• Ibn Saud

  • The Desert Warrior Who Created the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • By: Michael Darlow, Barbara Bray
  • Narrated by: Brian Bascle
  • Length: 21 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (344 ratings)

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Ibn Saud

By: Michael Darlow, Barbara Bray
Narrated by: Brian Bascle
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Editorial reviews

In the early years of the 20th century, the Arabian Peninsula was populated by loosely affiliated Bedouin tribes living as they had for millennia, with no central power and great vulnerability to the rapidly modernizing world around them. Into this desert land was born a boy the world would come to know as Ibn Saud, or King Abdulaziz, who established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 and whose lineage hold the throne to this day.

Performed by Brian Bascle, Michael Darlow and Barbara Bray’s engaging, thorough, and decades-in-the-making biography of this mysterious and important ruler cover Saud’s life from his early years as a desert warrior to his overseeing of the oil boom that elevated his kingdom to the powerful position it holds today.

Publisher's summary

Ibn Saud grew to manhood living the harsh traditional life of the desert nomad, a life that had changed little since the days of Abraham. Equipped with immense physical courage, he fought and won, often with weapons and tactics not unlike those employed by the ancient Assyrians, a series of astonishing military victories over a succession of enemies much more powerful than himself. Over the same period, he transformed himself from a minor sheikh into a revered king and elder statesman, courted by world leaders such as Churchill and Roosevelt. A passionate lover of women, Ibn Saud took many wives, had numerous concubines, and fathered almost one hundred children. Yet he remained an unswerving and devout Muslim, described by one who knew him well at the time of his death in 1953 as “probably the greatest Arab since the Prophet Muhammad.” Saudi Arabia, the country Ibn Saud created, is a staunch ally of the West, but it is also the birthplace of Osama bin Laden and 15 of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers. Saud’s kingdom, as it now stands, has survived the vicissitudes of time and become an invaluable player on the world’s political stage.

©2010, 2012 Michael Darlow and Barbara Bray. First published in the UK by Quartet Ltd. (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“An entertainingly exhaustive, though imperfect, biography of an inscrutable monarch.” ( Kirkus Review)
“ Darlow and Bray convey the essence of the man as well as the stark, unforgiving landscape that he mastered while forging a nation.” (Jay Freeman, Booklist)
“All in all a successful narrative, though overlong on military exploits and personal vignettes and short on analysis of the massive changes in Arabian society.” ( Publishers Weekly)

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Short-est Way to Learn about the Modern Day Saudia

Any additional comments?

Twenty one hours of listening to this book is the shortest way to educate oneself on the history of the modern state of Saudi Arabia. Despite the fact that I had some idea of Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud's raids and conquering of territory, it wasn’t the complete story nor made much sense. Thanks to this book which not only filled the void but actually went beyond: it filled it to my delight.

This book covers in detail the entire history of the tribes, the politics, the fighting within and without which spanned the Arabian peninsula from 1890 to 1957 with Abdul Aziz (referred throughout the book as Ibn Saud) taking the central role. It covers all aspects of Ibn Saud – his soldierly spirit, his fighting strength, his political maneuvering, yet not overlooking his personal failings. It was only after reading this book that I was able to get an idea of how the oil wealth has been and is being consumed by the House of Sauds. I could hardly believe that in 1950s two-third of the income from oil went in to serving the lifestyle and needs of the self acclaimed Royals. There is also ample humour and stories to give the reader enough chuckles. Ibn Saud’s marriages and his losing account of how many wives he married: his insistence of taking sheep aboard USS Murphy (to which the US Navy relented) enroute for his meeting with President Roosevelt aboard USS Quincy provide for a fair amount of light reading.

Elsewhere I had read a comment that the narrator could not pronounce the Arabic names correctly. Indeed that is true but I had rather listen to a good English narrator and compromise listening to a few incorrect Arabic names than listen to some one pronouncing the Arabic names correctly but debar me the pleasure of smooth English listening for twenty hours. I enjoyed the narration so well that I have no hesitation rating it 5-stars.

Any Muslim or a non Muslim, an Arab or otherwise who intends serving anywhere in the Arabian peninsula would find himself enriched reading this book and better equipped in knowledge to serve in Saudi Arabia or the Emirates.

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13 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A Captivating Portrait of the Man and His Times

What did you love best about Ibn Saud?

This work feels like it was meant for Audible. During the several days it took me to finish listening, I never felt bogged-down by names, dates or factoids. Instead, the author gives us almost lyrical descriptions of the Arabian landscape and paints a living portrait of Ibn Saud as well as figures instrumental in his rise to power. The book is filled with entertaining anecdotes and personal details that help the reader/listener become emotionally invested in the narrative.

What did you like best about this story?

I was impressed by how accessible and easy to follow the narrative Was considering the vast scope of the work. Beyond covering the life of Ibn Saud, this work goes into great detail on Bedouin customs, the formation of Islam and the geopolitical climate of the era. Even though they wern't central to the story, I felt like I better understood the importance of figures such as T.E. Lawrence, Churchill and the Hashemite kings in shaping the modern Middle East after finishing this work.

Which character – as performed by Brian Bascle – was your favorite?

This wasn't that kind of book, but if I had to pick a favorite person portrayed in the narrative it would be Captain William Shakspear. He seemed worthy of the veneration that figures such as T.E. Lawrence were later to inspire more through publicity than by actual exploits.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, it was that good.

Any additional comments?


Certain passages of this work, especially of those related to Ibn Saud's personal religious beliefs and his control (or lack therof) on some of the more fanatical Wahabis in his service seemed a bit biased. But no book is perfect.

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4 people found this helpful

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Takes you back

I enjoyed this book about one of the greatest Arab leaders in the modern world, however it seems to me that like every book looking in from the outside, it misses some facts and misinterprets/misunderstands some others.

Still, a decent job. Would listen again.

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I wish I could give six stars!

Fascinating story about the life of Ibn Saud nestled within a general history of Saudi Arabia all the way up to the present day. There is incredible detail about his meetings with various figures from world history and action-packed narratives when describing his battles.

The book paints a poignant image of Saudi Arabia's current position: Formerly a land of bedouins living a millenia-old lifestyle with honor, hospitality, and religious devotion as their highest ideals, now a modern petrostate with cell phones, Internet, sportscars, and loosening social mores. It will be seen in our lifetime how this will work out for this fast-changing nation.

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Bellow average

If you don't know much about the history of Middle East and you don't care... this is a dicent book, otherwise STAY AWAY.

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Worth the time

Informative history of modern Saudi Arabia and the major players and events in its development.

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Great story, if you skip the last two chapters

The bulk of the book draws on a variety of historical documents that piece together the amazing story of Ibn Saud's historic unification of the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. The story that emerges is one of the scion of a tribal warlord who goes into exile and emerges later as a warrior king who builds a nation out of a patchwork of rival tribes. This part of the book was every bit worthwhile, even if it does come off as something of a hagiographic narrative. However the chapters that follow the end of Ibn Saud's death plunge into a sort of rote regurgitation of passe political platitudes that can be found in any undergraduate thesis at an average local university.

In final summation: By all means, read/listen to this book for the historical portion and then skip everything that follows Ibn Saud's death and read something more intellectually stimulating, like last month's Want Ads or Beetle Bailey comics.

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love it

I couldn't stop listening so interesting and well written even tho I'm Saudi I learned a lot about the founder and I have way much more respect for him and a lot of beautiful stories.

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Great book

I wish I could read something about the house of Saud in 2023 from the same author

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Awesome book.

Killing in the name of religion and peace. The struggle of humanity to survive and thrive. Wow.

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