Black Wave

This book is a vastly informative, in-depth resource detailing the parallel countries of Iran and Saudi Arabia post 1979 Iranian Revolution. It details the religious extremism that emerged post revolution, with the all powerful Supreme Leader Khomeini dictating the Iranian Shia Sufism outward and the promotion of Wahhabism by the al-Saud dynasty for Sunnis in the Muslim world radiating from Saudi Arabia. The book powerfully captures the erosion of freedoms such as diversity of religious and political ideology as theocratic societies emerge with increasing extremism. The competition to proselytize the "correct" school of Muslim theology throughout the Middle East and the world and the increasingly violent sectarianism that was and is so destructive to the region (and the world) is clearly shown in historic and personal terms. The book captures the devastation of authoritarianism and the rise of religious extremism without solely focusing on the Western fear of terrorism, although the book provides context as to how and why groups like Al Qaeda, ISIS, the Taliban, Daesh, and Hezbollah develop and flourish and the destruction they cause. The central emphasis of the book is how the absolute rule of men in positions of powers is corrosive and corrupting whether it comes in the form of government or religion, and that both religion and politics are often the tools of authoritarians, divisive so they can maintain and expand their power. This book is an excellent introduction to Middle Eastern affairs and despite complex and often unfamiliar concepts reads quickly and with suspense. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to better understand the Middle East beyond limited discussions of terrorists and terrorism.

I have to say that I am in awe of Kim Ghattas’ magnum opus, Black Wave. It is a book filled with heroes and villains. I have studied MENA on and off for years both professionally and personally, although my focus has at times been pushed by career needs to other regions of the world. I heard the stories of an officemate who had returned from Iran with the advent of the revolution. I only found out about the seizure of the American Tehran embassy when I purchased back copies of Time magazine in the Peking Hotel gift shop upon my return to Beijing from a month in the hinterlands of China. I had found my shortwave radio useless. At the time, I had thought the assassination of Park Chung-hee was the more momentous occurrence I had missed! I was subsequently posted in the KSA servicing Aramco for over two years in the early eighties while the Iran-Iraq war was raging, and subject to censorship most noticeable by the torn pages removing cleavage from printed media. I was inspired during that assignment to return to graduate school in Denver, and I believe it was in 1985 that I worked closely on a seminar project with a young man named Javad Zarif, defending the right of the U.S. to use force to defend its interests in a debate with the other two members of the class. (An avowed supporter of Khomeini, he of course asserted the same right of Iran to do the same.) As recently as 2016 I visited the “discovery” well of the extension of the Iranian Yadavaran oil field into Iraq and a mine-clearing operation for much of the Operation Ramadan battlefield. It was sobering to realize that an estimated 15% of the 180,000 troops involved were killed or wounded in a six-week bloodletting 34 years earlier. So my life, work experience and interests have been intertwined with the events described by Ms. Ghattas. Even with my voracious appetite for written perspectives on MENA in languages accessible to me, however, I still view myself as naïve in the region. Ghattas has filled in many gaps in my knowledge with her expansive account. I found it very readable, although slow going as I frequently put it down to further research specific subtopics or individuals. It will be worth a re-read at some point, and of course is a good reference. She barely touches upon the oil politics, and most of what has transpired in Libya, for instance, is beyond the scope of the book. She dissects the culture(s) of the region and the malignant effects upon it of the book’s two major protagonists, Iran and Saudi Arabia. The veiling she describes darkens the lives of not just women but everyone caught in the maelstrom unleashed by the religious fundamentalists. Anyone who wants to understand the cauldron that is the Middle East must read this book. Anyone who wants to understand the dangers of religious fundamentalism should read this book.

I found the book extremely helpful in understanding the rivalry between the kingdom of Saudia Arabia and Iran. The author does an excellent job of describing the “ripple effects” that resulted after the fall of the Shah in Iran. As a very interested student of history I feel I am more prepared to understand current events in the Middle East. Additionally I added many journalists to follow on my twitter account. The writing style was a bit dry.(why 4 stars) but its for a reason, there are so many things to discuss concerning modern middle eastern history. However, I feel many of the small biographies given concerning the journalists, professors, and statesmen probably could have been shortened for readability. Overall I learned so much from this book.

👍👍👍👍👍! Excellent book! Should be read by everyone who wants to understand how whole countries can regress because of the abuse of religion and endless hypocrisy of the ruling class!

Very well detailed and frightening window into history and how it sadly repeats itself. When we see what happened again in Nov 2021 it's chilling how such an amazing people were given hope for 10 years and it was all gone in a flash and the black wave swept in.

Kim Ghattas’ Black wave is a must read for anyone interested in learning about the Middle East.

Middle East is a puzzle, it is rich, fantastic and everything is interconnected. I recommend this book. Cheers from southern Brazil.

I must start by saying how well written this book is. It tells a complex story spanning decades, countries and hundreds of personalities in an engaging and informative manner. It has a great pace and never flags, a considerable achievement. Secondly, it links the events of the past 40 years in the Middle East and establishes the links (people and money) between them. Starting with the Iranian revolution in 1979 it establishes how events in different countries relate to one another and the overriding animus between Iran and Saudi Arabia. I was in Iran in 1979 and aware of whatever has subsequently transpired in this region - in Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi, Syria, and Yemen. This book effectively connects the dots at both a geo-political level and by telling personal stories of hose involved. You can read the book in a tragic fashion looking at the mistakes and miss steps by many leaders, organisations and governments. These are not simply mistakes but in many cases malevolent decisions the have destroyed the lives of millions, destroyed the rich Arab and Persian culture and left an instability in the region that will be with us for years to come. I can’t praise this book sufficiently.