The House of Saud had humble beginnings as a family of nomads living in Arabia. But when a new form of the Islamic religion, Wahhabism, influenced the household, they began a quest to unite all of Arabia under this faith. Wars were waged for more than a century; at last, the Al Saud vision was realized under King Abdul Aziz, first king of what is now Saudi Arabia. Now the international oil trade has made Saudi Arabia one of the richest countries in the world, and the Saudi royal family finds itself caught in the balance between traditional Islamic faith and the appeal of wealth and Western-style ways. And evidence pointed to Saudi involvement in the September 11th attacks on the United States. Combining new information on current events with important historical context, ""The Saudi Royal Family"" will spark debate on what lies ahead for the richest family in the world.
The House of Saud had humble beginnings as a family of nomads living in Arabia. But when a new form of the Islamic religion, Wahhabism, influenced the household, they began a quest to unite all of Arabia under this faith. Wars were waged for more than a century; at last, the Al Saud vision was realized under King Abdul Aziz, first king of what is now Saudi Arabia. Now the international oil trade has made Saudi Arabia one of the richest countries in the world, and the Saudi royal family finds itself caught in the balance between traditional Islamic faith and the appeal of wealth and Western-style ways. And evidence pointed to Saudi involvement in the September 11th attacks on the United States. Combining new information on current events with important historical context, ""The Saudi Royal Family"" will spark debate on what lies ahead for the richest family in the world.
Gr 6-9-Reed profiles each of the five Saudi kings, beginning with King Abdul Aziz and ending with the current leader, King Fahd. Each man's personality, approach to ruling, and accomplishments are discussed. The book begins with a lengthy discussion of Islam because it is so important in all aspects of Saudi life, and the history of Saudi Arabia before it became a united kingdom under one ruling family. A brief concluding chapter speculates on the future relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. Shields depicts the Iraqi leader as the ruthless tyrant he is, drawing upon contemporary publications for his sources. He opens with a chapter on the "liberation" of Kuwait in 1991, then flashes back to Hussein's childhood and early life. His rise to power in Iraq's Ba'ath political party is also covered. Two-thirds of the book is devoted to his reign as the nation's leader. One chapter each is allocated to discussions of Iraq's long, bloody war with Iran, and the Persian Gulf War. The book concludes with Hussein's postwar years, his deceptive dealings with the United States, and the United Nations's attempts at weapons inspections. The last chapter covers developments through spring 2002 with President George W. Bush's pledge to resume weapon inspections and see a "regime change" in Iraq. With developments rapidly changing, this biography will need updating faster than most. Both books are extensively illustrated with captioned, full-color photographs and maps and serve as informative, useful introductions to their subjects.-Edward Sullivan, White Pine School, TN Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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