Book Description
Recipient of the CHOICE 1999 Outstanding Academic title
Among the numerous publications on the history of the Arabian peninsula, The History of Saudi Arabia is unique in its comprehensive coverage of the evolution of the socio-political structure of Saudi society during the 250 years of its existence.
Among the vast array of topics, the author studies the movement of the Wahhabi religious reformers, who call themselves muwahhidun (believers in one God), the various stages of development of the Saudi state, the role of the 'oil factor' in the transformation of Saudi society, the appearance of frequently conflictual new classes and social groups, and Saudi Arabia's role in the international arena.
The book is based on a wealth of sources: Arab texts (including many original Arabian chronicles) by both protagonists and antagonists of the Saudi dynasty and the Wahhabis; accounts by European travellers, diplomats, scholars and intelligence officers from the eighteenth to the twentieth century; the documents and publications of the British administration in India; twentieth-century Arabic sources, including not only official Saudi publications but also accounts by participants in the formative events described; works by prominent east European academics that have previously been unavailable in English; US publications; and Russian sources, including the previously untapped riches of the Russian archives.
About the Author
Alexei Vassiliev is a Russian scholar and writer whose professional career has focused on the Arab world. He was Middle East correspondent for Pravda for more than ten years and is the author of numerous books and articles. He was appointed director of the prestigious Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy in 1992. As a political adviser he participated in the GorbachevBush summit in Malta in 1989 and in Prime Minister Chernomyrdin's delegation to the Gulf countries in 1994. He is a member of the Russian Foreign Ministry's advisory group.
History of Saudi Arabia FROM THE PUBLISHER
Among the numerous publications on the history of the Arabian peninsula, The History of Saudi Arabia is unique in its comprehensive coverage of the evolution of the socio-political structure of Saudi society during the two hundred and fifty years of its existence.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
A history of the Saudi Arabian state from its emergence in 1745 to the early 1990s. The main issues it considers are the evolution of the social and political structures of Saudi society, the Wahhabi movement for a reform of Islam, Saudi Arabia's place in the modern world, the impact of oil on its society, the emergence of new social groups, and the contradictions within Saudi society and how they are resolved. Vassiliev (Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences) was 's Middle East correspondent for 10 years. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Art & Photography
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