MBS
The Rise to Power of Mohammed Bin Salman
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MBS
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Narrated by:
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Robert Petkoff
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By:
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Ben Hubbard
About this listen
A Financial Times Book Best Book of the Year 2020
A Foreign Affairs Best Book of the Year 2020
The gripping, untold story of how Saudi Arabia's secretive and mercurial new ruler rose to power.
Even in his youth as a prince among thousands of princes, Mohammed bin Salman nurtured sweeping ambitions. He wanted power – enough of it to reshape his hyper-conservative, insular Islamic kingdom.
When his elderly father took the throne in 2015, MBS got his chance. As the hands-on-ruler, he made seismic changes, working doggedly to overhaul the kingdom's economy, loosen its strict Islamic social codes and confront nearby enemies, especially Iran. His vision initially won fans at home and abroad as he convinced other nations that the moment had come to bet big on Saudi Arabia. Over time, however, the sheen of the visionary young reformer has tarnished, leaving many wondering whether MBS is actually an aspiring dictator whose lack of experience and rash decisions are destabilizing the world's most volatile region.
Based on years of reporting and hundreds of covert interviews, MBS provides new insights into Saudi Arabia’s catastrophic military intervention in Yemen, the bizarre detention of the Lebanese prime minister, the surprise arrest of hundreds of princes and businessmen, and the greatest scandal of the young prince's rise: the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi state officials with links to MBS – a crime that shocked the world.
A riveting portrait of a determined autocrat on the rise, MBS asks how one man’s actions and obsessions are shaking the Middle East.
©2020 Ben Hubbard (P)2020 Penguin Random House LLCListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
‘Detailed and disturbing … Clear and convincing … the book’s strength is the thoroughness of its reporting… Hubbard does a brilliant job helping us understand Khashoggi the man as well as the operation that killed him’ New York Times
‘A fine account of the crown prince’s rise… Hubbard delivers a highly informed portrait, leavening his narrative with well-deserved scepticism, and leaves the reader wondering what lies ahead for the prince and his kingdom’ Guardian
‘He has spent more time in the kingdom than most other working western journalists … Moves at a brisk pace through the key events: the lifting of the women’s driving ban, coupled with the arrests and torture of the women who campaigned for it … Capping it all, of course, is Khashoggi’s murder’ Times
‘Can we trust this mysterious prince with our oil supplies, with our friendship – with the prospects of peace in the Middle East? If anyone can give us the answers to these life-and-death questions, it is the brilliant and compulsively readable Ben Hubbard.’ Robert Lacey, author of The Kingdom and Inside the Kingdom
‘Is Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, a modernizer or a murderer? Through dogged research and a remarkable ability to navigate the labyrinth that is Saudi society, Hubbard makes clear the answer is ‘both.’ MBS is a devastating portrait of the young and increasingly despotic prince whom President Trump calls “a very great friend” … Essential reading.’ Scott Anderson, author of Lawrence in Arabia
‘A rare and penetrating look behind the curtain of the world’s most important family and its dangerous new leader. Ben Hubbard brings all the strands together in this absorbing biography.’ Lawrence Wright
What listeners say about MBS
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- PCampbell
- 03-11-21
Very informative
Having known very little about KSA before listening to this book it was a fascinating education in the kingdom and the rise of MBS.
Well read, and a good book to capture the complexities associated with balancing a desire to reform with the ingrained conservatism of the Kingdom.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- cmwyoung
- 11-11-21
The man and his country
Great, balanced biography of a man and a nation. Useful insights also into Trump's US, Yemen, Qatar, UAE and a range of Saudi characters
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- ka
- 01-06-20
couldn't stop listening
a great insight into what makes Saudi Arabia the country it is today and highlights scandals that have populated world media in recent years
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- The Abdulkareems
- 17-06-20
An absorbing read!
Very informative. Analyses problematic issues without being alarmist. We've forgotten too easily what befell Jamal Khashoggi. This was a stark reminder that all isn't well.
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- Asta Rootsi
- 12-01-21
Interesting and well narrated
Well written and well narrated book, giving some rather interesting insights into the workings of Saudi Arabia and this particular individual who will probably have influence in the Middle East and the rest of the world for the decades to come. While the portrait is of a mosaic type with the bits and pieces gathered from different places,
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- Amazon Customer
- 22-05-21
Eye opening
a fascinating insight into the mindset of a self professed visionary in his own country. except shows clearly that sociopathic tendencies are more prevalent. Great narration, clearly this is a book that is required reading/listening for all interested on how the mentality of the Crown Prince works & his flagrant disregard for active open dialogue with anyone who dares to oppose his ideology. the chapters surrounding the Khashoggi murder & feeble attempts at deflection are shocking & worrying- the US administration refusal to continue to press & eventually capitulate due to a failed presidential policy is damming. a fantastic book RECOMMENDED
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- francis mooney
- 31-10-23
excellent listen.
Fantastic listen. Thoroughly enjoyed the learnings about the middle east. But drew breathe a few times at the horrific nature of Jamal Kashoggis death.
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- Mr E Asta
- 28-02-21
V.Good and brief
A good and as far as i can see it impartial account and run through of the key topics and chronology of MBS’ accent to power.
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- M. McGuirk
- 27-07-20
Double lives
Absolutely fascinating, Mr Hubbard has shown us how this enigmatic Kingdom works. Outwardly Saudi is a sophisticated tech savvy affluent society, but the mindset of its population is borderline medieval.
MBS seems to want to Westernise/modernise his country, but his USA mentor/partner is Gerard Kushner of all people. So money is the new God, and anyone who stands in our way is ruthlessly swept away.
If you want to understand a person, look at his friends. I would recommend this book to middle American evangelical Trump voters.
A real eye opener of a book, highly recommended
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- Lance Johnson
- 08-06-20
A lopsided view, but a great read nonetheless
I enjoyed this book, but there are several caveats I need to point out, which may not be the verbalised views of the author (or he may not think of them like that) but his true views come into play:
(1) USA is great (2) Democracy is great (3) Watching cinemas is great (4) Always write a book from Ivory towers and not demonstrating ground reality is good journalism (5) Not bringing different perspectives on a topic is how the failing New York Times likes to write articles (6) If the USA commits mass murder e.g. Iraq/Libya/American Indians/Black people; Israel commits apartheid - excellent- I will ignore this - instead I will point out the cruelty that a country that the USA has supported for generations. (7) Arabs are not smart people - except the ones who agree with my views.
OK - everyone - I want you to answer this question (something Ben Hubbard should do) -
You are leader of a country with 40 million people with 60% under the age of 16. The reality is:
(1) Your population became wealthy rapidly because of work they did not do.
(2) Your population is lazy - they are fat cows eating the grass - and do not wish to be disturbed.
(3) You elite are corrupt and waste money in Western countries every year
(4) Your army is a joke.
(5) You have foreign powers desperate for your oil resource.
(6) Your religious elite, though well meaning, fail to understand the reality of the ground, cannot construct anything in a positive manner, and some may actually be destructive to your society.
You got that - ok - go establish a fair and just society!
MBS is a fool, no one denies that. But the idiot elite decided for some dumb reason to put him forward, the book doesn't really clarify that. His dad Salman is demented, that much is obvious. But someone thought he would be a good king, just to manipulate him, MBS is trying but he does not have the intelligence to do establish a state. He has never had any political experience nor had to develop personality traits of leadership/wisdom.
The only smart people from the Saudi elite are two (1) King Faisal - killed by the Americans for oil crisis in the 1960s/70s.
(2) Turki al-Faisal - though he is making a lot of mistakes
Will you enjoy this book?
Yes but be aware that is it coloured by Ben's prejudice.
Highlights of the book:
Stories about their background, some insight into how the kingdom work, the Jamal Khashoggi story.
Downside:
Dude where are the interviews with Jamal Khashoggi wife? One sided view.
All and all, a great listen to while driving the car back and forward to work.
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16 people found this helpful