---
product_id: 313681591
title: "Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads"
price: "7274 kr"
currency: ISK
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.is/products/313681591-vision-or-mirage-saudi-arabia-at-the-crossroads
store_origin: IS
region: Iceland
---

# Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads

**Price:** 7274 kr
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- **What is this?** Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads
- **How much does it cost?** 7274 kr with free shipping
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## Description

Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads [Rundell, David] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads

Review: Good book to get a glimpse of Saudi Arabia. - This book was a gift to someone heading to Saudi Arabia for the next 4 years. They said it was informative.
Review: Remarkable work of history - I've learned an enormous amount about the history of Saudi Arabia from Vision or Mirage; I've underlined passages on every few pages. Rundell's obviously deep knowledge of Saudi Arabia is apparent throughout, but he writes with a light touch that makes it highly readable and frequently enlivens his prose with an interesting detail that might not be found in more academic histories of the country. He does a remarkable job of explaining the complexities of the 21st century kingdom through its fascinating and sometimes brutal past. For anyone trying to understand just how much Mohammed bin Salman and his father have upended the country -- and the whole region -- this is required reading.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,069,410 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #26 in Saudi Arabia History #128 in Petroleum Engineering #640 in Middle Eastern Politics |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (281) |
| Dimensions  | 6.15 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches |
| ISBN-10  | 1838605916 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1838605919 |
| Item Weight  | 1.55 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 432 pages |
| Publication date  | November 30, 2021 |
| Publisher  | I.B. Tauris |

## Images

![Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81wiIgRy2wL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good book to get a glimpse of Saudi Arabia.
*by M***A on September 26, 2025*

This book was a gift to someone heading to Saudi Arabia for the next 4 years. They said it was informative.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Remarkable work of history
*by B***E on September 28, 2020*

I've learned an enormous amount about the history of Saudi Arabia from Vision or Mirage; I've underlined passages on every few pages. Rundell's obviously deep knowledge of Saudi Arabia is apparent throughout, but he writes with a light touch that makes it highly readable and frequently enlivens his prose with an interesting detail that might not be found in more academic histories of the country. He does a remarkable job of explaining the complexities of the 21st century kingdom through its fascinating and sometimes brutal past. For anyone trying to understand just how much Mohammed bin Salman and his father have upended the country -- and the whole region -- this is required reading.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well Written History, But Be Cautious…
*by R***. on September 8, 2025*

First, the good: this was an extremely well-composed, organized and paced history of Saudi Arabia. I learned so much. I recommend it to all who want to gain a better understanding of this important land. Now the caution: this book is to some extent a Saudi mythology, either whitewashing, explaining away or ignoring facets of Saudi history and behavior in its region and towards the west. I don’t really care about the history of brutality towards its own in this mythology of the Saudi nation. But I scratch my head at the near absence of reference to the long-time Saudi influence campaign in the US. Before there was Qatar, lavishly funding universities, buying up lobbyists, politicians and journalists, there were the Saudis. The author might feel he covers his tracks here and there on this issue with a throwaway sentence, but he doesnt. Likewise regarding the issues with Qatar and the Yemeni civil war, the Israel issue over the years, etc. In a seminar before COVID regarding Saudi-Israeli prospective relations, I heard Henry Kissinger caution his mostly Israeli audience that there is no alliance with the Saudi Royal family that is more than tactical and temporary. I didn’t get a sense of where Kissinger was coming from in this book. The author’s treatment of King Salman and MBS are cautiously critical, which perhaps is fair and reflects views of the deep Saudi state and stakeholders with whom the author may be aligned. I don’t know, which is a reason for more reading on this subject. One merely must look to the identity of the author (and of most of those giving glowing reviews) to understand this treatment. Fifteen years a diplomat in Saudi Arabia, and a member of a consulting firm for western clients in the area, he has his position and relationships to protect. When a journalist writes from a democracy, he has much broader freedom to convey the unvarnished truth than when someone like the author writes from an authoritarian regime (I use the word “from” because even though he might live in the UAE and London, one would suppose his Saudi relationships are still very much part of his professional life, and being in an authoritarian regime, they are subject to pressures). So in summary, cautiously read this book. It is excellent in so many facets and provides a thesis of Saudi Arabia that any student of this country should obtain. However, also look for other sources that may provide “another point of view” so that you can develop your own synthesis of the reality of Saudi Arabia, past and present.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads
- Blood and Oil: Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power
- MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman

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*Product available on Desertcart Iceland*
*Store origin: IS*
*Last updated: 2026-02-05*