THE KINGDOM: ARABIA AND THE HOUSE OF SA'UD

Robert Lacy meticulously presents the gargantuan saga of the Al Sa’ud family and their Kingdom, Sa’udi Arabia. The sheer complexity of the material and the inaccessibility of Arabic nomenclature make this a very difficult book to present in audio. To keep facts straight, the listener needs the detailed appendices provided in the written format. Frederick Davidson’s well-paced, crisp and forthright reading commands the listener’s attention, and his able attempts at varied accents are welcome. Ironically, the supercilious edge to his voice reiterates the patronizing and dismissive attitude of the Western superpowers towards the Sa’udis before the 1973 oil crisis. B.M.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPT 94]