I’m a fiction person so I’ve never read non-fiction because I *wanted* to. If I’m reading non-fiction, it’s because I have to. When I was younger, I read non-fiction because it was part of an assignment for school. Nowadays, I find myself reading for work. We’re encouraged to read one industry-appropriate book per quarter—I usually try to fit one work book a month into my reading schedule. When it comes to reading, I tend to be a bit of an over-achiever. I admit it. I work in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), which is a subject that becomes broader as time goes on. I’ve found myself reading textbooks specific to AML, about the mafia, tax evasion, fraud, terrorism, bank heists and in some cases, some financial thrillers. Because I don’t *like* non-fiction and my personal reading tastes tend to be on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from financial thrillers, I seldom enjoy any of the books I assign myself. Most of what I’ve read I would *not* recommend to others. Sleeping with the Devil was the latest book I assigned to myself. And I loved it. There were portions of the book that had been “blacked out” because the CIA had reviewed the book prior to publication and deemed certain pieces of information too sensitive to share. On one hand, it added to the suspense and kept my interest piqued. However, there was an aspect of it that felt gimmicky to me. Maybe. But that’s not necessarily a critique. There were also several comments added throughout the book that sounded like gossip. Again, that’s not exactly a critique either based on what the subject matter is. Trying to straighten out the facts and history of where the conflict started and whose fault it is like trying to flatten a Moebius scarf—it’s not possible. The subject matter addressed in the book is extremely complex and I thought the author did an excellent job at providing facts and details at appropriate moments to move things along in a way that kept a high level of interest in the book and a desire to keep turning the pages. It was an extremely exciting book to read and certainly one of the better ones I’ve read lately.
Sensationalist and assumably biased, this book explains the US-Saudi relationship from its origins and the need for the US to shore up oil resources post WW2. The premise is that security of supply is a strategic goal that takes precedence over other considerations incl. Islamic fundamentalism and jihad, corruption and bribery on both sides of the relationship and arming a nation which has radical religious beliefs and is unstable at best.Written two years after 9/11 it is written in a style which is conversational (turns of phrase such as 'average screwing' rather than population growth projections makes it feel like you could be hearing these stories in a hushed manner in a dogged bar). Ten years on after the Arab Spring and the Muslim Brotherhood now a legitimate political party and govt in Egypt, regime change imminent in Syria - it will be fascinating to watch how geopolitical events unfold, how the US will manage through this change and what leadership changes if any will occur in Saudi.
If you saw the Movie Syriana and were a little confused, this book will explain much of what goes on in the film. Syriana was actually based on a previous book of Baer's (a former CIA agent who specialized in the Middle East). This is a very interesting book given these times in which we find ourselves. This is not a novel, but a nonfiction piece with some speculation in it--such as, what it would take to cripple Saudi oil production. The book lays out the "big picture" for our involement with various Middle Eastern regimes and how oil greases most, if not all, of those relationships. After reading this book, I wished Baer was in government still, but as a policymaker and not a spook.
—Kurt Ayau
The focus here is Saudi Arabia, and it is a very chilling account with considerable new information (new to me anyway) providing a basis for a very dark look into the future. It is only a matter of time before the unimaginable thievery of the Al Sa’ud (the Saudi royal family) is crushed by the Wahabbi extremists that the royalty has been buying off for decades. Things are even worse than they seem . Saudi Arabia doesn’t have what we would call a rule of law. Look inside a Saudi passport. It states that the holder “belongs” to the royal family. A Saudi commoner is chattel, a piece of property no different from an Al Sa’uds Jeddah palace or his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. There are no rights in the kingdom, just as there isn’t a parliament or a constitution. In the author’s opinion, the likelihood is strong that when Islamic fundamentalists control the nation, they will show no mercy in using the weapon of oil to bring about the economic destruction of the west. And faced with destruction, one likely response from the West, the USA in particular, is occupation of the oil fields. A Must Read!!!
—Will Byrnes
A little outdated; after all, oil prices soared last year, and the US economy tanked - but for different reasons. But it's still an interesting and worthwhile read about how the Saudi kleptocracy is our own damn fault, and how they are so not our friends, duh. The first section, in which Baer meticulously follows the money from Saudi Arabia to American oil interests and back again, is somewhat dull (at least to me) and told me nothing I didn't know. But I'm glad I stuck through it to get to the fascinating middle section about the Wahhabis and the Muslim Brotherhood, and the historical development of the ties between the Saudi royal family and the US. And in the third section, Baer connects the dots and ties it all together.
—Isis
