Saudi Match Point [Paperback]

Paul Ulrich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

Can the Chinese foil a US oil grab in the Middle East? This topical spy thriller captures the turmoil of the War on Terror and weaves agents of the Chinese Government into the plot, pulling the reader into a world of subterfuge and shifting alliances which may well mirror tomorrow's headlines. A young China expert at the US embassy in Riyadh learns a shocking secret: the US will use a hostage crisis as a pretext to invade the Saudi kingdom and seize control of its oilfields. Meanwhile, the daughter of a radical cleric is desperate to escape an arranged marriage. As she attempts to flee the country, her half-brother becomes embroiled in an Al-Qaeda plot to drive out the American infidels - a plan the newly assertive Chinese are determined to stop. As the US and China compete for mastery of the Gulf, an American diplomat risks betraying his country and a Saudi woman risks her life - but what price betrayal in a land ruled and divided by harsh Islamic law?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Saudi Match Point has it all: Al-Qaeda, the Chinese government, oil wars, high-level US conspiracy, and the battle between radical Islam and modern mores. -- Nury Vittachi

Read this for enjoyment, and you will take away a new understanding of some of the newest forces affecting the international scene today. -- ReserveBooks.com, July 2007

Ulrich effectively conveys the heady atmosphere and multicultural boiling pot of Saudi Arabia... he convincingly mixes real geopolitics into fictional situations. -- Blogcritics Magazine, July 5, 2007

About the Author

During a varied 20-year career, Paul Ulrich has worked as an economic, telecom, and policy consultant in nearly 60 places, including China, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula. He has an undergraduate degree from Yale and graduate degrees from Harvard and Stanford. In addition to economics and public policy, Paul studied Chinese and Arabic.

Before devoting himself full time to writing, Paul's jobs ranged from foreign-aid worker to government bureaucrat to software entrepreneur. He is a patented inventor, with two high-tech U.S. patents to his name.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Blacksmith Books (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9628673254
• ISBN-13: 978-9628673254
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,074,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and believable thriller, April 28, 2008

By 

P. Spurrier (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saudi Match Point (Paperback)

The time of peak oil may be upon us, and it's reasonable to believe that governments and corporations are using all the means at their disposal to secretly secure future oil supplies. In Saudi Match Point, the author does a good job of imagining what might happen if the US came to blows with China over the Gulf oilfields. Despite the setting, the Saudis themselves are often only bit players in this story, but sub-plots involving an Al-Qaeda cell, tennis-playing spies, an arranged marriage and a lingerie store patrolled by religious police bring a human element to the tale. Overall, an enjoyable and believable spy thriller.