Blood and Oil

Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power

By: Bradley Hope, Justin Scheck

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

From award-winning Wall Street Journal reporters comes a revelatory look at the inner workings of the world's most powerful royal family, and how the struggle for succession produced Saudi Arabia's charismatic but ruthless Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aka MBS.​

Thirty five-year-old Mohammed bin Salman's sudden rise stunned the world. Political and business leaders such as former UK prime minister Tony Blair and WME chairman Ari Emanuel flew out to meet with the crown prince and came away convinced that his desire to reform the kingdom was sincere. He spoke passionately about bringing women into the workforce and toning down Saudi Arabia's restrictive Islamic law. He lifted the ban on women driving and explored investments in Silicon Valley.

But MBS began to betray an erratic interior beneath the polish laid on by scores of consultants and public relations experts like McKinsey & Company. The allegations of his extreme brutality and excess began to slip out, including that he ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. While stamping out dissent by holding 300 people, including prominent members of the Saudi royal family, in the Ritz-Carlton hotel and elsewhere for months, he continued to exhibit his extreme wealth, including buying a $70 million chateau in Europe and one of the world's most expensive yachts. It seemed that he did not understand nor care about how the outside world would react to his displays of autocratic muscle - what mattered was the flex.

Blood and Oil is a gripping work of investigative journalism about one of the world's most decisive and dangerous new leaders. Hope and Scheck show how MBS' precipitous rise coincided with the fraying of the simple bargain that had been at the head of US-Saudi relations for more than 80 years: oil, for military protection. Caught in his net are well-known US bankers, Hollywood figures, and politicians, all eager to help the charming and crafty crown prince.

The Middle East is already a volatile region. Add to the mix an ambitious prince with extraordinary powers, hunger for lucre, a tight relationship with the White House through President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and an apparent willingness to break anything - and anyone - that gets in the way of his vision, and the stakes of his rise are bracing. If his bid fails, Saudi Arabia has the potential to become an unstable failed state and a magnet for Islamic extremists. And if his bid to transform his country succeeds, even in part, it will have reverberations around the world.

Longlisted for the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award

©2020 Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck (P)2020 Hachette Books

Critic reviews

"This is as close to the truth, to the real story of the corruption, vulgarities, horrors, and lies of the Kingdom and its current despot as we are likely to get. It also can be read as a Shakespearean story of utter greed." (Seymour Hersh, author of Chain of Command)

"A masterful biography...This fast-paced, well-researched book is an excellent primer on current U.S.-Saudi relations and Middle Eastern dynamics, and will also draw in those interested in palace intrigue." (Library Journal, starred review)

"Hope and Scheck take a comprehensive and alarming look at Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman....[They] marshal their research into a page-turning narrative that persuasively casts MBS as a grave danger to the region. This detailed exposé rings true." (Publishers Weekly)

Captivating and intriguing read

Very interesting book if you would like to understand more about Saudi Arabia and the country’s rapid change since 2015. MBS has achieved more during his time in power than many before him. Instituting and leading that change isn’t easy.

Excellent work.

Eye opening and a must-read. Great narration. I enjoyed the story from beginning to end.

Great book

And the narrator is awesome!
It enlightens you about MBS. Chances are he will end up like the Shah.

So interesting!!

I have followed MBS news for many years now but this book gave so much great insight into his and his family’s life. I loved it — it was interesting and the story moved quickly, so I was never bored. Really fantastic read!

Phenomenal

Not one dull moment. Very well-written and narrated. I’m hoping to find another book that comes even close to this.

Great job.

Entertaining and educational

narrator was awesome. entertaining and educational for those interested in understanding the power dynamics in the middle east of late...

Mind blowing! And a great narrator!

This is an amazing book that Chronicles the rise of Muhammad bin Salman. It reads like a novel and uncovers so many details that are not available to the public. The narrator is excellent as he accurately pronounces Arabic, French and other names.

Highly recommended!

my view

the story is Biased. and some stories are repeated. the reality of the story is questionable.

MBS=Naive, Weak, and Impulsive

MBS is the most dangerous (not powerful) despot in the world. His decisions will one day lead the world into another World War...or at least a great regional war.

Execellent Performance and Exhaustive Coverage

Extremely through depiction of MBS, as well as in depth background of the Al Sa’ud family.