desertcart.com: Blood and Oil: Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power: 9780306846632: Hope, Bradley, Scheck, Justin: Books Review: A fascinating story of the House of Saud, MBS, and his rise to power - So MBS is fascinating - and that’s well covered here - but one of the best things about this book is its detailed overview of the rise of the House of Saud and the explication of the succession rules of Saudi Arabia. These internal relationships and politics are key to the main story and character, and, although I’ve read up on Saudi history, I found this book a great insight into the workings of the family and the kingdom. You can easily read this with zero history of Saudi Arabia and gain a pretty substantive understanding on your way to the MBS story. MBS himself is drawn fairly clearly (as clearly as outsiders are likely to be able to do - no one’s about to write what he is thinking!) and the story from his rise to Crown Prince to the Khashoggi murder is gripping. The writers don’t pull punches, but show the conflict of a rise to modernism with practically medieval ways of wielding power very well without a heavy hand in judgment. Very readable, not crazy complex, but very thorough. My only issue would be with sidebars like the Carla DiBello story (not really germane to the storyline unless you expand on the many, many Westerners who use minor influence with major Saudi players to create whole careers) which feel like Bradley Hope really wanted to fit in that WSJ profile he wrote last year. The final ending is also abrupt, possibly quickly rewritten to update to pandemic times - but it would be great to hear some thoughts on what the future might bring. Still, wholeheartedly recommend as a great insight not so much into just one person, but into a family and a nation that wield massive global influence. Review: Worth the read - I enjoyed this book very much! I definitely can see this book, or MBS's life be turned into a tv series. MBS truly fits the stereotypical prince that we see in the movies. The author broke down the history and the perspectives. I just wished the author added more details and situations about MBS. I'd liked to read more about the details in the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the imprisonment of Salman al Oda. Other than that I was familiar with most of the reading material due to following MBS through the news and media. Definitely would recommend this book!
| Best Sellers Rank | #135,768 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3 in Saudi Arabia History #37 in Royalty Biographies #134 in Middle Eastern Politics |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (3,617) |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 1.3 x 8.2 inches |
| ISBN-10 | 0306846632 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0306846632 |
| Item Weight | 12 ounces |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 384 pages |
| Publication date | September 7, 2021 |
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
B**S
A fascinating story of the House of Saud, MBS, and his rise to power
So MBS is fascinating - and that’s well covered here - but one of the best things about this book is its detailed overview of the rise of the House of Saud and the explication of the succession rules of Saudi Arabia. These internal relationships and politics are key to the main story and character, and, although I’ve read up on Saudi history, I found this book a great insight into the workings of the family and the kingdom. You can easily read this with zero history of Saudi Arabia and gain a pretty substantive understanding on your way to the MBS story. MBS himself is drawn fairly clearly (as clearly as outsiders are likely to be able to do - no one’s about to write what he is thinking!) and the story from his rise to Crown Prince to the Khashoggi murder is gripping. The writers don’t pull punches, but show the conflict of a rise to modernism with practically medieval ways of wielding power very well without a heavy hand in judgment. Very readable, not crazy complex, but very thorough. My only issue would be with sidebars like the Carla DiBello story (not really germane to the storyline unless you expand on the many, many Westerners who use minor influence with major Saudi players to create whole careers) which feel like Bradley Hope really wanted to fit in that WSJ profile he wrote last year. The final ending is also abrupt, possibly quickly rewritten to update to pandemic times - but it would be great to hear some thoughts on what the future might bring. Still, wholeheartedly recommend as a great insight not so much into just one person, but into a family and a nation that wield massive global influence.
K**.
Worth the read
I enjoyed this book very much! I definitely can see this book, or MBS's life be turned into a tv series. MBS truly fits the stereotypical prince that we see in the movies. The author broke down the history and the perspectives. I just wished the author added more details and situations about MBS. I'd liked to read more about the details in the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the imprisonment of Salman al Oda. Other than that I was familiar with most of the reading material due to following MBS through the news and media. Definitely would recommend this book!
K**R
Very indepth and interesting
I was hooked on the book and the amount of information it had pertaining to the politics in the Al Saud family and in the Saudi cabinet . This well researched and explained , giving a balanced view of MBS admist his accusations and arrest made within the family itself . I have learned so much from this book . It was bittersweet. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the SA politics. I only had some knowledge through YouTube videos not sure which one was credible . This books is very well put together and gave a great overall view of picture with very personal details of the story
G**A
Great Book!
Well written! Endlessly interesting & insightful!! Detailed information on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The Turks had the Saudi Embassy in IAnkara bugged & recorded his killing & dismemberment. An authoritarian disguised as a reformer, Mohammed bin Salman is a man to watch.
E**R
Good book.
Book was informative and well written. At times it would however lose interest for me. It did provide great insight into a part of the world with little information known.
P**L
The Importance of the Middle East Cannot be Underestimated
Once one gets past all the Mohameds of the ruling families, it’s clear that MBS and Saudi Arabia is on the move to becoming a with power to be reckoned with, if the US hopes to establish some stability in the Middle East.
B**N
Interesting Book
Good book. I’m happy I purchased it.
K**R
Chilling
Staying in the Middle East for a decade. This is surreal.. I applause the authors who did a very good research 👏 👌 🙌
S**L
Really shon a light on what's transpired in Saudi Arabia with MBS and how it impacts the country, their neighbors and the world. Excellent read.
G**O
De los mejores libros que he leído
R**G
The author gave a detailed description of the mind of the future king of UAE
A**.
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C**E
It is a good book, real history with a lot sides of countries interests to think about and to understand the politics of Saudi Arabia.
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