1/15/23

Excellent book on Saudi Arabia and specifically al Saud family. Written in an engaging, if at times overly sympathetic, way. The Arabs of the penisula have had to go from 15th century to the 20/21st century in the space of four decades. An example to consider would be that prior to 1960s, most men of the kingdom had to make their own shoes. Now, most of the labor done in the kingdom is done by Pakistanis and Philipinos, shopping centers are everywhere, everyone has an SUV, and most houses have air-conditioning. ( )

A history of the people of Arabia ( )