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brooklynbrianreads's review against another edition
4.0
Trump asked them, you know, what's the deal with this bone saw? You know, I've been in some tough negotiations in my life, but I've never needed a bone saw.
In this excellent portrait of contemporary Saudi society, Ben Hubbard, a New York Times Middle East correspondent explains the origins of the house of Saud, Wahhabism, and Mohammed Bin Salman (or Mo, as Jared Kushner, America's own crown prince, calls him as they conduct diplomacy to find put out fires in the Gulf over WhatsApp). MBS is a man with unchecked power, unlimited wealth and an ego to match. Only 35 years old, he has ushered in a period of tremendous change in Saudi Arabia - women can drive, there has been significant loosening of guardianship rules (go figure), expansion of education & entertainment opportunities for all, long-overdue curtailment of the powers of the religious police, attempts to diversify from oil dependence and reigning in on excessive spending by the thousands of princes in the kingdom.
MBS is a very complicated character with many contradictions. A tyrant who loves consultants from McKinsey/Deloitte/PwC/Bain et cetera. A "democracy of one" who will sit with journalists until the wee hours debating how to advance the society. He has also directed the jailing and murder of those who have opposed him, launched a disastrous war in Yemen (aided and abetted by the US & UAE), bought luxury yachts/paintings/villas while imprisoning his cousins for wasteful spending.
The book also delves into the issue of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was brutally murdered and dismembered by operatives under MBS's orders INSIDE the Saudi consulate in Turkey (talk about daring).
This is certainly the first of many accounts to come about MBS. He will probably inherit the crown soon (his father, the king, is quite ill) and rule the kingdom until the late part of the century. His rule may very well end up posing the most consequential geopolitical questions of our lifetimes. Will he extend an olive branch (publicly) to Israel & what would this mean to the Palestinian people? How will he deal with Iran and its Shia proxies in the region? Are the erratic incidences (kidnapping his mother, forcing Lebanon's PM Saad Hariri to resign, the Qatar blockade, the Yemen mess) a primer for even bigger mistakes? Will the conservative religious establishment ever push back on him? What happens when oil reserves are no longer a blank cheque? I guess we will just have wait and see. In the meantime, I hope the Saudi hackers don't find me and hack into my computer.
In this excellent portrait of contemporary Saudi society, Ben Hubbard, a New York Times Middle East correspondent explains the origins of the house of Saud, Wahhabism, and Mohammed Bin Salman (or Mo, as Jared Kushner, America's own crown prince, calls him as they conduct diplomacy to find put out fires in the Gulf over WhatsApp). MBS is a man with unchecked power, unlimited wealth and an ego to match. Only 35 years old, he has ushered in a period of tremendous change in Saudi Arabia - women can drive, there has been significant loosening of guardianship rules (go figure), expansion of education & entertainment opportunities for all, long-overdue curtailment of the powers of the religious police, attempts to diversify from oil dependence and reigning in on excessive spending by the thousands of princes in the kingdom.
MBS is a very complicated character with many contradictions. A tyrant who loves consultants from McKinsey/Deloitte/PwC/Bain et cetera. A "democracy of one" who will sit with journalists until the wee hours debating how to advance the society. He has also directed the jailing and murder of those who have opposed him, launched a disastrous war in Yemen (aided and abetted by the US & UAE), bought luxury yachts/paintings/villas while imprisoning his cousins for wasteful spending.
The book also delves into the issue of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was brutally murdered and dismembered by operatives under MBS's orders INSIDE the Saudi consulate in Turkey (talk about daring).
This is certainly the first of many accounts to come about MBS. He will probably inherit the crown soon (his father, the king, is quite ill) and rule the kingdom until the late part of the century. His rule may very well end up posing the most consequential geopolitical questions of our lifetimes. Will he extend an olive branch (publicly) to Israel & what would this mean to the Palestinian people? How will he deal with Iran and its Shia proxies in the region? Are the erratic incidences (kidnapping his mother, forcing Lebanon's PM Saad Hariri to resign, the Qatar blockade, the Yemen mess) a primer for even bigger mistakes? Will the conservative religious establishment ever push back on him? What happens when oil reserves are no longer a blank cheque? I guess we will just have wait and see. In the meantime, I hope the Saudi hackers don't find me and hack into my computer.
zainub_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Written by a very experienced journalist who has spent a lot of time in the region and has a decent understanding of the culture and customs of Saudi Arabia as reflected in his writing, this book is quite intense yet a compelling read and even more interesting than Blood and Oil by Bradley Hope.
Hubbard acknowledges that this book does not and can not tell the complete story of MBS (given that the subject refused to be interviewed for this book) but he has expertly documented the remarkable and unpredictable rise of a new powerful figure and its effects on the Kingdom, the Middle-East, and the whole world.
The author gives a clear and concise backstory of each issue before delving into further details making it an easy-to-read book. The role of US in the war on Yemen (even if they refused to partake in the action on ground) how Obama was complicit by means of his approving 1.29 billion dollars in weapon sales, in fact 65 billion more than any other President despite outwardly preaching for peace.
I appreciated the author’s nuanced and sensitive approach to the stories and experiences of civilians in Yemen and the horrors they endure without it causing even a moment’s distress to the people around the world.
The juxtaposition of King Abdulaziz’s stand and support for the Falas teeni cause in contrast with the views, actions, and sides being chosen today was glaring to say the least.
This is a very informative book and gives insight into the Qatar problem, how it all started, how Turkey was punished indirectly for coming to the aid of the Qataris after the fallout, the Trump administration’s dealings with the new Crown Prince, the murder of a prominent journalist, and a lot more.
An absolutely fascinating, well-written and detailed book.
Hubbard acknowledges that this book does not and can not tell the complete story of MBS (given that the subject refused to be interviewed for this book) but he has expertly documented the remarkable and unpredictable rise of a new powerful figure and its effects on the Kingdom, the Middle-East, and the whole world.
The author gives a clear and concise backstory of each issue before delving into further details making it an easy-to-read book. The role of US in the war on Yemen (even if they refused to partake in the action on ground) how Obama was complicit by means of his approving 1.29 billion dollars in weapon sales, in fact 65 billion more than any other President despite outwardly preaching for peace.
I appreciated the author’s nuanced and sensitive approach to the stories and experiences of civilians in Yemen and the horrors they endure without it causing even a moment’s distress to the people around the world.
The juxtaposition of King Abdulaziz’s stand and support for the Falas teeni cause in contrast with the views, actions, and sides being chosen today was glaring to say the least.
This is a very informative book and gives insight into the Qatar problem, how it all started, how Turkey was punished indirectly for coming to the aid of the Qataris after the fallout, the Trump administration’s dealings with the new Crown Prince, the murder of a prominent journalist, and a lot more.
An absolutely fascinating, well-written and detailed book.
razeenrafi's review against another edition
4.0
Discuss regarding political issues in Saudi after MBS become crown prince.
fatyma's review against another edition
5.0
A truly tantalizing book! It has been an eye opener to the current dynamica of Saudi Kingdom, and how MBS weilded power to rise to the top, sometimes the events leaving me horrified. This book also portrays the life and culture of Saudi Arabia, and its discrimination against women.