This is a pretty good introduction and overview of the history of Saudi Arabia and its role in current events over the last few decades. Unlike many other commentators, As'ad Abukhalil draws on a host of Arab sources, both sympathetic and hostile to the Saudi regime and its aims. He pays due attention to internal dissent, from democratic reformers to revolutionary conservatives and also examines American foreign policy vis a vis the Saudi regime. Abukhalil is critical but never falls into reductionist views or the cultural determinism that dominates much of the public debate in the western media. The only drawback is that this is a brief introduction rather than a comprehensive one. Specialists, particularly those not familiar with arabic language sources may still find it useful, but this is primarily aimed at the non-specialist. Also, this book was published in 2004 and a revised or updated edition would be very useful since the last few years have seen some very significant developments in the region and in Saudi policy on a number of fronts. ( )