On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines--and Future

This book is informative and well written. But then I would have expected no less from Karen Elliott. I know first hand that Karen spent a lot of time and effort researching for this book, including a lot of time in Saudi Arabia. That is in addition to the insights she earlier gained as Foreign Editor of the Wall Street Journal (and later as publisher). I was amused at Karen's comparison of Saudi society to that of Matador, Texas, in the 1950's and 1960's. But I certainly do appreciate where she was coming from and her perspective on it. I have noticed a number of other reviewers commenting on her references to Matador and wondering why she would draw that comparison. I will attempt to explain. I grew up with Karen, her sister, and brother at Matador, Texas,(population about 600, total county population about 1,200 now) during that time. She was one of the first persons I remember meeting as a child, aside from my immediate family and numerous cousins. At that time the Elliott family lived in an old house across the mesquite pasture from our house. My recollection is that their old house, rented from an old Matador Ranch cowboy named Gafford, did have some electricity but no running water; water was hand pumped from a cistern. Rattlesnakes would occasionally crawl out from under the the old house in the summer to loiter in the moist coolness of her mother's flowerbeds, where they likely got their heads chopped off with the garden hoe that all women kept near the doors to their houses for just that purpose. I remember building sand castles with Karen in the dry creek bed under the old wooden bridge near our homes after the sand was moist from one of the infrequent rains. West Texas was in a drouth then, as it is now. Not that it ever rains much in West Texas anytime. I thought she was the prettiest girl in the whole world then. Karen's father, Ted Elliott, was a good man, but he had his ways. Her mother Baily was an angel. Ted Elliott, a World War II veteran from rural Texas, ran the Modern Welding Shop in Matador. The only thing Modern about it was in the name. It was basically a blacksmith shop and Ted was the village blacksmith of Matador, population about 1,325 back then. Ted was a very hard and steady worker, well read and with a native mechanical genius at welding and making new things needed by the local farmers and ranchers. He provided for his family as best he could and it wasn't bad by Matador standards. But the whole area economy was then, as now, not very good and nearly everyone, even the people we thought were rich, was poor as dirt by today's modern city standards. We didn't know it because we didn't have much to campare with. Ted and his family were members of the Church of Christ, probably the most conservative of the Christian Protestant denominations. So were my parents and grandparents. Ted was one of the most conservative of the conservatives. Ted was described by many as cranky and hardheaded, and he probably was. But he was honest and forthright, and as for Bill Clinton today at the Presidential Library dedication describing George W Bush as being someone who spoke his mind, well he never met Ted Elliott. Later the Elliotts bought a modest frame house in town and Ted bought Baily a new 1965 Ford car about the time Karen was a junior in high school. Ted didn't believe in watching television and there was never a television in any of their houses. The homes were always spotlessly clean, but there were never televisions or any other entertainment devices. I think they finally did get a telephone (my own parents never got a telphone until after I had left home to go to Texas A&M). Ted didn't belive in dancing or partying or any other such foolishness, not for himself and certainly not for his daughters. He didn't want his daughters out dating unruly boys and carrying on like a bunch of heathens. That was what Ted wanted and that was what he got. Even by rural West Texas standards, Karen grew up in a repressive atmosphere. Probably much more so than nearly anyone else in town. All of rural West Texas is still staunchly independent, religious, and very conservative. It was even more so then. We used to have to drive sixty or a hundred miles just to buy a case of beer. Or pay the bootlegger a lot higher price. Only in the last year or so did Matador and Motley County elect to allow grocery stores or any other stores to sell beer and wine. The old red sandstone Motley County jail was in the 1970's condemned as being the worst jail in Texas, largely because all the three or four jail cells on the second floor faced the hanging cell and trapdoor in the middle. There is hardly any crime, except for a shooting every couple of decades or so. Usually over land or women, about the only things of value. The County Sheriff and his one deputy, along with the occasional highway patrolman, are all that is needed to keep the peace in the county. The people are overwhelmingly independent, law abiding, hardworking, honest, religious, and expect everyone else to be the same way. I guess some people would describe this as a repressive society. I didn't think so then when I was growing up there, and I don't think so now. Yes, it was and still is a little primitive compared to the permissiveness in the rest of the country. But that may be for the better. Most of us growing up there had our share of fun and wild times. Matador and Motley County society was never anything near the absolute monarchy and total islamic theocracy that still keeps Saudi Arabia and much of the rest of the world back in the stone age. But I can understand how Karen Elliott, growing up under the very firm hand of Ted Elliott, can remember it being a little repressive. But look how it all turned out. Both Karen's younger brother and her older sister earned doctoral degrees and sure don't seem very repressed to me. And Karen, well, she travelled the world, won the Pulitzer Prise, ran The Wall Street Journal, raised two children, and wrote this book. Not too bad for the daughter of a blacksmith from Matador, Texas.

Karen Eliott House's analysis of the Saudi Kingdom is colorful, authoritative, and startling in its conclusions. Among the strengths of House's examination of this troubled American Ally is the experience she gained from living in Saudi Arabia for several years over two decades, and in her use of interviews to lend depth and interest to her theses. The variety of those interviews, from Saudi Princes to the poorest of citizens lends support to her belief that, as a western woman, she has greater access to Saudi Society than a western man would. Many Saudi men met her, for while she is a woman, she is not a muslim woman, which made a great difference, And, of course, as a woman, she had access to Saudi women, who are forbidden to have contact with any unrelated male. Eliott presents many issues that may surprise her readers. Poverty is widespread in the Saudi population, and the Royal Family maintains power through handouts, but these handouts discourage ambition and promote a sense of entitlement. At the same time, the Saudi Royals keep the lid on religious fundamentalists by accommodation and bribery. Another ominous problem is the aging of the first generation of Saudi Princes, the youngest of whom is now over 60 years old. Unlike many monarchies, the Saudi royal family has arranged succession among the approximately 37 sons of the Saudi founder, Ibn Saud. As the end of the line approaches for this generation of brothers and half-brothers, succession will soon fall to the third generation. But which branch? An inter-family conflict is almost guaranteed. Eliott continues to delineate threat after threat--oil reserves are exaggerated, attempting to broaden the base of the economy has failed, citizens and clerics simmer with anger and resentment. Eliott explains each issue clearly, marshals numerous facts, excerpts appropriate interviews, and supplies interesting personal anecdotes. While I would wish for better editing to more tightly organize the many subjects and to eliminate repetition, this is a quick read. Eliott told me much that I did not know. The conclusion that Saudi Arabia is teetering on the edge of becoming a failed state is both startling and frightening. One can only dread the consequences of such a failure. This is an important book which will help us to accept and to prepare for this eventuality.

Karen Elliott House has all the qualifications - and then some - to write the authoritative book on present day Saudi Arabia. She has reported on the Near East for more than 30 years. She won a Pulitzer Prize for it. She was Foreign Editor of the Wall Street Journal for years and its Publisher for more than ten. After her retirement in 2006 she spent the next five years visiting Saudi Arabia, observing, talking, and analyzing what she saw, what she heard and what she had learned - all in preparation for this book. She has huge demonstrated journalistic talent, years of experience and she writes with all the intelligence, authority, and clarity of someone with all those qualifications; and, the wise guys who have belittled her to the contrary notwithstanding, what she says deserves our attention; and she says it beautifully in this book, which is recommended to you with highest praise. This is not the place to try to tell you what she saw and what she has concluded. There's too much to tell. You should read it yourself. . There are, however, some things to mention. First is the Al Saud, the Royal family descended from Abdul Assiz ibn Saud who had conquered Arabia in the early twentieth century, sold essential drilling rights for $250,000 to Standard Oil of California in 1932, then oversaw the rise of the Kingdom to supremacy in the oil markets of the world, and with time fathered 44 sons by several wives and now has left more than 700 male heirs - sons, grandsons, great grandsons, great, great grandsons, all of whom basically "own" the whole country - what's on the surface and what's below - and who keep things under some kind of control through throwing money at problems, pitting elements of opposition against each other and subsidizing and supporting a strict Wahhabi form of Islam which keeps women shrouded and veiled, uneducated and at home, and forbids alcohol, music, representation of the human form in pictures (no movies!), and insists on all men praying five times a day - in the mosque if possible - the first call to prayer being at dawn. Then there are the workers - those who do the janitorial work, pick up the garbage (whenever), clean the toilets etc. They are foreigners - from other Muslim countries, from Bangladesh, the Philippines, India. One third of all workers in Arabia are from out of country. Most importantly there is religion, the strict Islamic dogmatism of Wahhabi Islam which virtually forbids women to have any life of their own, which has strict limits on social behavior of every kind and which insists on absolute obedience to its many demands. Obedience, it asserts, opens the way to heaven. Lack of obedience means one is in effect an infidel and worth nothing. Ms. House illustrates the point by telling the story of Lulu a Saudi woman in her early forties who lives with her eight children on the second floor of a modest two story house with her husband - half time. The first floor is occupied by her husband's other family - and older wife and older seven children - with whom he spends the other half of his time. He's a professor of Hadith, the detailed recounting of the many stories of Mohammed and his works. Lulu does her own work, almost never leaves the house (and then swaddled in black head to toe and with her husband - no other man) and strictly oversees the religious instruction of her children. There's only one TV and that's tuned to the religious channel which broadcasts religious information and bans any appearance of women in its programming. The one computer is used only for religious instruction. She's happy with this life, looking forward to heaven. She would have no other. She is a genuinely devout decent woman who wants only to do the will of Allah, what Allah demands and this is where her happiness is found. She's quite content. Her happiness is in Allah and her transit to heaven. That's all she wants; and - come to think of it - it would really be nice from to time to get away from the computer, the internet, social media, alcohol, TV, the telephone, movies, drugs, take-out, fast food, where-to-go-on-vacation, what-to-wear, and Washington doubletalk. But only from time to time, but she does it on a permanent basis and enjoys it. It's her life in Islam (The story of Lulu is better told in the book than here, but I think you get the point: The dogmatic, detailed, complicated, traditional exercise of the Saudi brand of Islam is first and foremost in the minds of a majority of Saudis. They are happy with it because they are going to Heaven and without it the rest of us are doomed - but as infidels that's our problem.) Finally there is the problem of the future. The al Saud must agree on a modern leader from with the group of those hundreds of descendants of the old warrior and must confront the tide of modern civilization with all its non Islamic traits, its openness and its independent non-tribal ways which, despite all their efforts, laps ever higher and more insistently at the walls of their family and their civilization. Friends, this is a thinking persons book, beautifully written, authoritative, current and very very important. Highest marks! JBP12/1/12

This is a truly enlightening book. For those, who used to think that in SA, rich oil princes do nothing but support terrorism. The reality is much more complex and the governing dynasty faces a true Catch 22. It is all the more necessary to read this book in order to understand what is taking place in SA, where so many of the current problems, originate. The book is extremely readable, clearly written, and presents views of all layers of the Saudi society, ranging from poor conservative shepherds to progressive members of the governing elite.

This is a good book. It's a lot of content, so I found it tough to get through at times, but definitely worth the read.

Karen Elliott House has clearly researched her subject matter and knows Saudi Arabia, at least as well as a Westerner that, presumably, does not speak Arabic can. Her book provides good insight into the history of the formation of the kingdom, and its political pecularities. The weakness in this book is the book organization of content within chapters. The reader often feels that he is rereading, again and again, the same points, being driven home far too many times. The writing is redundant and it becomes boring it is so repetitive. It would have been more interesting to make the point once, and then delve deeper. The other weakness to the book is its broad generalizations about various segments of society. Karen Elliott House has provided the reader not knowing much about Saudi Arabai, like me, a nice broad overview of the various important subjects of the nation. However, this book is limited in its depth and is mildly irritating as examples of certain people in society seem to be generalized about all of their same sex, class, and position. A good effort and nice research, but the editor could have helped her make this book even better..

This is a terrific book. As I struggle to understand the reasons for developments in the Middle East and Islam, this book provided me with some pieces for the puzzle. It explains how Saudi Arabia is different from other Arab states, how it became that way, the forces that keep it in place and how those forces are now slipping. As the author is a woman, we are fortunate to have her insights into the invisible female half of Saudi Arabian society. I strongly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in world events.

The sheer number of reviews of this book suggests that there is great hunger to know more about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While there is certainly much more to be learned about this enigmatic society, House has given us an insightful introduction to it. I was disappointed to find only one review by an individual I could identify as a native Saudi, who says he doesn't recognize his country in the book. I wish Faisal had given us more specific reasons for his view of it, as this would have helped us to see Saudi Arabia more clearly.

Una grandiosa introduzione sugli usi e costume del Regno dell'Arabia Saudita e la casa reale Al Saud. Il testo è avvincente, capace di coinvolgere il lettore su argomenti politici e sociali di grande spessore. Le testimonianze e gli aneddoti sono inseriti nella narrazione senza spezzare il filo logico, ma aiutando concretizzare il discorso. Il libro è senza dubbio un testo molto utile per chi vuole un'infrinatura su di un paese misterioso fondato su di una branca dell'Islam sunnita molto conservatore.

due to the geopolitical developments, knowledge is essential to escape intentionally or unintentionally created news. this book provides a first hand and insight into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and uncovers many facts that you perhaps wanted to verify but may also startle you in certain aspects. from my perspective and being very interested in the Middle East, definitely worth reading

Article arrived on time and in excellent condition.

History and religion of the petrol kingdom.

very readable and fascinating book.