A review by miguelf
Blood and Oil: Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power by Justin Scheck, Bradley Hope

4.0

Earlier this year Ben Hubbard published “MBS” about the Saudi crown prince and heir apparent. It was a good overview of him, but Blood and Oil paints an even deeper portrait of the man and the Saudi succession drama that’s been playing out over the last decade. “MBS” had a lengthy section on the torture and killing of Jamal Khashoggi and while it was illuminating, Blood and Oil has more background on the prince including his background and dealings with the vast Saudi royal network, his rise to power, the planning of Neom, the extent to which he is willing to open up Saudi society while at the same time ruthlessly cracking down on dissenters within his family and the larger population. Very fascinating work and expertly reported throughout.