The King's Messenger

The King's Messenger
Author: David B Ottaway
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2010-07-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 0802777643
GET BOOK

"Just how oil, arms, and Allah have served over time either to bind or sunder the United States and Saudi Arabia relationship is the focus of this book," writes David Ottaway, who has chronicled "the special relationship" over the course of three decades at the Washington Post. No two governments and societies could be more different, and yet we have been bound together since1945 by vital national security interests, based on a simple quid pro quo: Saudi oil at reasonable prices in return for U.S. protection of the House of Saud from all foreign foes. However, the balance points of the relationship-often tenuous even in peacetime-have been fractured by the attacks of 9/11 and the U.S.'s subsequent invasion of Iraq: the price of oil has skyrocketed and Saudi Arabia has been powerless to stop its rise; the U.S. invasion of Iraq has unleashed the prospect of a Shi'ite-dominated regime allied to Iran on Sunni Saudi Arabia's borders; and militant elements within Saudi Arabia are ever more threatening. Not since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran has the House of Saud felt itself in such peril, and the Saudis have not forgotten the inability, or unwillingness, of the U.S. to save the Shah. Nobody has been more emblematic of the Saudi-U.S. relationship, nobody has been at its center for longer, than Prince Bandar, the first Saud royal ever to serve as ambassador to Washington. David Ottaway's personal connection to the prince has allowed him unparalleled insight into the complex geopolitics that govern and have governed Saudi Arabia's dance with the United States, and his book, coming at a crucial juncture, will examine what new common ground may be found between the two countries, and what may ultimately pull them apart.

The King's Messenger

The King's Messenger
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2024-08-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1398514381
GET BOOK

For fans of Diana Gabaldon and Philippa Gregory, courtly rivalry and intrigue… He is tasked with the most dangerous of missions. She is only there from duty. But in the face of treachery and injustice, might they need each other more than they could know…? 1613: Scotland and England, unified under one crown, are reeling from the sudden death of King James’ popular eldest son, Henry, as rumours swirl that the prince was poisoned. Andrew Logan, one of the King’s Messengers, is sent north with secret orders to find and arrest the man the king suspects. Phoebe Westaway cannot abide Andrew Logan. But when her ageing father is tasked with helping Logan, Phoebe finds herself with no choice but to join them in their quest to capture Sir David Moray, once Prince Henry’s trusted courtier, and carry him to London to stand trial for the prince’s murder. It’s a journey rife with complications. Sir David has no intention of allowing himself to be delivered to London, and as he draws them deeper into the dark web of court alliances and rivalries, Phoebe realises she might have more need of Logan than she believes. A story of justice, honour, truth and love – and survival against impossible odds… Praise for The Vanished Days: ‘Fascinating and immersive… I love a novel that deals with the many ways in which people keep their secrets’ DIANA GABALDON ‘A hugely engrossing book and a complete world created’ IAN RANKIN ‘The Vanished Days is an absolute tour de force of historical storytelling, tender and dramatic, gripping and authentic. Kearsley manages effortlessly to balance the epic sweep of the drama with telling moments of gentle characterization, all delivered in pitch-perfect style. I thoroughly enjoyed it: a perfect escape in these dark days’ JANE JOHNSON, author of The Salt Road and The Tenth Gift ‘An engrossing and deeply romantic novel of Scotland’s Jacobite rebellion’ RACHEL HORE ‘This novel tells of a tender love story set amid the Jacobite rebellion. For readers unfamiliar with the twists and turns of this period of Scottish history, author Kearsley provides a helpful map, along with rich details of the protagonists. Courage in this era lies not in acts of heroic daring, but in steadfast pursuit of truth and justice. Perfect for fans of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander’ WOMAN & HOME