Content area
Full text
Politics and Society in Saudi Arabia: The Crucial Years of Development, 1960-1982, by Sarah Yizraeli. New York: Columbia University Press, 2012. xxi + 336 pages. $50.
Sarah Yizraeli returns to the field of scholarship on Saudi Arabia with her lat- est publication. Many might remember her first book, The Remaking of Saudi Ara- bia: The Struggle between King Sa 'ud and Crown Prince Fay sal, 1953-1962 (Syra- cuse, 1998), in which she laid the ground- work for her analysis of the power struggle between Sa'ud and Faysal. Her latest study uses similar arguments as the basis for her description of Saudi society during the oil boom years. Thanks to her sound historical research and writing skills, she is able to identify the main stages of development as well as the main actors and stakeholders in the development process.
However, her intentions with the new book go beyond simply describing the tran- sition of the kingdom into the new age. She seeks to repair the distorted image of Saudi Arabia in the public opinion caused by bi- ased media coverage. This is a very honor- able goal; however, her image of Saudi Ara- bia is that of a society with radical roots that...