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Cover -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- List of Maps -- List of Charts -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Note on Photos -- Note on Arabic Transliteration and Spelling -- Introduction -- 1: Arabia: The Land and Its Pre-Islamic History -- 2: The Birth of Islam -- 3: The Islamic Empire and Arabia -- 4: The Golden Age of Islam -- 5: The Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the Wahhabi-Al Saud Alliance -- 6: The First Saudi State -- 7: Roots of Modern Arabia -- 8: Unity and Independence -- 9: Birth of a Kingdom -- 10: A Parth to World Power -- 11: Oil and Arms -- 12: The Gulf Crisis and Its Aftermath -- 13: The Challenges Ahead -- Appendixes -- Appendix 1: Glossary -- Appendix 2: Basic Facts about Saudi Arabia -- Appendix 3: Chronology -- Appendix 4: Bibliography -- Appendix 5: Suggested Reading -- Index.

In recent years Saudi Arabia has experienced changes that have both altered the internal structure of the country and affected its foreign relations. Women have gained additional civil rights; the educational system has been overhauled in an attempt to generate a skilled workforce that can enter the competitive global market; and international concern regarding terrorists within Saudi Arabia's borders has prompted an aggressive response from King Abdullah. Yet despite economic, social, and political improvements, the country still faces turmoil from continued conflict in the Middle East. And as the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia must find a way to balance its religious authority with the demands of a modern society. From Saudi Arabia's pre-Islamic history to the events of today, A Brief History of Saudi Arabia, Second Edition offers a balanced, informative perspective on the country's long history.