About the Author

Alexei Vassiliev was the Middle East correspondent for Pravda for ten years. He is Director of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Reviews

"An outstanding book: a study of the Saudi state rich in historical documentation. Comprehensive and measured."-Fred Halliday

"Combines a wealth of fascinating detail with rigorous and penetrating analysis."-Bernard Lewis

"If you read or own just one book on Saudi Arabia, make sure it is this one."-Middle East Quarterly

"It will become required reading for all those interested in the country's shaping and development over the past two centuries." -Tim Niblock, Director, Center for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, University of Durham