Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude

Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude
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EXCELLENT FAST REVIEW of US/Saudi Politics (In Ketab ra kheli khubeh...Jedan Migham!)

We have met the enemy and it is us

Required Reading For All Voters

A great overview of shared corruption

Compelling non-fiction

Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude
Robert Baer
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Saudi Arabia | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1400052688
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Amazon.com

According to Robert Baer, the center of the global economy is a "kingdom built on thievery, one that nurtures terrorism, destroys any possibility of a middle class based on property rights, and promotes slavery and prostitution." This kingdom also sits on one quarter of the world's oil reserves, thus ensuring that it receives the full support and protection of the U.S. government. Sleeping With the Devil details the hypocritical and corrupt relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia and the potentially calamitous economic consequences of maintaining this Faustian bargain.

As Baer makes clear, the U.S. has been aware of problems within the bitterly divided Al Sa'ud family for years, but has ignored the facts in order to keep lucrative business deals afloat. (The amount of money the royal family spends to influence powerful American politicians and lobbyists is staggering.) Particularly damning are his details regarding Saudi Arabia's support of militant Islamic groups, including al Qaeda. The ruling family funnels millions of dollars to such groups in order to dissuade them from overthrowing the monarchy--a protection scheme that is shaky at best, given the hatred most citizens feel for the ruling family. To prevent economic disaster that could come from either a local uprising or an interruption in the flow of oil due to terrorism, Baer raises the possibility of the U.S. seizing the Saudi oil fields and forcing a regime change on its own terms: "An invasion and a revolution might be the only things that can save the industrial West from a prolonged, wrenching depression," he warns.

Baer spent 21 years with the CIA, much of it in the Middle East, so he is an informed guide to this complex subject. His alarming book deserves to be read for raising many important and troubling questions. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

“Saudi Arabia is more and more an irrational state—a place that spawns global terrorism even as it succumbs to an ancient and deeply seated isolationism, a kingdom led by a royal family that can’t get out of the way of its own greed. Is this the fulcrum we want the global economy to balance on?”

In his explosive New York Times bestseller, See No Evil, former CIA operative Robert Baer exposed how Washington politics drastically compromised the CIA’s efforts to fight global terrorism. Now in his powerful new book, Sleeping with the Devil, Baer turns his attention to Saudi Arabia, revealing how our government’s cynical relationship with our Middle Eastern ally and America’s dependence on Saudi oil make us increasingly vulnerable to economic disaster and put us at risk for further acts of terrorism.

For decades, the United States and Saudi Arabia have been locked in a “harmony of interests.” America counted on the Saudis for cheap oil, political stability in the Middle East, and lucrative business relationships for the United States, while providing a voracious market for the kingdom’s vast oil reserves. With money and oil flowing freely between Washington and Riyadh, the United States has felt secure in its relationship with the Saudis and the ruling Al Sa’ud family. But the rot at the core of our “friendship” with the Saudis was dramatically revealed when it became apparent that fifteen of the nineteen September 11 hijackers proved to be Saudi citizens.

In Sleeping with the Devil, Baer documents with chilling clarity how our addiction to cheap oil and Saudi petrodollars caused us to turn a blind eye to the Al Sa’ud’s culture of bribery, its abysmal human rights record, and its financial support of fundamentalist Islamic groups that have been directly linked to international acts of terror, including those against the United States. Drawing on his experience as a field operative who was on the ground in the Middle East for much of his twenty years with the agency, as well as the large network of sources he has cultivated in the region and in the U.S. intelligence community, Baer vividly portrays our decades-old relationship with the increasingly dysfunctional and corrupt Al Sa’ud family, the fierce anti-Western sentiment that is sweeping the kingdom, and the desperate link between the two. In hopes of saving its own neck, the royal family has been shoveling money as fast as it can to mosque schools that preach hatred of America and to militant fundamentalist groups—an end game just waiting to play out.

Baer not only reveals the outrageous excesses of a Saudi royal family completely out of touch with the people of its kingdom, he also takes readers on a highly personal search for the deeper roots of modern terrorism, a journey that returns time again and again to Saudi Arabia: to the Wahhabis, the powerful Islamic sect that rules the Saudi street; to the Taliban and al Qaeda, both of which Saudi Arabia helped to underwrite; and to the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the most active and effective terrorist groups in existence, which the Al Sa’ud have sheltered and funded. The money and arms that we send to Saudi Arabia are, in effect, being used to cut our own throat, Baer writes, but America might have only itself to blame. So long as we continue to encourage the highly volatile Saudi state to bank our oil under its sand—and so long as we continue to grab at the Al Sa’ud’s money—we are laying the groundwork for a potential global economic catastrophe.

From the Hardcover edition.

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Saudi Arabia is more and more an irrational state -- a place that spawns global terrorism even as it succumbs to an ancient and deeply seated isolationism, a kingdom led by a royal family that can't get out of the way of its own greed. Is this the fulcrum we want the global economy to balance on?"

In his explosive New York Times bestseller, See No Evil, former CIA operative Robert Baer exposed how Washington politics drastically compromised the CIA's efforts to fight global terrorism. Now in his powerful new book, Sleeping with the Devil, Baer turns his attention to Saudi Arabia, revealing how our government's cynical relationship with our Middle Eastern ally and America's dependence on Saudi oil make us increasingly vulnerable to economic disaster and put us at risk for further acts of terrorism.

For decades, the United States and Saudi Arabia have been locked in a "harmony of interests." America counted on the Saudis for cheap oil, political stability in the Middle East, and lucrative business relationships for the United States, while providing a voracious market for the kingdom's vast oil reserves. With money and oil flowing freely between Washington and Riyadh, the United States has felt secure in its relationship with the Saudis and the ruling Al Sa'ud family. But the rot at the core of our "friendship" with the Saudis was dramatically revealed when it became apparent that fifteen of the nineteen September 11 hijackers proved to be Saudi citizens.

In Sleeping with the Devil, Baer documents with chilling clarity how our addiction to cheap oil and Saudi petrodollars caused us to turn a blind eye to the Al Sa'ud's culture of bribery, its abysmal human rights record, and its financial support of fundamentalist Islamic groups that have been directly linked to international acts of terror, including those against the United States. Drawing on his experience as a field operative who was on the ground in the Middle East for much of his twenty years with the agency, as well as the large network of sources he has cultivated in the region and in the U.S. intelligence community, Baer vividly portrays our decades-old relationship with the increasingly dysfunctional and corrupt Al Sa'ud family, the fierce anti-Western sentiment that is sweeping the kingdom, and the desperate link between the two. In hopes of saving its own neck, the royal family has been shoveling money as fast as it can to mosque schools that preach hatred of America and to militant fundamentalist groups -- an end game just waiting to play out.

Baer not only reveals the outrageous excesses of a Saudi royal family completely out of touch with the people of its kingdom, he also takes readers on a highly personal search for the deeper roots of modern terrorism, a journey that returns time again and again to Saudi Arabia: to the Wahhabis, the powerful Islamic sect that rules the Saudi street; to the Taliban and al Qaeda, both of which Saudi Arabia helped to underwrite; and to the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the most active and effective terrorist groups in existence, which the Al Sa'ud have sheltered and funded. The money and arms that we send to Saudi Arabia are, in effect, being used to cut our own throat, Baer writes, but America might have only itself to blame. So long as we continue to encourage the highly volatile Saudi state to bank our oil under its sand -- and so long as we continue to grab at the Al Sa'ud's money -- we are laying the groundwork for a potential global economic catastrophe.

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT FAST REVIEW of US/Saudi Politics (In Ketab ra kheli khubeh...Jedan Migham!).......2007-09-07

Easy 1-2 day read...a book you CAN'T put down! Excellent writing style with occasional humorous comments by Baer. An entertaining book, as well as informative!

The only negative aspect in reading many reviews here, is the failures of many to recognize that this publication is ONLY ONE example of internal causes and weaknesses of the US Government and corporate powers that I feel have led to potentially serious current and future economic concerns and failures in US policy, especially in regards to further class splitting and the more recent revelation of a diminishing middle class in the US! (The "Fall of Rome" kept resonating throughout this book!) Readers MUST remember that this is an example of a limited perspective of limited causes towards the deterioration of our nation's infrastructure...there are MANY OTHER contributing factors than just the examples Baer presents in his book in regards to "related terrorism", especially as Baer points out with regard to State Department Policy, as well as Department of Justice failures to address governmental weaknesses and lacking policy and logistics!

Baer does an EXCEPTIONAL job in pointing out the potential weaknesses that DO currently exist, especially in regards to policy cohesion (or lack thereof) between agencies, professionals, and related concerns. Personally, I feel that many attorneys and law makers are just as terroristic as "Islamic Extremists"! It seems that our "security" has become quite the political issue of the day, only to be revealed by some of Baer's direct and accurate statements!

It is awesome to see this representation of how "HUMAN GREED", not just "WESTERN GREED" exists in ALL parts of the world, as presented by Baer who addresses deeper causes of "radical religious extremism"! "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" resonates with examples of such worldly advice, not strictly against "western" ideology! A few Islamic extremists might remember that they just might be destroying innocent citizens in the west who COULD stand up against what "greed" has done to ALL HUMANS, not just their cause!!! I don't know too many Christian radicals who can justly rationalize the bombing of abortion clinics and killing of doctors as a fair representation of "right to life"!! I think that MANY Islamic extremists are also paddling upstream in a cement boat in much of that same ignorance that ANY extremist religions represent!

Unfortunately, "terrorism" has become just another "political catchphrase" and marketing strategy to distract the average citizen from deeper truths they really would want to avoid, very similar to the 'Zebras' running around in Kenya, Russia, Iran, Arabia and the Sudan, et alii...and just as freely in DC! The saddest aspect that Baer reveals is how GOOD CITIZENS are thwarted from truthful statements and records from the Zebras who are running circles around American Constitutional rights and the corruptions of "rule of law" in our courts, government and conglomerates with their own greedy agendas, absent of considerations for cause and effect, and especially towards those of us who voted for them in the first place, hoping for better integrity universally, instead of limited political and financial interests!

There is a lesson to be learned about "American Complacency"...it might just eventually put us in the same boat as the extremists who are attacking from both sides of the spectrum!

I have known many good foreigners and many bad ones...but I have known bad fellow Americans as well, especially ones with power and money to destroy our lives! I am glad to have seen Baer address that aspect of UNIVERSAL HUMAN NATURE in his book, as a recognition that "it's NOT the RACE, RELIGION or CULTURE, but it's the PERSONAL INTEGRITY within EACH OF US that REALLY matters!

The old adage, "give them enough rope, and they'll hang themselves", has really meant that the power struggle is in who is holding that extra rope! For Saudis, it's their misuses of power and wealth by a greedy Monarchy who seems to care nothing about "efficiently running a country for its own best interests" vs. personal greed. For Americans, it's those in government and corporate sectors who really are NOT looking out for AMERICA'S best interests, but simply their own greedy agendas! Decent "religious" people of ALL religions recognize this basic truth we share together! It's just too bad that so many "religious leaders" have implemented and instilled violence with a fanatical agenda to address their OWN agendas, and not truly the REAL Will of God! The same principal holds true in secular societies with relation to "good" social and personal behaviors vs. "bad" behaviors. Baer is brilliant in bringing this to light on such a large scale!

I hope some of those in power learn to do the right thing, like throw the REAL criminals in prison who are responsible for being traitors to our good country, as well as holding accountable those that Baer brings to light in his work! I think this book should be required reading in business ethics classes, as well as PoliSci classes! The 'political' implications of a national struggle for control of "National Security" vs. privacy becomes quite evident in Baer's book! Take a deeper look!

You will NOT regret buying this book, unless you can't handle the truth!

We have met the enemy and it is us .......2007-07-19

If one wants to understand at least part of the reason why things have not gone so well since 9/11 one would do well to read this book. Baer tells a woeful tale of corruption and cover-up in describing U.S.- Saudi relations. The Saudis according to Baer have put a lot of Americans on their payroll , and not only private individuals but those who serve in the CIA and State Department. Saudi bribery of Americans is paralleled by Saudi bribery done at home. The House of Saud and it's thirty- thousand princes have sold the educational system of the kingdom to the religious fanatics, who also happen to be major-exporters of Islamic terrorism. The fact that the Saudis are supposedly America's close ally while at the same time funding Terror is also underlined by the large Saudi presence among the suicide- bombers in Iraq.
Where all this is going to go is not clear, though Baer seems to feel the corrupt, oppressive rule of the House of Saud will in the not distant future come tumbling down.

Required Reading For All Voters.......2007-06-24

Sleeping with the Devil is written from Baer's own perspective as an intell and ex-intell officer. After having read portions of some academic books on this subject, this is one of the easiest and most compelling reads you're going to get on it, exactly because it approaches it from a personal standpoint of emotional reactions upon acquiring each bit of information. He is clearly not happy about the conclusions this information forces him to, but trudges on for the sake of truth and possible solutions.

What's the gist of this book? The U.S. political system, our intelligence & counterintelligence apparatus, the energy economy, the defense industry, and policy towards the Middle East are sinfully broken. Our officials have increased their standard of living and that of their friends by consorting with oil Arabs. Those Arabs have made huge defense contracts they cannot afford that fill U.S. elites' pockets. They also pump as much oil as possible to drive prices down to keep these U.S. officials elected.

The same Arabs are surrounded by radicals who want to overthrow them, so they fund them but force the terrorists overseas to funnel their hatred towards the West. All this time, the said wealthy Arabs are taking bribes and skimming off the top in order to live a life of debauchery, thus inciting even more fundamentalists inside their own country to hate them, causing an even greater need to appease them with more funds and push them out of the country towards us.

The United States has manipulated its way into getting our troops into the region in order to ensure this status quo. A concerted and bipartisan effort has been made to use the FBI and other agencies to help dissuade investigation of our Arab allies and help quiet descent. Americans are dying, the common Arab is poor and oppressed, but U.S. and Arab elites are staying influential and getting rich off it.

There is much, much more to it, but you need to read it for yourself. I will tell you the conclusions are not pretty. The United States is facing a crisis. We have political powers who are keeping information classified for the purpose of, at the worst, covering up corruption, or at the very least, severe impropriety in both southwestern Arabia and back home. The solutions suggested by Baer were self-reform by the politicians and corporate big-wigs, and, brace yourself, an outright invasion of a 400 mile stretch of oil real estate that includes Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.

While the self-reform was always unlikely, the invasion was not. However, it is a downright impossibility now. If we did, Muslims everywhere would turn against us, not just ideologically, but in a material sense. A third invasion of an Arab country, especially the one with the two most holy of Islam's sites, would not go well in light of the disaster in Iraq. It doesn't matter how sparsely populated that 400 mile stretch is. Furthermore, the American elites would have to be complicit in something they have a vested interest in preventing. Without the Sheikhs and Saudi royalty in the loop, the current scheme would dissolve. It'd be great for the average American and Arab, but if the politicians didn't have an incentive to stop this before, they don't have one now. They'll just keep milking this until the bitter end.

But the bitter end is coming whether we like it or not. The House of Saud will fall. Oil prices will rocket. The American economy will tank. We do not have the oil the public seems to think we have. We are not a Russia. China is a non-issue. They are a dependent and have almost no internal energy production infrastructure. Whoever needs cheep, cut-throat goods, they'll do business with. Russia, on the other hand, has enormous reserves and has the potential to regain its status in such a scenario.

So we can't invade that 400 mile strip. The politicians won't reform. There will be no required alliance with the Shiites, as shown with all the rhetoric towards Iran. And the inevitable is on the way. What do we have left? I would posit that the only solution left is to bring 'em home...all of them. It's unfortunate. I hate having to say this. However, it's clear the USA needs to protect our boarders, ports, and airports and hunker down. All the money we save from halting further major military exploits should be pumped into pure electric cars, fission nuclear power plants, and fusion nuclear power research. Domestically-produced oil products should be used only for heavy machinery, aircraft, and smaller machines like lawn mowers.

I do not think this is a similar situation to Japan at the end of WWII. They kept their emperor, police, and enough of their infrastructure to meet the basic necessities of life and prevent civil unrest. The Japanese government was part of the transfer. Iraq is almost complete anarchy. At this point, we are a distraction. The Sunnis and Shia should be fighting against Al Queda, not against us. They'll fight against each other regardless of what we do because we are not willing to commit the war crimes necessary to bring them under control...thank God. Someone else will fill that role. He'll likely be another Sunni, because a Shiite leader would have no reason not to just exterminate the minority.

Stopping terrorism should be a law enforcement and intelligence mission, with the military playing only a support role. The purpose of the U.S. military is to defend us, not invade countries and idiotically attempt to force democracy on people. Remember, it's "of the people, by the people", not "of a foreign nation, and by a foreign nation". This new fixation on counterinsurgency is a sickness that will ruin the military culture and rot its strategic defense capabilities from the inside out. Baer's correct that forcing democracy in the region will only cause more problems, but military action there of any kind is now outdated.

I fear that none of what we say matters, though. Those in power will keep exploiting this situation until the end. And when the crash occurs, they'll be the ones least affected. The rich Arabs will have their resorts and prostitutes, the Americans will have their seats on various corporate boards and lucrative speaking engagements. It doesn't even matter whether they're an exile from their kingdom, scapegoat, or red herring whistleblower. They'll all be taken care of.

Then again, maybe that's the best solution after all. If you just keep letting enough Americans die, the terrorists will avoid overthrowing their own governments and the rest of us will continue getting our cheap oil. Since the politicians are most likely to do exactly that, I am crossing my fingers that these deaths happen only in overseas war zones and not back here...and no one I know or love. I suppose the Bush mantra of "If we don't fight them over there we'll be fighting them at home" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Isn't it nice to know that doing your part comes down to nothing more than crossing your fingers?

A great overview of shared corruption.......2007-06-13

Robert Baer has a very easy style and good anecdotes, which is helpful when entering the briar-patch of financial back-scratching relationships between US corporate leaders and politicians (all of them), with Saudi royals and businessmen, and the trickle-down of money and protection to terrorists.

Other (newer) books examine some of the specific relationships more extensively, and where Baer suggests possible unhealthy connections, he's usually understating the reality. What his book paints far more vividly than any of the others is the pervasiveness and severity of the ethical rot at the very core of both our government, and the Saudi government.

In 'See No Evil' he lambasted the Clinton White House for selling our security and our foreign policy for oil largesse -- in this book he has realized that the Bush WH is at least as bad, if not worse, and indeed all the administrations since Nixon have been up to their eyeballs in totally bipartisan oil-for-US policy trades. AIPAC can only dream.

He does have one oddly naive aspect, it seems to me -- he talks as if we introduced corruption to the Saudis. Perhaps he hangs on to the romantic fantasy of the Bedouin, but bribery, plundering, extortion and graft were part of the Arab tribal warlord culture for a thousand years before we showed up, and still is. Look at Arafat, Asad, Hariri, Mubarak, the Shah, Saddam -- we didn't teach the Arabs anything about corruption except more sophisticated banking and money-laundering techniques -- which, btw, they are now much better at than we are. If we hadn't been there, the French, Germans, Russians, or Brits would have gleefully wallowed in the same obscene level of corruption.

He makes an important point in his two non-fiction books that al Qaeda is essentially a PR front, something that gives name/face recognition to a truly vast, loose network of 'franchises.' They are all derived from and guided by the subtle, incredibly dangerous Muslim Brotherhood, which is funded by the Gulf States. AQ and Hamas are the above-ground mushrooms; MB is the vast subterranean web. The Sunni MB at times has worked very closely with Shia Iran, which directly runs Hizbullah, a group I think Baer underestimates somewhat as to global terrorist influence and impact.

Compelling non-fiction.......2007-05-21

Mr. Baer gives a very readable account of the ties that form an almost incestuous U.S. - Saudi relationship, in which America has for years pretended to neither see nor hear - and hence speak - no evil about the dark side of the Saudi kingdom's rulers.

Mr. Baer's book came out at the time of the second war with Iraq when many must have been wondering how the events of September 11th, 2001 justified the invasion. Fifteen of the 18 hijackers that attacked U.S. targets that day were Saudis. The other three were Egyptian.

For a fictionalized story that posits a very different U.S. - Saudi relationship, take a look at SAUDI MATCH POINT, a story that has America taking off the kid gloves in its treatment of the Saudis. In fact, the U.S. goes overboard, and in a twist, uses an impending hostage-taking as a convenient excuse to invade and seize control of Saudi Arabia's vast oil facilities and reserves. The novel is available online from Blacksmith Books.

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A Unique Masterpiece
The Hejaz War
Stylistic autobiography with insight
Learning the Arab way
Extraordinary - History and the Man

Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph
T.E. Lawrence
Manufacturer: Anchor
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Binding: Paperback

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This is the exciting and highly literate story of the real Lawrence of Arabia, as written by Lawrence himself, who helped unify Arab factions against the occupying Turkish army, circa World War I. Lawrence has a novelist's eye for detail, a poet's command of the language, an adventurer's heart, a soldier's great story, and his memory and intellect are at least as good as all those. Lawrence describes the famous guerrilla raids, and train bombings you know from the movie, but also tells of the Arab people and politics with great penetration. Moreover, he is witty, always aware of the ethical tightrope that the English walked in the Middle East and always willing to include himself in his own withering insight.

Book Description

The monumental work that assured T.E. Lawrence's place in history as "Lawrence of Arabia." Not only a consummate military history, but also a colorful epic and a lyrical exploration of the mind of a great man who helped shape the Middle East as it exists today.

Customer Reviews:

A Unique Masterpiece.......2007-09-25

This is one of the great books of the 20th century. That it could be written at all is almost a miracle in itself. Take a brilliant Oxford student trained in the old classical tradition, place him in the Arabian desert as advisor to the wild Bedouin tribesmen during their revolt against the Turks and have him write with an acute sensitivity and unparalleld insight into what was transpiring before him and you may have some notion of what the book is like.
It's a long book. You will learn a great deal about blowing up a railroad bridge in the desert, about camel rides, thirst, and hunger and the heroism and brutality of war. The portraits of Sheik Auda, Sherrif Ali and Prince Faisal of the two Arab boys who Lawrence takes under his wing are masterpieces in and of themselves. The nobility and savagery of the desert tribesmen contrasted with the cold stoicism of the British and the inculcated cruelty of the Turks are just some of themes addressed during the course of the work. There are brilliant passing insights as to the Semitic inspiration for all the revealed religions and their relation to the desert beautiful descripitions of the terrain the weather and the obstacles encountered. When Lawrence says that from the beginning he believed the Arab revolt would succeed because it grew out of a sympathetic population was opposed by a modern army that could not garrison the territory occupied one wishes that President Bush had read it instead of just seeing the movie. Read it yourself.

The Hejaz War.......2007-06-10

The Hejaz War of 1917 was written by Colonel T.E. Lawrence at the Paris peace talks in 1920 -21. Lawrence understood the Arabs thay did not conquer territory but they brought the Arab tribes together to conquer the Ottoman Turkish Army whom they considered poor soldiers. The Hejaz is the Red Sea coast parallel to the extinct lava fields of the 3,000m high Hejaz mountains. The Hejaz railway, linking Damascus with Medina, was attacked by Lawrence's Hejaz army until the Turks could no longer repair it. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the bible of Guerilla Warfare and should be read by General Petraeus US Armed Forces Commander, Iraq.
The taking of Damascus intact in 1918 by the arab army before General Allenby's allied army at least ensured Sheikh Feisal became King of Iraq. The Sykes -Picot treaty of 1916 ensured the Middle East was divided up by Britain and France directly leading to the present Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Stylistic autobiography with insight.......2007-01-09

Mr. TE Lawrence was not only a gifted tactician/strategist but also a scholar of the highest order. His writing style is rich and descriptive avoiding the dry pitfalls sometimes associated with autobiographies. The story of the Arab revolt from the man who helped shape and guide it is an invaluable resource to have. TE Lawrence's thoughts on irregular/unconventional warfare are insightful and still lessons to be rememembered today. An enjoyable and insightful read- perfect for any military history collection.

Learning the Arab way.......2007-01-05

For me, the complexity of the Middle East seemed unfathomable. By reading this book, carefully, delving into the author's text, I have a better understanding of the people of the Middle East and their many tribes and cultural ways. I also can begin to understand their rivalries and methods of dealing with each other. It is a very complex society that will take the USA years to understand and deal with.

Extraordinary - History and the Man.......2006-11-10

At a critical time, the right man steeped forward (if somewhat indirectly) to encourage an Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. This classic war novel is more than the usual, as it reveals a character tortured with self analysis.
Highly recommended.

Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia

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A memoir to life as a woman in Saudi Arabia.
True to some extent
Fast, interesting, informative read
Good wakeup call - a MUST READ
From a member of the Saudi society

Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia
Carmen Bin Ladin
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
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Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

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Customer Reviews:

A memoir to life as a woman in Saudi Arabia........2007-10-16

This is a memoir of Carmen Bin Ladin's life as a child growing up in Switzerland; of later meeting her husband Yeslam Bin Ladin whilst a student in Geneva; of then living in Jeddah amongst the Bin Ladins; and finally to her painful divorce.

Carmen was born of a Swiss father and an Iranian mother. It was not accepted in Iran for a Muslim girl to marry a Christian foreigner, so her mother had to leave Iran to escape her family's harsh criticisms. But the marriage did not last long, and her mother could not return back to Iran in fear of being looked upon as a divorced woman, a curse in Iranian society.

After the divorce, Carmen and her mother remained in Switzerland. It was in Geneva that Carmen first met her husband to be, Yeslam Bin Ladin. She described him as being quiet, well dressed, and smart (later in life he used to compete with other princes on whom dressed better). Carmen soon started dating Yeslam, and humorously, she ends up getting married in a car in a parking lot in Saudi Arabia. Apparently, she was not allowed to enter the ministry building to sign the marriage papers, so the papers were brought to her whilst she sat waiting in the car. Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to mix with men, and therefore cannot enter buildings were men work. Getting married in a car was the first of the many culture shocks Carmen was to experience.

Carmen relates her life as the wife of a Bin Ladin. Mohammad Bin Ladin, the father of the Bin Ladin clan, had over 50 children and countless wives whom he kept at his compound at Kilo 7 in Jeddah. I think Kilo 7 refers to the Mecca Road, 7 being seven kilometers away from Jeddah, but someone will have to check me on that.

It is quite interesting that Mohammad Bin Laden would choose to keep all his wives together in one compound. In Islam, a man can have 4 wives at the same time. Mohammad Bin Laden therefore had to divorce a wife each time he wanted to remarry in order not to exceed the allowed quota of 4 wives. As long as one of his divorced wives did not remarry, she was allowed to stay in the compound together with her kids. It was even rumored that there was a competition going on between King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia and Mohammad Bin Ladin on who will have more children. King Abdul-Aziz won, with over 60 children and many more wives.

Living at the Bin Ladin compound was hard for Carmen. She couldn't go shopping for she was prohibited from mixing with men. Whenever she needed something, such as a bathing suit, she had to send her driver. Eventually Safeway opened in Jeddah, and Carmen was able to go grocery shopping. She relates one instance where a group of British and American expats were all gathering at the chocolate aisle and filling their trolleys with chocolate boxes. Carmen later realized that the chocolates contained liqueur. Alcohol is prohibited in Saudi Arabia, but somehow the liqueur chocolates must have slipped by the customs officials.

Carmen's life was a reasonably happy one in the beginning. She describes her relationships with the other Bin Ladin wives; the relationship of her husband with his brothers; and of course, she talks about Osama Bin Ladin.

Apparently, Osama was a quiet man and very pious. Unlike his brothers who at first lived a lavish life and were known for their promiscuity and for being playboys, Osama never embraced the western liberal way of life. Carmen says that rumors of him having been a playboy in his younger days are just false. Even pictures allegedly showing him partying in Europe are not of him, but of his brothers who resemble him somewhat. Interestingly, she says that his brothers do not believe that he could have been capable of masterminding the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

Since the Bin Ladin family was the only family given exclusive rights to renovate the two holy sites, Mecca and Medina, the family was given preferential treatment. For example, if a policeman or a member of the religious police stopped one of the Bin Ladins, all they had to say was Bin Ladin, and they were quickly released or given right of way. No one asked for their IDs. This however was not good policy, for it allowed a group of Islamists, hidden in Bin Ladin trucks (which were never searched), to attack and seize the holy Mosque in Mecca in 1979. In fact, one of the Bin Ladin brothers was arrested as a suspect in the attack, but was soon released because he was a Bin Ladin.

When Mohammad Bin Ladin died in a plane crash he was piloting, the eldest son was still in his twenties. The king therefore appointed a trustee to run the family fortune. Eventually, as the brothers grew up, they took full control of the family business. According to Carmen, her husband Yeslam was the smartest of the brothers, and this gave rise to envy and jealousy. His brothers frequently downplayed his decisions, and publicly offended him. They also took credit for many of his savvy deals that added to his family's wealth and fame. Eventually, Yeslam quit his family business, was given 300 million dollars as his share of the family wealth, and moved to Switzerland. However, his brothers, eventually recognizing his value to the family business, asked him to return.
Carmen relates how she longed to travel outside Saudi Arabia, and how she enjoyed her freedom during her trips to Switzerland and the United States. One thing I liked about Carmen is that she is a bibliophile. She piled books on her travels to read while literally imprisoned in the Bin Ladin compound in Jeddah. She read all subjects, from philosophy to politics.

Carmen describes the state of mind of the Saudi Royals during the downfall of the Shah of Iran, and the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini. Before the Ayatollah, Saudi Arabia was moving in the right direction, becoming more liberal and westernized. However, after the Iranian revolution, with fear of it spilling to Saudi Arabia, religious fanatics gained power and turned the country into a strict religious monarchy, very much like during the Taliban in Afghanistan. Women were not allowed to drive; had to be completely covered; were discouraged of going to school; were discouraged to go in public places; were forbidden from working; were not allowed to join any health clubs or do any sports; and were raised to be subservient to their future husbands. The country suddenly moved hundreds of years backwards! Carmen, who had high hopes of living in Jeddah, had her hopes collapse. Her life was becoming unbearable in Jeddah. She longed to go back to Switzerland.

Trouble between her and her husband first started during her third pregnancy. Her husband did not want the baby, and Carmen eventually had an abortion. She describes the psychological pain she had to endure after the abortion.

When Carmen was pregnant again, her husband once more asked her to have an abortion. This time she refused, and she knew that it would be over between them. To make matters worse, she learnt that her husband was cheating on her, and she even caught him leaving one of his mistress's homes in the middle of the morning.

Carmen gives us a lot of insight into the life of her husband Yeslam. Apparently, later in his life, he acted strange, was often depressed, and complained of imaginary illnesses. He also had a fear of flying, and refused to fly alone. Like his father, his brother Salem also died while piloting his own aircraft in Texas.

I did not like the last chapter which talked about the Bin Ladins. The chapter seemed more like an attack on the Bin Ladin family, as if Carmen wanted to get back at her ex-husband. She says that the Bin Ladin family should make their secret dealings open to public scrutiny, and that their present relation with Osama should be revealed. These statements somewhat weakened her book. If she knows something we don't she should just tell us, or better still, let the CIA know. I am sure she is genuine in her last chapter (chapter 19, conclusion), but I think it is more personal and revengeful than anything else. By the way, an additional chapter was added in later editions. The book I read had the added chapter included.

Overall, this is a good read for those who want to know about Saudi society in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, and especially those wanting to learn about the Bin Ladin family. The reader should note that since King Abdullah gained the throne, Saudi Arabia has been moving forward at a tremendous speed, and the country is becoming more open, tolerant, and westernized. And kudos, women now outsmart the guys. Well done!

True to some extent.......2007-10-03

I just want to make clear that in Islam, women should be treated with respect. not to be held in their houses. If they need to go out somewhere, no one should stop them. It is when people start to bring their own culture and mix it with religion, that's where they go wrong. This women obviously was treated bad. But she shouldn't blame the Religion rather she should blame the culture of Saudis. I know Saudis say that 'its Islam we are practicing' but that's not Islam at all. Islam is very easy to follow its just the people who make it difficult upon themselves.

Fast, interesting, informative read.......2007-09-25

I'm certain there are a lot of books detailing the life of women in Saudi Arabia and doubtful this one is significantly different. That said, the book was very informative for someone who has had no exposure to how these women live or how the Saudi society operates, save for the media. It is a very fast read with simple sentence structure. None the less, it held my interest, so I do recommend it. My only criticism is the author did seem to have an agenda to point to Osama Bin Ladin as a terrorist, as well as the likelihood of the Saudi involvement in general, tying the Bin Ladin family and Saudi royalty together. Given this attention was given only in the initial and ending chapters, I was OK with it, though it did come across as a marketing ploy.

Good wakeup call - a MUST READ.......2007-09-24

This book was recommended by a friend. I got it on a Sat evening and finished it by Sunday evening - could not put it down. It is very well written and despite the fact that Carmen was married to Osama Bin Laden's brother (Yeslam) there are only a few mentions of Osama - most relating to how the family revered him for his fastidious religious practices. The rest focuses on Carmen's growing dismay and final realization that, despite all the wealth that is found in Saudi Arabia it can not buy was is needed most - the modernization of the culture and end to the oppression of both women and children (especially the female children).

It is a scary book when you realize it was written in 2004 and reflects a time even 10 yrs earlier - especially when you see what's happened since then in the Middle East.

This is a must read for anyone who wants to get an insider's view of the social/cultural climate of Saudi Arabia and at least a small understanding of why they view the Western world as they do.

Kudos to Carmen Bin Ladin for her courage, dedication and love for her daughters in coming forward to putting her experiences down for all of us to read.

From a member of the Saudi society.......2007-08-31

It was really hard to rate this book. Being a member of the society the author dedicated most of the book to criticize left me wondering what exactly she wants. We meet binladins everyday, we social with them, the binladin is a very large family and they are at the end only people. I can understand how the name "Binladin"is so appealing coz people associate it immediately to Osama binladin and I believe that's what the author aimed to do when writing this book. The author lived in Saudi Arabia so many years ago and things have changed a lot ever since. 50 years ago, women were completely illiterate with exception to basic reading and writing skills. Now, most of College's students are female. Yes, we do it our own way, we have separate colleges and universities but at the end we are well educated. The author way was so gossipy and she has no right to mention names but she did, which in my point of view makes the book just another form of "page six".
I really don't know why people are so very worried about us and about our future as Saudi women. I am a college educated woman with a professional career and a loving husband. I chose everything in my life. My study, my husband, my career, reading this book....etc. I picked this book out of curiosity just to know what Carmen wants to say.

I welcome all comments and discussions and here is my email address: hakadi@gmail.com.

Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism

Average customer rating:

waste of time
Excellent and Enlightening
Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism by Dore Gold
A history buff gets shamed...
Good start, weak finish

Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism
Dore Gold
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0895261359

Amazon.com

In the global search for culprits and causes in the rise of terrorism, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold shines a spotlight on a nation many think of as a close ally of the United States: Saudi Arabia. As he explains in Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism, Gold believes that the Saudi government is greatly influenced by the Islamist sect known as Wahhabism and, he explains, that influence has lead to Saudi support of terrorism in the Middle East, Europe, the United States and around the world. The historical portion of Gold's argument, where he traces the emergence of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and the changing face of Saudi leadership, is admirably extensive and detailed. His modern research is a little more uneven, relying on statements by various Muslim clergy members, letters to the editors of newspapers, opinion pieces, and other evidence that is rarely damnable. Curiously, mentions of Israel and the long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict are much more infrequent than one would expect from an Israeli diplomat and scholar. But regardless of one's opinion of Gold's research or his alarming conclusions, the book offers something not often found in modern political nonfiction: a coherent structure, exhaustive research, and a clear and consistent perspective on the ongoing threat of terrorism. --John Moe

Book Description

Dore Gold, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. and internationally known Middle East expert, uses previously unpublished intelligence documents to piece together the links between the current wave of global terrorism-from the World Trade Center to Bali, Indonesia-and the ideology of hatred taught in the schools and mosques of Saudi Arabia.

Customer Reviews:

waste of time.......2007-05-10

Dore Gold has written a brave and honest book that, in previous civilizations, would have alarmed the populace and surely spurred them to action. All the evidence you need is right there in the appendices: photocopies, facsimilies, letters, what not. The case is airtight.

But what's the point?

Honestly. Saudi Arabia has been exposed to death. As exposed as anything can be. Everybody knows the score. Even the most mentally impaired village idiots in the backwaters of the Kalahari know that the Saudis have been encouraging and financing global terrorism for years, denying it all the while. This isn't news: anybody who was going to do anything about the situation has already done so, or made up their minds not to.

What would have made the book better is if Gold had gone beyond the mere reporting of non-news into an analysis of why the situation is the way it is. In other words, what exactly are the forces that compel or enable the people involved, from the illiterate Sri Lankan navvy sweeping the streets of Riyadh all the way up to well-informed advisors in the highest levels of U.S. government, and everybody in between, to keep their mouths shut?

The bets have all been placed. Everybody's hoping they can just stick it out and make their pile before the whole thing implodes, praying all the while it won't splatter on them.

Excellent and Enlightening.......2007-04-25

Contrary to some of the criticism leveled toward this book, I found this author to be very balanced and fair toward Islam. For example, Gold identifies the aspect of Wahabi theology that justifies jihad toward non-Wahabi Muslims, such as Shi'ites and Sufis. By labeling the latter as 'polytheists', extremist Wahabi groups have justified violence toward these groups as well as desecration of sacred Islamic sites. Gold documents both historic and modern examples of this, such as the intrusion of Wahabi jihadists into the Balkans.

I found it valuable to learn the symbiotic relationship between the Saudi Royal Family and the Wahabi clergy and how the royal family gives the latter power and influence in order to maintain favor. Also, how oil money has funded the export of radical Wahabi ideology and the terrorist activities conducted by the latter. And paradoxically, because of Western dependence on oil, the money came from the very countries the Wahabi ideology holds in contempt!

Sometimes the book is dense and hard to follow but I think every member of government who has a role in international affairs should read it.

Sadly, in reading this and other studies, it becomes apparent that Western democracies ended up supporting many terrorist regimes in their attempt to fight the Cold War. Supporting the 'bad guys' just because they are against one's current enemies is a dangerous and risky strategy indeed and makes us look like hypocrites. Jimmy Carter referred to Khomeini as a 'holy man'. We supported Sadaam Hussein. Look where it got us!

Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism by Dore Gold.......2007-02-24

An excellent, comprehensive discussion of the roots of Islamic terrorism.

A history buff gets shamed..........2006-07-30

I am embarrassed to realize the extent of my own ignorance regarding the Wahabi menace. As a lover of history and one who could draw a fairly accurate survey of the events that shaped the West during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, I was grievously unaware of the monstrous theology and murderous campaign of Ibn `Abd Al-Wahhab. One wonders how the terrors of the crusades could compare to the genocidal murder of "impure" Muslims by the fanatical armies of Wahab. One wonders still why the West fails to see the ever-present and growing threat posed by the Wahhabi poison which spans out from Saudi Arabia (our allies?) to infect Muslims around the world. This book is required reading for every American who feels the need to make some progress toward understanding why some Muslims cultivate hatred above all other "virtues." Want to know why supposedly godly people feel compelled to murder innocent women, children, and men? Want to understand why they have no difficulty murdering their own kinsmen and fellow Muslims? It's the poisonous Muslim heresy of Wahhabism. Where does it come from and how is it funded and propagated across the globe? Saudi Arabia is Hatred's Kingdom as Dore Gold has dubbed it. This book is a good starting place and a dreadful portent of things to come as long as Saudi Arabia is not held accountable. The Saudi mission to spread Wahhabism has been incredibly "successful" in Indonesia, Chechnya, Bosnia, America, and of course, Palestine where their PLO has become the center of a maelstrom of Islamic hatred. One stat that might be instructive for all those who think the extremists are a small minority is that 79% of Palestinian children state that they want to be suicide bombers when they grow up. It would seem the "extremists" are the few who want peace. If you think this is all an academic discussion for Americans consider that 70% of the Mosques in America teach the Wahhabi doctrine. Get this book and learn what those "friendly" neighborhood mosque-goers really think about you.

Good start, weak finish.......2005-11-29

I found the historical chapters of the book (up until about 1960) to be most useful section. As we pass into King Fahd's reign, the reasoning becomes much more speculative. Nonetheless, the author presents a plausible scenario. Careful documentation of the links between the major players is useful, and however you slice it, the latter chapters show the razors' edge the political leaders of Saudi Arabia must walk.

Princess Sultana's Circle (Princess Trilogy)

Average customer rating:

Saudi Arabia
History
Good Read
For Goodpasture
Excellent Trilogy, would love more...

Princess Sultana's Circle (Princess Trilogy)
Jean P. Sasson
Manufacturer: Windsor-Brooke Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0967673763

Book Description

In her international best sellers, PRINCESS and PRINCESS SULTANA'S DAUGHTERS, Jean Sasson vividly depicted the harsh restrictions endured by Saudi women. These books described the lives of women who live in a society where they have few rights, little control over their own lives or bodies, and have no choice but to endure the atrocities perpetrated against them.

Now, in response to readers' tremendous outpouring of interest and affection for Sultana, as well as her works on behalf of oppressed women, Jean Sasson and the Princess continue to expose the outrageous human rights abuses suffered by women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

When Sultana's niece is forced into an arranged marriage with a cruel, depraved older man, and a royal cousin in revealed as keeping a harem of sex slaves, Sultana's attempts at intervention in their various plights are thwarted. But when her nephews are caught committing an unspeakable act against a 12-year-old girl, Sultana is galvanized into action. Risking her personal status and wealth, she takes a stand against the complacency of her male relatives over the child' fate. Ultimately, Sultana and her siters vow to form a circle of support that will surround and shelter abused women and girls.

As with PRINCESS and PRINCESS SULTANA'S DAUGHTERS, the reader is compelled to read just one more page, one more chapter, once they begin reading PRINCESS SULTANA'S CIRCLE.

Customer Reviews:

Saudi Arabia.......2007-03-27

I highly recommend reading the Princess Trilogy. I had a hard time putting the book down. It's a really easy read.

History.......2006-11-02

My review is the same as I gave for the book "Princess" It is very good

Good Read.......2006-09-22

This book was not better then the first book in the series but definately beter then the 2nd one. I found the story boring at time as some issues that were already discussed in the fist book where discussed again in the 3rd book. Other then that it was a good continuation.

For Goodpasture.......2006-05-25

Goodpasture, I simply had to share with you that I happen to know that the princess supports over 700 needy families, from feeding them to educating their children to tending to their health care. In fact, in the book, if you finished reading it, tells how her son bought a business in Pakistan and set the young woman up as the owner, where she is prospering. Although she did stay in the princess' sister's home for a while, it was explained in the book that they were afraid to send her home, that her parents might resell her. Everything takes time. I know two princesses extremely well, one from Saudi Arabia and one from Kuwait, and both are extremely generous and help people all over the world. I'm sorry you had such a negative opinion of the princess, but like I said, I'm confused that you didn't read on to see that indeed she did change the young woman's life in a very wonderful manner. Just because the princess is extremely wealthy and does enjoy her personal wealth, she gives away a mind-boggling amount of money, and for good causes. I just thought you would like to know, as well as others, so you would not feel so disappointed and angry at the princess over an impression that is not reality. Also, many things are not told in the books as some things would give her identity away on the spot.

Excellent Trilogy, would love more..........2004-10-04

This is the third book in the Princess trilogy. I raced through the book in two days. Princess Sultana's Circle goes more into situations, which Sultana tries to fix such as freeing a harem of women or saving her niece from a forced marriage to a disgusting older man. Princess Sultana finally emerges victorious in her struggle to help out somebody. In this book they also go over the holy month of Ramadan, camping in the desert, and shopping in New York.

The author does such a great job of making everything in this book so real and colorful that you feel like you are there. I would recommend any of the Princess books. I would suggest that it is always fun to start reading from the beginning of the trilogy because you get a good feel for all the characters. Great book!

Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis

Average customer rating:

Insightful Portrayal Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia
A little bias detected
Try Again
Tipical Orientalist
Insightful look at an understudied country

Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis
John R. Bradley
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1403964335
Release Date: 2005-05-19

Book Description

A journalist reveals the disturbing realities of life in the Saudi kingdom. S audi Arabia: Land of oil, terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism, and a crucial American ally. As the only Western journalist to have extensively worked in the Saudi Kingdom, John R. Bradleyis uniquely able to expose the turmoil that is shaking the House of Saud to its foundations. From the heart of the secretive Islamic kingdom's urban centers to its most remote mountainous terrain, from the homes of royalty to the slums of its poorest inhabitants, he provides intimate details and reveals underlying regional, religious, and tribal rivalries. Bradley highlights tensions generated by social change, focuses on the educational system, the increasing restlessness of Saudi youth faced with limited opportunities for cultural and political expression, and the predicament of Saudi women seeking opportunities but facing constraints. What are the implications for the Sauds and the West? This book offers a startling look at the present predicament and a troubling view of the future.

Customer Reviews:

Insightful Portrayal Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia.......2007-06-05

Bradley is a journalist who lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for more than 2 years. This book describes what he observed, obviously from a Western perspective, while living there. Some of what he discusses has been covered in other books. For example, the strict segregation of men and women, the brutal public executions and the extreme corruption and hypocrisy of the Saudi royal family. He also mentions the poor education and professional training received by most Saudi citizens which requires the country to be dependent on foreign workers. Many of these workers are people from poor countries such as India, Pakistan and the Philippines who do the "dirty jobs" that, supposedly, Saudis don't want to do themselves. But I find this questionable since Bradley also describes the high rate of unemployment among Saudi citizens and the fact that many of them live in poverty while the Saudi royals bask in the enormous wealth generated by the oil business.

Bradley also talks about the good qualities of the typical Saudi person, such as kindness, hospitality and generosity. There are certain Western right-wingers and Christian zealots who have an anti-Muslim agenda and are clearly biased in their writings. But Bradley doesn't strike me as that sort of person. I think he is simply trying to explain his experiences in Saudi Arabia with as much honesty and truth as possible. Of course, he is seeing the country from the point of view of a non-Muslim Westerner. But that doesn't mean he is necessarily wrong in what he is saying.

However, what really takes this book to the "5 stars" level for me is that he elaborates on the regionally based political and cultural differences in the kingdom. He talks about the Hijaz area, including Jeddah, as having a long history as an international center of trade which makes it somewhat more liberal and sophisticated than the rest of the country. The southern region is called Asir and includes people who, in many ways, have more in common with the neighboring country of Yemen than with their fellow Saudis. Finally, there is the Eastern province which is largely made up of Shiite Muslims who, like the people from Hijaz and Asir, often finds themselves at odds with the Wahhabi dominated central region which includes the royal family and the Wahhabi religious establishment that controls the country politically. In other words, Saudi Arabia is a complex and diverse society with people from a variety of religious and cultural perspectives who are seeking to challenge the hold on power by the Wahhabis and the royal family. This is not the picture provided to the broader American public, who tend to recognize that the royals are corrupt but still see them as the lesser of two evils when compared to the Osama allied extremists. Obviously, the situation there is more complicated than most people think.

I actually came away feeling at least a little more optimistic about the future, or at least the potential, of the country. But, of course, Saudi Arabia still faces a tremendous amount of problems and what happens there will continue to be of vital importance to the rest of us, especially considering that the Saudis have 1/4 of the world's known supply of petroleum.

A little bias detected.......2007-06-03

This was the fourth book that I read about Saudi Arabia and although I thought the descriptives were very good in that Bradley goes into some depth that other authors may consider too trivial (i.e. Najran and Flower Men), the author clearly takes hold of the arab militancy with a one track mind. This was the first post-911 book I read about the Kingdom and I was curious to find out what has changed, and all I found was a loud-echo of anti-Wahhabism and the outcry of abused Asian workers. I understand very well that K.S.A. has many issues in that area, but I also know many families who treat their workers well. I'm always leary of books that incite anger in me as I read, and this certainly made me angry and defensive toward the Kingdom when I have already met so many wonderful Saudis who give me an entirely different perspective. A fuel on the American bias fire, but worth reading if but for the descriptives of Shiite history in the Kingdom.

Try Again.......2007-05-23

really needs to try again here I was in the kingdom the same time as this man and have read his account, but cannot agree, one thing to put straight here is that the mention of a Keith Birmingham as an engineer is incorrect he was a welder for Saudi Arabian Airlines at the engine overhaul centre in Jeddah. Perhaps had John really spent time out and about in the rest of Saudi and met the those who you can say are not the city folk could probably had a very good book but this account is far from complete

Tipical Orientalist.......2007-05-17

I GREW UP IN A MIDDLE CLASS SAUDI FAMILY AND READ THE WHOLE BOOK.
John R. Bradley goes to Saudi Arabia for 2 ½ years, befriends upper class kids and some liberal journalists then thinks he figured out the whole country. These are some things you should know before you read the book:
-When a teenage boy has a satellite in his room he is rich even in Saudi Arabia. Same thing goes for students who hire a Briton to teach them English and for kids with fluent English.
-Average Saudis will not talk to foreigners especially not westerners.
-The book was written in June 2005 and Saudi Arabia is rapidly changing (for better or worse)
-This was before the new king came to power.
-The people he speaks of are not representative sample of the Saudi society(mostly pro-American liberal)
-Any other orientalist could not have done a better job of an inside view of Saudi Arabia through a westerner's eyes.

Insightful look at an understudied country.......2007-04-05

This is an informative book for those wishing to gain a better understanding of the political and social situation in contemporary Saudi Arabia. The author was apparently one of the few Western journalists in the country in the early 2000s and he was able to obtain a visa that allowed him to travel around the country and speak with people without facing many of the restrictions that apply to most Westerners in the country. The author discusses a number of subjects. I thought that the two most interesting chapters were the ones dealing with Saudi youth and gender relations, respectively. He also writes about the rise of crime, attacks against Western expatriates, and, of course, the royal family, among other subjects. The author traveled outside of Riyadh, the capital, to many different regions. One of the main themes of the book is that the tensions between various regions within the country, many of which are inhabited by distinct tribal and ethnic groups, pose perhaps the greatest threat to the country's unity. Perhaps the one thing that I found frustrating was that, at times, it seemed like the text was devoid of Saudi voices. While the author obviously made a great many friends and professional contacts in the country, I kind of wish that he would have presented more of their viewpoints. He often seems too eager to convey his own impressions and opinions of Saudi Arabia rather than let the country's citizens speak for themselves. Luckily, this isn't as problematic as it could have been, because his opinions are generally very insightful and well-argued. Overall, as someone with very little knowledge of Saudi Arabia (and the Middle East in general), I found this book to be a highly informative analysis of some of the major tensions and problems facing this country that has been so often discussed and misunderstood in the Western media.

Average customer rating:

Worth reading
Most revealing if you know something of the author.
Pretty Good Overview
good understanding of Wahhabist thought
Biased, but informative

Wahhabism: A Critical Essay
Hamid Algar
Manufacturer: Islamic Publications International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Social Justice in Islam
Milestones
Basic Principles of Islamic Worldview
The Society of the Muslim Brothers
Wahhabi Islam From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad

ASIN: 188999913X

Book Description

Wahhabism, a peculiar interpretation of Islamic doctrine and practice that first arose in mid-eighteenth century Arabia, is sometimes regarded as simply an extreme or uncompromising form of Sunni Islam. This is incorrect, for at the very outset the movement was stigmatized as aberrant by the leading Sunni scholars of the day, because it rejected many of the traditional beliefs and practices of Sunni Islam and declared permissible warfare against all Muslims that disputed Wahhabi teachings. Nor can Wahhabism be regarded as a movement of “purification” or “renewal,” as the source of the genuinely revivalist movements that were underway at the time. Not until Saudi oil money was placed at the disposal of its propagandists did Wahhabism find an echo outside the Arabian Peninsula.

The author discusses the rise of Wahhabism at the hands of Muhammad b. `Abd al-Wahhab, a native of Najd in the eastern part of the Arabian peninsula, the doctrines he elaborated to serve as the basis of the Wahhabi sect, and the alliance he concluded with the Saudi family, then rulers of the principality of al-Dir'iya. An early result of this union was a creeping conquest of the Arabian Peninsula, misnamed as jihad; it culminated in the sacking of Taif and the occupation of Mecca in 1803. This first Wahhabi occupation was short-lived but Wahhabism triumphed anew with the foundation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1925. Among the extensions of Wahhabism beyond Arabia must be accounted the perverse and brutal regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Customer Reviews:

Worth reading.......2007-09-25

This book is both informative and well written. I don't think it hurts to learn that not all Islam consists of bin Laden and similar types. It is written (logically enough) from an Islamic perspective, and I don't agree with everything in it, but I'm glad I read it.

Most revealing if you know something of the author........2007-07-21

Hamid Algar does not like Wahhabism. He says so forthrightly in this essay.

His complaints are:

1. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was a poor scholar of Islamic jurisprudence, and his writings are few and unoriginal. This is apparently true.

2. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab turned his back on centuries of Islamic jurisprudence and tradition. This is most definitely true.

3. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was prone to declaring Muslims who disagreed with him to be heretics who were no longer truly Muslims (takfir) and therefore fair game to be killed for betraying the true faith. So far, he is three for three.

4. The Saudi regime, which early on offered protection and family alliance through marriage to Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab has -- for all the above reasons as well as a general predisposition to nastiness -- been pretty hard on other Muslims, particularly Sufi and Shi'a. Well, the predisposition to nastiness thing may be a little much coming as it does from Prof. Algar (see below), but the Saudi's are certainly not much on supporting diversity and tolerance either within or without Islam.

5. The Saudi's have gotten away with this by recruiting the support of the infidel powers the UK and the USA. Well, this is an emotional issue and maybe we can understand if Algar drops his standards of evidence and exposition here.

6. The Saudis/Wahhabis are iconoclasts. Wherever they go, they tear down memorials and shrines to great Muslim leaders (including Muhammad himself) and lean very hard on people who worship at them or who pray to those leaders for intercession with Allah. They are fanatical about tawhid (the unity and indivisibility of Allah and the idea that no created thing or person is to be worshipped or venerated). With this one, Algar has hit the nail right on the head!

Finally, Algar -- like many of the rest of us -- has a problem with the enormous oil wealth of the Saudi family and with the amount of influence this buys them through schools, mosques, and other less obvious organizations like the Muslim Student Association in the United States to foster specifically the Wahhabi ideology.

Algar is, in fact, a meticulous scholar and a prolific translator of important Islamic works. What I can learn of him says that he is a British subject who converted to Islam and that he is a "passionate Sufi."

He is also a HUGE fan of the Imam Ruhollah Khomeini and the Iranian revolution.

And before you decide that he is obviously a nice man who is outraged at the brutality and intolerance of the Wahhabis, be aware that he called for attacks on the United States BEFORE 9/11 and that as far back as 1998 he actually spat on a group of Armenian students, called them pigs, expressed his extreme dissatisfaction that the Armenian genocide of 1913 (and thereabouts) had been unsuccessful, and told them that they deserved to be exterminated. Sounds like the Prof. can get a little severe himself when the spirit moves him! One is tempted to conclude that he and the Wahhabis are in full agreement that slaughtering non-Muslims is pretty much OK; it's just that Algar doesn't like the Wahhabi definition of "unbeliever" -- a definition which, unfortunately, appears to include Prof. Algar and others like him.

This book is a decent first-hand glimpse into the partisan warfare (not too strong a term) within Islam. Kind of like a discussion between a Holy Roller and a really ardent Domenican ... except that it has been several centuries now since those two were OK with expressing their disagreements through mass slaughter.

Pretty Good Overview.......2007-06-12

Algar gives a good overview of Wahabism's rise and why it hurts us today. Some of it is very detailed such as the beginning which is almost unreadable behind all the dates and names. I got it for a research paper and it worked out great.

good understanding of Wahhabist thought.......2007-05-17

A good short read for understanging the difference between the Wahhabist sect and the rest of the Islamic world. All the Arabic words and names slow the reader down quite a bit if you don't speak at least some Arabic, but this is unavoidable.

Biased, but informative.......2007-05-07

The subtitle ("A Critical Essay") is misleading. It should be "An Insulting Essay". The author is a Muslim who hates the Wahhabis. His bias is obvious, but just in case you're dense, he admits to not liking them in the last few pages. So it's an honest essay.

According to Algar, Wahhabism is an insufferably self-righteous, intellectually impoversihed, and violence-prone sect that came out of the Arabian wastelands without pedigree or promise. It could never have made an impact on its own (it has nothing of value to offer) and would've died in infancy if it weren't for its alliance with the Saud family and their Western connections (money and weapons first from the British, then the Americans).

Algar hates the Wahhabis for killing Shi'ites, questioning/denying the faith of other Muslims, destroying important architecture, and generally being jerks. The book's main use lies in highlighting points of disagreement among Muslims. In other words, it points to the internal diversity, complexity and richness of Islam. (Or, if you want to put a negative spin on it, you can read it as evidence that Islam has just as bad a history of factional violence and mean-spirited discourse as Christianity does).

It's a quick and relatively easy read. However, there are some 15-20 recurring terms that the ordinary reader might not be familiar with. I knew some (hadith, ulama) from various college courses and other reading, and had to figure others (shirk, tauhid) out as I went along. The book should really have had a glossary. A single page is all it would've taken to make the essay more accessible.

The Prince: The Secret Story of the World's Most Intriguing Royal, Prince Bandar bin Sultan

Average customer rating:

Do note that Prince Bandar "cooperated" with his friend, the author, William Simpson.
The Prince: The Secret Story of the World's Most Intriguing Royal, Prince Bandar bin Sultan
FASCINATING
A recommended pick for a wide range of collections, from college to general-interest public libraries.
Public Myths, Private Realities

The Prince: The Secret Story of the World's Most Intriguing Royal, Prince Bandar bin Sultan
William Simpson
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Saudi Arabia | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Thicker than Oil: America's Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia
Alwaleed : Businessman, Billionaire, Prince
America's Kingdom: Mythmaking on the Saudi Oil Frontier (Stanford Studies in Middle Eastern and I)
Work Hard, Study...and Keep Out of Politics! Adventures and Lessons from an Unexpected Public Life
At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA

ASIN: 0060899867
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Book Description

A riveting portrait of one of the most enigmatic yet influential powerbrokers in America–Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al–Saud, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States from 1983–2005.

At a time when understanding our friends is as important as understanding our enemies, Prince Bandar bin Sultan remains one America's most enigmatic powerbrokers. As the illegitimate son of a Saudi prince and a servant girl, Prince Bandar overcame his unrecognized beginnings to rise as one of Saudi Arabia's brightest diplomatic stars, ultimately becoming the Ambassador to the United States–and one of the most influential men in Washington.

As Ambassador, Prince Bandar worked with CIA Director Bill Casey to fund covert CIA operations with Saudi petrodollars. He played a key role in the Iran–Contra affair; consulted with President Gorbachev to secure Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan; negotiated an end to the Iran–Iraq war; and, with Nelson Mandela, resolved the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Affair. He served under four different American presidencies and was called "Washington's indispensible operator" by the New Yorker.

Yet Prince Bandar was more than this. His entre into Washington society and the Oval Office was unmatched. George H.W. Bush took the Prince and his family on fishing vacations; First Lady Reagan used him to convey messages to her husband's Cabinet; Colin Powell would drop by his house to play racquetball.

Customer Reviews:

Do note that Prince Bandar "cooperated" with his friend, the author, William Simpson........2007-06-09

Do not waste your money. This is an obvious PR effort and none of the recent news regarding the Prince shows up here - for obvious reasons.

The Prince: The Secret Story of the World's Most Intriguing Royal, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.......2007-04-13

Not that intriguing a character. The author is a very goooooooood friend of the subject and is obviously very bias.

FASCINATING.......2007-02-14

Definitely worth reading, I find it very interesting to read about a Saudi prince. Most people have no idea what a Saudi prince is all about and this is a way to find out.

A recommended pick for a wide range of collections, from college to general-interest public libraries........2007-02-08

THE PRINCE: THE SECRET STORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST INTRIGUING ROYAL PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN might at first glance seem to be a special interest title - but it's actually much more. Any reader interested in Middle East issues should read THE PRINCE, as it surveys the life, political rise and richness of the Saudi Arabian prince who today is Ambassador to the U.S. His life reflects social and political changes in the country and his work has led him to play pivotal roles in emerging politics of the entire region, making THE PRINCE a recommended pick for a wide range of collections, from college to general-interest public libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Public Myths, Private Realities.......2006-10-18

I have met Prince Bandar bin Sultan a number of times in the United States in my capacity as a money manager for extremely wealthy international families, and as a financial advisor to governments. I also lean towards political conservatism, although I am deeply disappointed at the extent to which corruption has become common in our government in the last decade or so. It use to under the table, now it's in our face.

William Simpson's book on Prince Bandar is requisite reading if Americans are to begin to understand Saudi Arabia. This is the critical country in the Middle East, and the world's dominant oil producer. Understand that Simpson the author is a personal friend of long-standing with Bandar, having attended together the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, England many years ago. The Prince has publicly blessed this book. This tells you that this is an authorized biography, which means Bandar has edited every page. He's managing his image, and I must say quite well after reading it.

The problem I have with the book, but it must still be read, is that it is completely self-serving, and the author is in the Prince's pocket. This is not surprising; just about everyone in Washington was in the Prince's pocket. When you have a billion dollar personal fortune at your disposal plus the full financial backing of the world's most liquid country (both oil and greenbacks), who wouldn't want to be Prince Bandar. He's also got political access, and diplomatic immunity to boot.

The real question which is not answered by this book is to what extent did Bandar while the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States from 1983 to 2005, use his money and his power to achieve the goals of his country to the detriment of ours. For the most part Bandar was exempt from the normal laws, and procedures that our own citizens must adhere to.

This man became close personal friends with several Presidents including the current President Bush. You may not remember this, but in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy, scores of Osama Bin Laden's relatives were still living in the United States. Many of them were students at different universities. Bandar arranged with President Bush for FBI controlled aircraft to pick up these family members, and whisk them immediately outside the United States to Saudi Arabia where they would be protected from our laws.

How startling is this when you think about it. This was the greatest loss of human life via an attack in our country's history, instigated by one man, Bin Laden, a Saudi by the way. The rest of us were stuck at airports throughout the United States for a week. The only non-military planes allowed to fly throughout the United States were planes being sent to pick up family members of the mass murderer so they could be flown out of the country. This shows you Prince Bandar's power, and he used that power for 22 years as he saw fit, for those he saw fit.

Bandar's money and fingerprints were all over the Iran-Contra scandal that could have conceivably brought down Ronald Reagan's Administration. It certainly tarnished Reagan's government, and ruined the last 2 years of his Presidency. You need to know about these events, and Bandar's connection to them. As citizens of the most important democracy in history, we need to know, and keep an eye on what our government is doing. Our founding fathers did not trust governments. Only an informed citizenry can guard our freedoms.

It has been said that POWER CORRUPTS, AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTEY. I believe this is true, and history demonstrates its veracity. Bandar is a man that has moved in very powerful circles. He was the ultimate power player displaying a persona based on public myth while the whole time operating under different private realities. There were only two people in the world that had power over this man who was the illegitimate son of Prince Sultan and a servant. The book talks about these two men in detail.

Bandar's father was the Saudi Arabian Defense Minister during the early 1960's. It was his grandmother who was the widow of King Abdulaziz that recognized the boy's talent. Bandar had a fabulous personality, truly charismatic. When he is in the room, you know someone special is around. It was this charisma that endeared him to King Fahd who controlled Saudi Arabia with an iron fist for decades.

King Fahd was his mentor, and Bandar wielded enormous influence over the King. After all, it was Bandar that lived overseas all those years doing the King's bidding, and in return influencing what that bidding might be by the advice he rendered to the King. There is no question I am told by people in a position to know that Bandar would use his influence on the King to say that he knew what each of our Presidents would do under certain situations. In return, Bandar would tell the President of our country, several Presidents in fact, that he knew what King Fahd would do. He was the ULTIMATE MIDDLEMAN.

This is why you must read this book. Even though it is self-serving, you can't help but get a feel as to who and what Bandar is. You also get a feel for Saudi Arabia, and the power game they play. Even though the Prince tries to limit the reader as to what he wants you to know about himself, and the game he played, the truth still comes out between the lines. This is why you have to spend the time to understand the Prince, and the culture he comes from. Saudi Arabia is a lifeline for us. Without their oil, the oxygen would be sucked right out of our economy.

You might be wondering how influential Bandar was through the years. Look at it this way. More than a generation ago, when Richard Nixon was trying to cover up the Watergate scandal, his aides told him it would take money. The President asked how much? He was told a million dollars in cash, the equivalent of $20 million today. Nixon replied on the tapes, "I know where I can get it." This was before the Saudi connection that is now firmly entrenched.

There are times when every President needs access to large sums of cash. Sometimes it is to bypass the necessity of reporting to Congress. Other times, it is convenience. Bandar always had that access. We will never know in the darkness of the night to what extent he used that access, and what we had to do in return. You have merely to judge the relationship of the United States to Saudi Arabia to figure it out for yourself.

Let me illustrate. A couple of years ago, I was in South Africa working on a project. I usually stay at a certain hotel, because it is secure. They know me, I am private, and we take care of each other. The entire hotel had been taken over by the Saudi entourage for a diplomatic celebration. I saw dozens of Saudis. Here is what was strange. They were wearing business suits, which as you know usually have an outside pocket on the left side of the jacket where some men would wear a handkerchief. Instead of the handkerchief, each of these dozens of Saudis had plastic envelopes, each one containing $10,000 in hundred dollar bills. Some of these people were walking around with five, six envelopes. Other individuals had suitcases full of plastic envelopes.

My associates at the hotel said they had brought tens of millions of dollars in American cash with them. I don't drink, but I do have meetings in bars, and restaurants. I prefer public locations for security reasons, especially in foreign countries. While in the bar, I ran into a group of 9, 10 Saudis celebrating. They started to take bottles of Cristal Champagne, shake them up and shoot them at one another at $350 per bottle. The bill 2 hours later was $40,000 without the tip. When you have that kind of cash, you can buy influence, and that is our problem in this country. The food in the bar was terrific by the way.

Bandar also wielded tremendous political influence. I was doing a study on North Korea years ago in reference to a geopolitical project I was involved in. President Bush announced the potential drawdown of our troop deployment in South Korea, which is 30,000 plus military personnel. All of our soldiers are within artillery range of North Korean armaments just across the border.

I could not understand how President Bush would have made such an announcement without exacting North Korean concessions in return. It then came to my attention that Bandar had talked Bush into it. How is it that the Saudi Arabian Prince could influence American foreign policy on the Korean Peninsula? It did not make sense, until an associate informed me of Bandar's logic. He told Bush the North Koreans were so unreliable politically that he could envision them launching an artillery attack.

If they did, we would have 15,000 dead Americans in hours. Wouldn't it be better Bandar told the President to reduce the American presence, so that if the North Koreans were foolish, you would have a local, regional conflict on your hands, and not a major war? Bush went for it; Bandar has INFLUENCE.

Read the book. It's a great read about a man of many faces. Word is that Bandar is now out of favor with the Saudi leadership, and that is why he is no longer Ambassador to the United States. The publicly stated reason for the change in ambassadorship was Bandar's health. Sure, do you think the Saudi weather is more conducive to his health than American sunshine? As time goes on, the truth will get out. It is also strange how oil prices have come down strongly off their previous peaks, coincident with a critical Congressional election in November. If I believed in co incidents, we could call this the SAUDI VOTE. The question is does it have Bandar's fingerprints on it?

Richard Stoyeck

Secrets of the Kingdom: The Inside Story of the Secret Saudi-U.S. Connection

Average customer rating:

Something lacking with this book
this a dangerous book with lots of holes
Clancy Novel- but real
Excellent and Timely Insights!
Polemical Rather Than Historical

Secrets of the Kingdom: The Inside Story of the Secret Saudi-U.S. Connection
Gerald L. Posner
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Saudi Arabia | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History & Theory | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Saudi Arabia Exposed : Inside a Kingdom in Crisis, Updated Edition
Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11
Princes of Darkness: The Saudi Assault on the West
The Battle for Saudi Arabia: Royalty, Fundamentalism, and Global Power
A History of Saudi Arabia

ASIN: 1400062918
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Book Description

In its final report, the 9/11 Commission famously called the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia “a problematic ally in combating Islamic extremism.” To Gerald Posner, the bestselling author of Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11, this is a gross understatement. In his new book, Secrets of the Kingdom, Posner exposes the undeniable truth about U.S.-Saudi relations–and how the Saudis’ influence on American business and politics poses a grave threat to our security.

The result of an intensive two-year investigation, Secrets of the Kingdom penetrates the innermost layers of the shielded House of Saud and presents indisputable evidence of complicity and deceit at the highest levels–evidence that the 9/11 Commission, either deliberately or negligently, failed to consider. Using bank records and other previously undisclosed information, Posner unearths many disturbing truths and shattering revelations about the ties that bind the Saudi and U.S. governments, including

• how countless failures in U.S. intelligence and law enforcement gave extraordinary preferential treatment to prominent Saudis living in the United States, including members of the bin Laden family, in the days after 9/11

• a likely close connection between a powerful member of the House of Saud and Abu Zubeydah, the highest-ranking al-Qaeda operative captured so far by the United States

• how the Saudi government has turned a blind eye to the role Saudi charities–including many controlled or supported by Kingdom officials– have played in bankrolling al-Qaeda and Islamic terror groups

• the never-before-revealed Saudi and U.S. emergency plans in the event of a national crisis in the Kingdom, plans that could affect the security of the United States and the entire Middle East

Secrets of the Kingdom is an explosive study that will have a profound impact on both U.S. policy and Americans’ perception of their government and its extensive ties to a foreign power. Posner uncovers a disturbing picture of how two nations, despite their differing agendas, have become inextricably entwined.

Customer Reviews:

Something lacking with this book.......2007-04-13

This book does not seem as well researched, as factual as Posner's previous books. It certainly does have some facts we don't often see, and for someone who knows little about Saudi Arabia this might be of value. However the overall description of the Saudi government leads one to think they are 99% thugs and thieves -- e.g. the way the monarch induces Saudi royal family to "earn" rather than just accept welfare, is to set them up to receive bribes! There certainly are repetitive examples of over-the-top spending and behavior by high ranking members of the Saudi Royal Family. Is the message class envy, or something more important here?

Early in the book I got the feeling that Posner was too personally involved in the news here, for example some of the . Certainly the anti-Jew and anti-Israel world view attributed to the Wahabbi thinking, is shocking and could imaginably lead to another Jewish Holocaust if they got what the Wahabbis wanted. I don't even know for certain whether Posner is Jewish, but get the impression he cares too emotionally about this book's subject, to write a 1st rate book here.

This book focuses on Saudi Arabia, but to address the world's Arab problems, anti-Semitism problems, and oil problems would require we look at the other parts of the Arab world as well. This book instead shows the threats posed by Wahabbi Islam, and the corruption that is brought about by unearned oil wealth, from a land that was seized by warfare in the first place.

Each of the chapters seems to me to be a half proved argument, there is just something a little flimsy about the sources by journalistic standards. I'm glad I read this book but feel there must be other books to read, before I get any kind of balanced picture of Saudi Arabia or the Arab world. Each of Posner's other books that I have read, is better than this one.

this a dangerous book with lots of holes.......2007-01-21

I know very little about Saudi Arabia. Yet, on page 34, I knew right away that the incident where the 15 girls died in a fire at their school because the religious police prevented firemen and others from saving the girls because they were not properly covered, the author had the wrong date. He stated that this happened on March 14, 2000. It actually happened on March 15, 2002 and you can still find an article on the incident at the BBC website (and elsewhere). I knew this because I was not paying attention to Saudi Arabia in 2000. I definitely was paying attention in March of 2002 (only 6 months after 9/11/2001) and I remember the incident well. Well, that is okay because out of 191 pages of text (I am not including the index, etc in this page count), it would be easy to make a mistake. The problem is that this mistake was made on page 34. I wondered through the rest of the book what other mistakes were made.

In spite of this error of date of the fire at the school (admittedly a minor error unless it was one of your own children who died), I will say that the book is an intriguing one (but also dangerous). I feel that it is a dangerous book because of how the author presents the Saudis. I feel the author is irresponsible in how he frames Saudi-US relations and the Saudis. After readng this book, one would be tempted to want to end all US relation with the Saudis and to begin to see all Saudis with suspicion and in the most negative light. The truth is, whether we like it or not, the US and Saudi Arabia do have a very long relationship and just as the US is not completely without possibility for betterment, neither are the Saudis. Not all Saudis are terrorists! However, if you read this book and believed everything in it, you would certainly be prone to think that not a single Saudi is worth any degree of trust or partnership.

Part of what makes the book such a page turner is that it reads like a horror story. For instance, on pages 125-134 he describes radiation dispersal devices. He provides a technical description of how the rulers of Saudi Arabia might have engineered the possibility within their oil fields for the destruction of their own land so that it would be completely useless for decades and decades due to radiation. RDD is part of a possible and theoretical scorched earth Saudi policy should the House of Saud ever fall.

Other topics explored in the book include the history of the Saud royal family, Arab and Jewish lobbying and influence on American policy, buying of arms by the Saudis, the massive buying of America (did you know the second largest shareholder of the Fox channel is a Saudi prince? indeed this same prince owns a portion of the company that is presenting the very same web page that you are now reading (I verified this on the prince's website), as well as corruption, extravagance, and excessive spending of and by the royal family, and of course terrorism.

Unlike Thomas Lippman who actually spent decades living in, exploring, and writing of Saudi Arabia in books such as the "Inside the Mirage: America's Fragile Partnership with Saudi Arabia"), I don't remember reading a single word by Posner where the Saudis were shown in any kind of favorable, moderate, or humane light. Lastly, the book describes Posner as having undertaken a 2 year investigation. Again, if you read authors such as Lippman, you will hear people who have decades - even lifetimes - with the culture.

So read this book if you really want to be frightened, if it doesn't bother you that a whole people of a nation is painted in a negative light, if it doesn't matter that the author is one of the least experienced authors of his subject matter, and lastly, that at least part of the book is pure speculation (although the author freely and openly makes that disclosure).

Clancy Novel- but real.......2006-03-27

Gerald Posner opens up a whole new aspect of geo-politics that, when I heard myself summarizing to those around me, sounded like a bad Clancy screenplay- except this is true.
Extremely enlightening, scary and timely. A super read.

Excellent and Timely Insights!.......2005-12-11

Posner begins by relating the outcome of capturing Abu Zubeydah, the highest-ranking al-Qaeda operative captured so far by the United States. The U.S. arranged to mislead their captive into thinking that he had been turned over to Saudi's. Zubeydah's reaction was one of relief, and he quickly spit out the phone #s of two Saudi royals, stating that "they would take care of the situation." Unsure what to make of this, the U.S. then informed Zubeydah that the phone #s were no good. He then provided several other Saudi names and that of the Chief of Pakistan's Air Force, adding that the Pakistani and one of the Saudis knew of 9/11 in advance.

Both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan denied Zubeydah's claims, as expected. However, three months later, all those named started dying under suspicious circumstances.

Posner then briefly summarizes how the Sauds came to power after WWI, defeating the Ottomans (prior ruling tribe) and others. He then goes on to cover how Saudi Arabia is much more religiously conservative than other branches of Islam, though it has relaxed somewhat in recent years. Nonetheless, one is horrified to read how 15 girls recently died in a fire at their school because authorities would not let them out without "proper" headgear.

Other sources have clearly identified hatred of Israel as a major motivator in the Islamic world. This is somewhat understandable in response to Israel's takeover of Palestinian land and subsequent mistreatment of those citizens. Posner, however, also points out that the Sauds had this hatred before WWI!

Posner also details how Saudi Arabia threatened to nationalize its oil industry in the early 1970s unless businesses lobbied for it. Shortly thereafter, Egypt attacked Israel, Nixon decided to resupply Israel, and the U.S. oil embargo followed. Eventually the embargo was lifted, but prices increased ten-fold, and the Saudis used their new wealth for conspicuous consumption and to engender support among other nations for a resolution condemning Israel.

At this point the "good news" is that eventually the Saudi's began to use their vast wealth to build public infrastructure; the "bad news" is that it was accompanied by lots of corruption.

King Faisal was assassinated in '75 by the nephew of a prince he had ordered killed while protesting (religious reasons) opening a TV station. Posner points out that the nephew had spent years in the U.s. - thus, it was concluded that the West had corrupted him, and general dislike of the U.S. again increased.

America's prolonged military presence on Saudi soil (considered a major affront to Islam) during the first Gulf War helped motivate Bin Laden. (President Clinton compounded the problem by allowing women to be stationed at the base.) At about this time, Saudis worried about others trying to take over their oil fields (President Carter had an official plan drawn up to do so) established a "scorched earth" policy - Semtex explosive was placed in key locations, and it is also rumored that mini "dirty-bombs" were additionally positioned.

As for the current war of terror - Posner points out that much terror-funding comes from the Sauds, and they have failed to cooperated with U.S. banking officials trying to stop the flow.

Overall - a very informative and alarming book.

Polemical Rather Than Historical.......2005-10-31

Those who are looking for an introduction to Saudi history will be disappointed with this book. It is a polemic that, from beginning to end, seeks to persuade rather than to explain.

For example, the first anecdote (involving a civilian flight made by a Saudi royal while civilian traffic was shut down after 9-11) is presented with an almost lurid suggestiveness that is never quite backed up by facts. In fact, there are explanations for this flight that do not signify the insidious influence of the Saudis that is the thesis of this book, one of which is that the prince involved, being on a flight piloted by a pilot with CIA clearence, had been present in the country on 9-11 and delegated to assist the American government in its post haste investigations of 9-11. Try as you might, you can't find this contention assessed and rejected. In fact, the CIA connection was only incidentally mentioned, and this unbalanced presentation is both typical of the book and not in the least conducive to developing an analytical understanding of Saudi-American relations.

More annoying than hyperbolic and unbalanced weighings of the facts is that accurate factual presentations are often so skillfully juxtaposed with other facts as to lead the incautious reader to draw conclusions that the author never quite draws, but may seem to have drawn. If I say cats are feline and cunning, follow with another true remark to the effect that dogs like bones, and return to the discussion of cunning, it may appear to the incautious reader that I have established that dogs are cunning. Mr. Posner's persuasive writing certainly certainly is. This type of lawyerly deception is given even to plainly false contentions.

This book is one in a long line of charges and countercharges of either Israeli or Arab influence in the American government. You will have no trouble establishing which side Mr. Posner prefers. It is also one of the line of recent right wing polemics written for popular consumption and persuasion, offering only shallow and often illusory analysis that is unhelpful to understanding our complex relationship with the Saudis, substituting only shallow cliches for real understanding. Its informational value is extremely limited, and in fact negative if someone lacks a prior background in pertinent facts.

For this reason, though it is an entertainingly written book, there are better ways for everyone, whether well versed or not, to spend an evening.

Average customer rating:

Treasure Now Found
Bad, bad book
Unlikely tale with no research content
A very Odd account
Truth is Funner than Fiction

The GOLD OF EXODUS
Howard Blum
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Israel | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Saudi Arabia | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Mountain of Fire: The Discovery of the Real Mount Sinai
The Exodus Revealed: Searching for the Red Sea Crossing
The Mountain of Moses: The Discovery of Mount Sinai
The Exodus Case: New Discoveries Confirm the Historical Exodus
The Brigade : An Epic Story of Vengeance, Salvation, and WWII

ASIN: 0684809184

Amazon.com

When a millionaire adventurer goes in search of the true Mount Sinai, he gets more than he bargained for. Spies, missiles, and secret military installations are just some of the obstacles that Larry Williams and his sidekick Bob Cornuke must confront in their unprecedented journey to find the lost treasures of Moses. In The Gold of Exodus, award-winning journalist Howard Blum records a page-turning story of an adventure that makes history. While risking their necks by sneaking into the xenophobic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, amateur archaeologists Williams and Cornuke become pawns in a game of international espionage that eventually leads them to the top of the most sacred mountain in the world, and into the hands of shotgun-wielding Bedouins. The Gold of Exodus is a true story that is too unbelievable to be fiction, too suspenseful to be put down, and too significant to soon be forgotten.

Book Description

Mount Sinai. For many, it is the most sacred place on Earth—the site where God descended to give Moses the Ten Commandments. Yet for centuries, mankind has not known its exact location. In this heart-pounding true story, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Howard Blum tells the enthralling account of two modern-day adventurers—Larry Williams, a two-time Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Montana and a self-made millionaire, and his friend Bob Cornuke, a retired policemen and former SWAT team member. Lured by the prospect of finding the fabled fortune in gold that the ancient Hebrews took with them when they fled from Egypt, the two men set out to find the true site of Mount Sinai—with only the Old Testament as a guide.

Eminent biblical scholars at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have argued that Mount Sinai is not in the Sinai Peninsula at all, but rather in northwestern Saudi Arabia. However, they were never allowed into the kingdom to prove their argument. When Cornuke and Williams are also denied entry, they daringly sneak into Saudi Arabia. And what they discover at the mountain known as Jabal al Lawz will astonish the world—and inspire readers to rethink the role of the Bible in history. They find the remains of the stone altar at which the Golden Calf was worshiped, the twelve pillars that Moses ordered to be erected, the cave where Moses slept, and, most sensationally, the unnaturally scorched spot on the mountaintop where God gave Moses the two stone tablets. They also explain, in a fascinating account, the truth about the parting of the Red Sea waters. And not the least of their discoveries is the fact that one of the most sacred spots on earth is now a top secret Saudi military base. As these two adventurers follow in Moses' footsteps, they become pawns in a dangerous game of international power politics and intrigue, This action-packed tale—part high-tech treasure hunt, part modern-day spy thriller, and part biblical detective story—is riveting. And it is all true.

Download Description

Howard Blum tells the account of two modern-day adventurers - Larry Williams, a two-time Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Montana and a self-made millionaire, and his friend Bob Cornuke, a retired policemen and former SWAT team member. Lured by the prospect of finding the fabled fortune in gold that the ancient Hebrews took with them when they fled from Egypt, the two men set out to find the true site of Mount Sinai - with only the Old Testament as a guide. Eminent biblical scholars at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have argued that Mount Sinai is not in the Sinai peninsula at all, but rather in northwestern Saudi Arabia. However, they were never allowed into the kingdom to prove their argument. When Cornuke and Williams are also denied entry, they daringly sneak into Saudi Arabia. And what they discover at the mountain known as Jabal al Lawz will astonish the world - and inspire readers to rethink the role of the Bible in history. They find the remains of the stone altar at which the Golden Calf was worshiped, the twelve pillars that Moses ordered to be erected, the cave where Moses slept, and, most sensationally, the unnaturally scorched spot on the mountaintop where God gave Moses the two stone tablets. They also explain, in a fascinating account, the truth about the parting of the Red Sea waters. And not the least of their discoveries is the fact that one of the most sacred spots on earth is now a top secret Saudi military base. As these two adventurers follow in Moses' footsteps, they become pawns in a dangerous game of international power politics and intrigue.

Customer Reviews:

Treasure Now Found.......2005-09-28

In the book, there are two guys. Their names are Larry Williams, a self made millionaire, and Bob Cornuke, a retired police officer and a former Swat-team member. Larry Williams is also an archaeologist and he hears rumors that the real Mount Sinai (the mountain where god gave Moses the Ten Commandments) is actually in present day Saudia Arabian, on Mount Jabal al Lawz. They want to make sure that they are right, so they actually follow the route on which they believe the Hebrews used to get out of Egypt. After a couple of days, they realize that this must be the way that they took. Every single detail that is in the bible they find. When the get to what they believe is the Reds Sea, They go scuba diving in it. They find the prove that they need and Larry almost gets eaten by a shark.
They finally find a way into Saudia Arabian. They run into several problems like their rooms get broken into, someone is following them and their batteries are missing for their supplies. When their journey finally ends and they get to Mount Jabal al Lawz, they find that the mountain has actually been turned into a military base and is surrounded by guards. Will they survive? You have to read to find out.
I liked how the book switched between Larry and Bobs perspective. The only thing that I didn't like is how the book started the book by starting at the end and flashing back.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to research the bible or is interested in the bible.

Bad, bad book.......2005-04-22

This book is written like a 4th-rate children's adventure story. From the spy story to the lead "characters" furtive journey into Saudi Arabia to their diving expedition - it's all so full of hyperbole and exaggeration that the pictures of the book are needed to convince the reader that the trip happened at all.

The author's genius, if you could call it that, is taking real people and re-casting them as one-dimensional cardboard characters. The way these treasure-less "treasure hunters" go about the task of finding the Exodus treasure makes them appear more clueless and dumb than I believe humans could have been in real life.

In one passage, one of our heroes can't get his metal detector working. He painstakingly completely disassembles and re-assembles the machine and cannot figure out the problem. His genius partner suggests he checks the batteries. Wow, they're missing! And they aren't just missing. No, they were stolen from the machine by the mysterious unnamed spies that are constantly following the pair and attempting to thwart their journey. Right! It hurts to read this book.

Not to spoil the end of this ridiculous tale, but they don't find one ounce of gold or any other treasure. I searched on the web and found numerous point-by-point rebuttals of the "Sinai in Arabia" thesis of the book. The most concise I read was "Problems with Mt. Sinai in Saudi Arabia" by Brad Sparks. Look it up and read this free well-written paper rather than waste any time with the silly "Gold" book.

Unlikely tale with no research content.......2003-12-28

I have the hardest time getting rid of books, and every purge of the family library ends up being a long series of painful decisions. Yet I had no trouble giving away this book after the first reading.

I would like to give at least some praise before discussing the weaknesses of this book - but I have the hardest time finding any. The idea is entertaining and some of the travel scenes are exotic and unusual.

That said, the book as a whole is poor in many respects. The writing is, at most, unremarkable. The chapters of the book are poorly architected, and it is sometimes difficult to understand why one follows the other. The thesis in the story is both unlikely and unbelievable, and there is not an iota of proof to any of the many rather incredible assumptions. Finally, some of the "facts" in the story (i.e. what the authors say they actually did and saw) are somewhat difficult to believe.

I thought that this was about the narrative of a new set of biblical archeology finds along with some controversial analysis. What the book really is, is a poorly written travelogue along with the expose of a thesis whose theme is about as well proven as the idea that aliens built the pyramids.

I normally see some redeeming value, or a potential audience, for most of the books I read. In this case, I would say: by any means stay away, even shipping costs only would be too high a price for this book.

A very Odd account.......2003-10-30

I'm not sure what to say here. THis is a very odd book from someone who has written two other great books. Blum's account of the Jewish Brigade in WWI and hisa account of the Yom Kippur War(Eve of Destruction) are both marvelous and TRUE accounts of the events. Having done extensive research on te Yom Kippur war I can vouch for 'Eve of Destruction's' authenticity. Yet this book seems oddly out there.

First of all the two men this book chronicles Larry Williams and Robert Cornuke have both written books on the subject detailing their adventure. Now the problem is that the books are in conflict. WIliams book details two trips while Cornukes book is ambivlent on whether he has found Mt. Sinai and he does not mention Israeli Mossad. So this deminishes the books credibility.

The Saudi archeological service cannot be trusted. Many people claim that the book must be wrong because the Kingdom of Saudi has destributed some pictures of the painting described in this book and these painting look more european then biblical. Well who trusts the Saudi internal government, which is a dictatorship and has no reason to release evidence about this mountain, especially if such evidence will bring millions of non-Mulsims to the kingdom for pilgrimage. Saudi already has one holy cty, it doesnt want another.

THis book is not racism as some claim nor is it 'offensive' it is merely an exploration of the Biblical site of Mt. Sinai. THose that accuse this book of being offfensive because these guys had to sneak into Saudi should instead accuse the Saudis of offense for not allowing international research teams to search their country for non-muslim archeology.

The Kingdom of Saudi does have a lax intelligence service if your an ex-SWAT member and this is clear from the many terrorist attacks on U.S installations in the kingdom so those that say this cant be true because oft he vaunted Saudi intelligence service are also wrong. Saudi, as the book shows, is a fuedal state that lives in the modrn world.

Those that say the discovery, if true, has ramifactions for the worlds religions are wrong. It has no ramification for any of the religions. Mt Sinai is where god gave the commandments and the laws to Moses.

An interesting book

Truth is Funner than Fiction.......2003-08-05

This book reads like the best of the best spy novels. It flows. It has suspense. It has shady characters and heroes. Espionage,danger, intrigue, exotic locations. Biblical artifacts. And it is all true! Makes the adventure come alive and reads like a ride on a roller coaster. I have put down works of fiction half read and implausible. I raced through this book. I gave it all the free time I could spare. It was simply wonderful. And I keep seeing evidence that a movie is on the way. Step aside, Indiana. These guys are real! And they are messing around in your playground.

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