Friday, October 26, 2012

Andrew Hammond

I am a huge fan of Andrew Hammond, the Middle East correspondent for Reuters.  He is unique in his knowledge of the region: he is fluent in Arabic and  has an independent mind.  I have endorsed his new book, The Islamic Utopia: the Illusion of Reform in Saudi Arabia, and am thrilled that is out.  I strongly and enthusiastically recommend the book.  Andrew reported in the kingdom for years (as unhappy as Saudi princes have been with his work) and knows this subject intimately.  This book should be widely read: rare are the books on Saudi Arabia that are neither apologetic nor Islamophoebic.