From Saudi Arabia's pre-Islamic history to the events of today, A Brief History of Saudi Arabia, Second Edition offers a balanced, informative perspective on the country's long history.

Table of Contents

• List of Illustrations
• List of Maps
• List of Charts
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Note on Photos
• Note on Arabic Transliteration and Spelling
• Introduction
• 1 Arabia: The Land and Its Pre-Islamic History
• 2 The Birth of Islam (571-632)
• 3 The Islamic Empire and Arabia (632-1258)
• 4 The Golden Age of Islam (ca. 750-1258)
• 5 The Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the Wahhabi-Al Saud Alliance (1258-1745)
• 6 The First Saudi State (1745-1818)
• 7 Roots of Modern Arabia (1818-1891)
• 8 Unity and Independence (1891-1932)
• 9 Birth of a Kingdom (1932-1953)
• 10 A Path to World Power (1953-1973)
• 11 Oil and Arms (1973-1990)
• 12 The Gulf Crisis and Its Aftermath (1990-2001)
• 13 The Challenges Ahead
• Appendixes
• 1 Glossary
• 2 Basic Facts about Saudi Arabia
• 3 Chronology
• 4 Bibliography
• 5 Suggested Reading