Saudi Arabia on the Edge

Reviews and Endorsements

Tom Lippman has done it again. Saudi Arabia on the Edge is a worthy successor to his classic, Inside the Mirage: America's Fragile Partnership with Saudi Arabia. Meticulously researched, this fascinating book debunks the myths and stereotypes about Saudi Arabia that pervade Western observations. The author shares with us his wisdom honed by decades of experience in Saudi Arabia. He presents a realistic and occasionally alarming picture of an economic and political giant beset by a gathering storm of challenges in a rapidly changing world. I highly recommend this thoughtful perspective.

Robert W. Jordan, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia

The consummate inside guide to Saudi Arabia by Tom Lippman, the insider's insider.

Robert Lacey, author of Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia weathered the Arab Spring of 2011 without the convulsions of many of its neighbors. But Tom Lippman understands that the country has actually undergone social, economic, and even cultural changes over the last four decades as momentous as the political upheavals other Arab countries are now experiencing. His book is a good introduction to the Saudi paradox of social change and political stability and an invaluable guide to the challenges the country faces.

F. Gregory Gause III, chair of the Department of Political Science and former director of the Middle East studies program, University of Vermont

Saudi Arabia on the Edge is an important book by an important writer. It offers a place to start for anyone looking to understand Saudi Arabia and the multiple challenges the country is facing. Lippman shows that Saudi Arabia's leaders are fully aware of them: a demographic youth bubble, increasing energyconsumption at home, an aging leadership, and troubles with Iran, among others. The challenge, of course, is how to manage all of this. One place to start is by reading Lippman's book.

Rachel Bronson, author of Thicker Than Oil: America's Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia and vice president for studies, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Thomas Lippman's Saudi Arabia on the Edge is an excellent introduction to Saudi Arabian politics as well as the economic and social challenges facing the Kingdom today. He manages to show the complexities of this country without over simplifying and treats these in a balanced way, eschewing the excessive praise or the vilification that often typify books on the Kingdom. He has been a keen observer of the Saudi scene for a number of decades and his deep insights inform this work. This is best book available for an introduction to contemporary Saudi Arabia.

Bernard Haykel, professor of Near Eastern studies; director, the Transregional Institute, Princeton University