Publisher Description
The Kingdom is the story of a country—a country of astonishing contrasts, where routine computer printouts open with the words “In the name of God,” where men who grew up in goat-hair tents now dominate the money markets of the world, and where murderers and adulterers are publicly executed in the street. By its own reckoning, this country is just entering the fifteenth century.
The Kingdom is also the story of a family—a family that has fought its way from poverty and obscurity into wealth and power the likes of which the world has never known, a family characterized by fierce loyalty among its members, ruthlessness toward its enemies, and dedication to one of the world’s most severe and demanding creeds.
The Kingdom is Saudi Arabia—the only country in the world to bear the name of the family that rules it.
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“This is one of those books I picked up free at the Annual Library book sale. Not something I would have normally been interested in on it’s own, but I am very glad I read it and found that it was actually quite fascinating. The Saud family could fit into an episode of Dynasty. Each figurehead full of contradictions and yet noble intent. The building of the Kingdom is like a fairy tale romance coupled with the cruel reality of bloodshed. Definitely worth reading. It made me realize how truly ignorant we are here in the West about the Middle East. How can ever condescend to “help” these people when we don’t have clue about their history, customs of belief systems. This book gave me a deeper understanding of the world at large and I’m glad I read it.”
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Britta (4 out of 5 stars)
