and in some popular opinions from that time (some of which haven't changed!) The author's thesis might be that common values in Christianity and Islam should inspire more friendship, and the history of ARAMCO should be considered a positive foundation for cooperation. The author, a lecturer on the topic, could be considered perhaps idealistic and definitely a man of earlier times, but his writing is intelligent, honest, and fairly unbiased. He addresses issues that were modern to him - such as American ignorance of Islam and the Arab world, the rise of Communism and Islamic countries' rejection of it, Zionism, and the Palestinian refugee crisis - and it is sobering to relate the content of this book to the evolution and current standings of these issues. Things have improved in some ways, and definitely not in others, but the book inspires some optimism still.