Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success [IMPORT] (Hardcover)

by Christopher M. Davidson (Author)
Key Phrases: ruling bargain, allocative state, rentier wealth, Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Rashid, Sheikh Muhammad (more...)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 390 pages
• Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd (January 1, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 1850658889
• ISBN-13: 978-1850658887
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,105,635 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fact packed, neutral, and colorful, July 9, 2008

By	dreamweaver (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success (Hardcover)

Although written by an academic authority on the subject this book was very readable, and in places I had to remind myself this was non-fiction, such is the scale and pace of Dubai's development. I ordered this quite some time ago, as a pre-release, and only received it this month, so there must have been some delays, but it was worth it. The history is fascinating and it is clear that the origins of the city still have a major influence on its current activities. I never understood before how the UAE and Dubai fitted together, along with many other questions I used to have in mind, but I now found explanations to this normally hidden and secretive part of the world. The information on the ruling families is incredible. Although it would have been good to have some color to the maps included, this book is absolutely invaluable and seems to be written by a genuinely neutral and construcitvely critical author, unlike most other books on the Persian Gulf.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally... a book on Dubai for the inquisitive, June 25, 2008

By	Dubai-watcher (Dubai, UAE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success (Hardcover)

This highly polished and painstakingly researched book is the first serious study of Dubai - one of the world's fastest growing and most headline-grabbing cities. There are eight chapters, beginning with a substantial historical background before turning to the present day development of the economy and the survival of the ruling family. Although respectful and dispassionate throughout, no punches are pulled and the book builds up to a strong climax with a discussion of security and terror threats. In some ways, the author himself is of equal interest as the book, with englishman Dr.Davidson considered to be as influential as a sheikh in some parts of this oil rich region.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impeccable academic treatise on Dubai, November 9, 2008

By	Fritz Gheen (Dubai UAE) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success (Hardcover)

This book is for the serious reader; it reads like an academic treatise--dense, magnificently researched with fascinating subject matter.

The first couple chapters succinctly cover the emirate's history. The following chapters detail the first free zone--Jebel Ali port--and the recent emergence of Dubai's diversified economy.

Chapter five concentrates of the distributed-wealth principle and Dubai's reliance on its rentier nature. The next chapter speaks of the paradoxes embedded in present day Dubai(the mix of East-West).

Dubai's relationships with the other emirates are explored in chapter seven, providing some really fascinating insights (who know alcohol was legal in Sharjah until Suadi helped bail the emirate out of its banking crisis in 1989?).

And the book concludes with a chapter on Dubai's naughty underbelly--gun running, terrorism, etc. Personally, I found it the least interesting chapter of the book.

One warning: if I hadn't lived in Dubai for a year before reading this book, it would not have resonated as strongly. Frankly, if you don't have a baseline understanding of Dubai, you may not get much out of it; the book is too dense and specific for a cursory understanding.