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Discovery!: The Search for Arabian Oil

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...of this book written by Philip L. Fradkin in the San Francisco Chronicle lead me to Stegner's work. Fradkin's article was not actually about the CONTENT of the book so much as the circumstances surrounding its commissioning and publication. The conclusion is stated in his review's title: that the work should have stayed "hidden", that is, not published at all, and that would have been a real tragedy.

The circumstances surrounding the work's publications are covered quite well by Thomas W. Lippman in a Foreword to the work. It is clear that Stegner was paid by the corporate predecessor to ARAMCO to write an account of the first days of oil exploration in the Kingdom. It is also clear that certain "politically sensitive" portions of his work were revised or deleted, and that his consent to this process was obtained. Like many others, I would love to have read the unexpurgated version, but the only choice is the one available, with some "punches pulled," some "sensitivities" glossed over. Ah, if there were only similar type Forewords that explained the background and biases of the numerous "Saudi-bashing" books that have been published.

In reading this book I could not help think of Edgar Snow's "A Journey to the Beginning." Snow was fresh out of journalism school, went to China for a short period, but stayed over 13 years, and in the process met, and later portrayed the creators of modern China, Mao Tse-Tung and Chou En Lai. Snow's work remains essential if one is to understand one of the most important countries in the world today. Stegner's circumstances were considerably different than Snow's, but he too had unique access, and produced a portrait of some of the characters who "were attendants at the birth of a world." (page 151). There are the delightful descriptive nuggets of a great writer, such as "...he saw all the stigmata of great hurry, great expansion, the pipeline heading our for Ras Tanura..." Stegner's assessments and conclusions concerning one of the more contentious relationships in the world today, between the United States and the very heartland of oil and Islam, Saudi Arabia is worthy of reflection and consideration: "... which is the one consistently disseminated by hostile propagandists, reflects one aspect of the emergent unrest that has turned much of the Arab world away from the United States. It must be challenged, for unwilling as a democracy may be to take its own side in an argument, and meekly as it may believe the worst interpretations of its own motives, American oil development in the Middle East has been, all things considered, responsible and fair." (Introduction xxv)

I read Stegner's work immediately after having read the "flip side" of these momentous events, one Saudi's account of the creation of ARAMCO, AbdelRahman Munif's "Cities of Salt." Both works are essential for understanding one of the most important relationships in the world today - and it would be a real tragedy if either were suppressed, as Fradkin advocates in the case of "Discovery!" Suppressing books should be something that "other countries do," not the United States.

The beginning of something big often starts out small....

There was a time when the Persian Gulf was simple, quiet and undisturbed. A place where religious pilgrimages were made with little interruption, and life went on as it had for centuries. But then came change....

It was gradual and slow to start. The government leaders were cautious, skeptical of the advanced nations. Yet they desired the betterment of their people and country. There were many voices-and the choices were vast. Who should they trust? What country offered the most?

King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud allowed numerous companies the opportunity to explore for oil. But it was the influence of St. John Philby, a former English intelligence office and Muslim convert that opened doors for the Americans.

During the 1930's depression, taking risks could be disastrous. However, the American oil company was successful. After many negotiations the Saudi King granted a partnership. The Americans agreed to share profits, build roads and towns, and most importantl, train employees. There was much the Saudi people needed to learn, and it would take many years before Aramco could stand on its own.

The American families who came will never be forgotten. Their influence had a lasting effect on those who they trained, helped and befriended. However, there were struggles and challenges along the way, which no one could have foreseen.

Discovery! The Search of Arabian Oil, summarizes the blossoming of a lasting business affiliation between King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud and the United States, spanning the depression of the 1930s to the end of World War II

This intriguing, and vividly descriptive story, was compiled and written some fifty years ago. Page by page you are transported back through the passing of history.

Armchair Interviews says: The experiences in this book will definitely give you with a new perspective!

America and the Middle East. Who would have thought our country's future would ever be so linked to events in that troubled region? Our children's lives, our grandchildren's prosperity, our national reputation at risk?
But there was a time when Americans were welcomed and respected in the Middle East. More than 50 years ago, the late Wallace Stegner wrote about the bigger-than-life adventures of Americans involved in the pioneering search for oil in the desert frontiers of Arabia, just before and during WWII. The first U.S. edition of this book by the Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist is a welcome reminder that ordinary, open-minded, hard-working Americans do have the know-how to negotiate, work through differences, cooperate and partner sucessfully with people of another culture for our mutual benefit. And in "Discovery! The Search for Arabian Oil", Stegner manages to gift us with this valuable lesson from America's and Arabia's shared history in a colorful, witty and exciting tale that reads like a novel.

An interesting and complex history of the discovery of oil in the Arabian desert. Stegner manages to truly express how complex of an interaction was going on in Arabia, how, at the ground level, these personal interactions were to change the world forever.

I got this as a gift, and I loved it. Even though I like Stegner, this isn't something I would have picked for myself, but the writing and the story had me hooked from early on. I just lent it to a friend, and so far he's giving it two thumbs up as well. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, well-written story - even if history isn't your genre of choice.

This book gives a very interesting account of the hurdles the early oil men encountered in the middle east and how they overcame them with ingenuity, perseverance and charm. It's very well written, at the same time both interesting and informative.

Discovery is an entertaining and educating read about the world that we have forgotten so easily. It would be nice to know what didn't make the final version before print, however, what is written is refreshing and well done. Stegner makes you realize how influencial anyone can be.

This is not a book for staid historians or energy policy wonks. Wallace Stegner's Discovery! The Search for Arabian Oil is a real life adventure chronicle casting nomads, royalty, entrepreneurs and diplomats against a backdrop of the past century's most significant resource development. And were lucky it's been under wraps until now, when we can use it as a lens with which to view the next big turn in energy.

I enjoy very much this book that presents, well documented, all the difficulties and problems faced by the group of geologist and engineers, looking for oil, who did the initial contract, exploration and evaluations in Saudi Arabia, and the efforts and ingenuity used to solve them. An excellent consultation book for earth scientists and studious of the oil industry.