A Brief History of Saudi Arabia

Front Cover
Infobase Publishing, 2010 - History - 364 pages
"In recent years Saudi Arabia has experienced changes that have both altered the internal structure of the country and affected its foreign relations. Women have gained additional civil rights; the educational system has been overhauled in an attempt to generate a skilled workforce that can enter the competitive global market; and international concern regarding terrorists within Saudi Arabia's borders has prompted an aggressive response from King Abdullah." "Yet despite economic, social, and political improvements, the country still faces turmoil from continued conflict in the Middle East. And as the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia must find a way to balance its religious authority with the demands of a modern society. From Saudi Arabia's pre-Islamic history to the events of today, A Brief History of Saudi Arabia, Second Edition offers a balanced, informative perspective on the country's long history." "Coverage includes" "--Pre-Islamic Arabia" "-Bedouin society and culture" "-The birth and spread of Islam" "-The development of and philosophy behind Wahhabism" "-The origins of the House of Saud" "-Saudi Arabia's role in the Middle East" "-Saudi Arabia's relationship to the United States" "-The battle between conservative and progressive elements in the monarchy today" "-The reign of King Abdullah" "Basic facts, a chronology, a bibliography, and a list of suggested reading make up the appendixes."--BOOK JACKET
 

Contents

Arabia The Land and Its PreIslamic History
1
The Birth of Islam
24
The Islamic Empire and Arabia
47
The Golden Age of Islam
73
The Mamluks the Ottomans and the WahhabiAl Saud Alliance
93
The First Saudi State
117
Roots of Modern Arabia
143
Unity and Independence
164
Birth of a Kingdom
187
A Parth to World Power
208
Oil and Arms
233
The Gulf Crisis and Its Aftermath
254
The Challenges Ahead
273
Appendixes
317
Index
347
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2010)

James Wynbrandt, a writer and journalist, is the author of A Brief History of Saudi Arabia for Facts On File and Flying High, a biography of JetBlue founder David Neeleman. Wynbrandt began studying Arabic in Damascus before continuing study on that region's language and history at New York University's Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies. As a journalist, his work has appeared in The New York Times, Management Review, Forbes, Smithsonian Air & Space, and many other national publications. He lives in New York City.

Bibliographic information