Our Views
Our Perceptions on Political and Economic Situations in the Arab World
A rich, superbly researched, balanced history of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. David Rundell was one of the State Department’s pre-eminent authorities on Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, one on whom those of us working in the region depended heavily, and this history reflects his decades of experience in the region, his eye for nuance and detail, his deep understanding of the culture and relationships in the kingdom, and his exceptional ability to distill and present all of that brilliantly.
— General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIA
'Clear-eyed and illuminating.'
Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor
David Rundell is America’s most knowledgable diplomat on Saudi Arabia. His book, “Vision or Mirage”, is a deeply learned and nuanced account of the kingdom’s history, politics and economics.You will not find a better book on the kingdom.
Dr. Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near East Studies, Princeton University
Co-Author “Saudi Arabia in Transition”
'Destined to be the best single volume on the Kingdom.'
Ambassador Chas Freeman, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Assistant Secretary of Defense
'Should be prescribed reading for a new generation of political leaders.'
Sir Richard Dearlove, former Chief of H.M. Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge.