--- product_id: 422909430 title: "BLACK WAVE" price: "VT12967" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/422909430-black-wave store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # BLACK WAVE **Price:** VT12967 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** BLACK WAVE - **How much does it cost?** VT12967 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/422909430-black-wave) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 “[A] sweeping and authoritative history" (The New York Times Book Review), Black Wave is an unprecedented and ambitious examination of how the modern Middle East unraveled and why it started with the pivotal year of 1979. Kim Ghattas seamlessly weaves together history, geopolitics, and culture to deliver a gripping read of the largely unexplored story of the rivalry between between Saudi Arabia and Iran, born from the sparks of the 1979 Iranian revolution and fueled by American policy. With vivid story-telling, extensive historical research and on-the-ground reporting, Ghattas dispels accepted truths about a region she calls home. She explores how Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, once allies and twin pillars of US strategy in the region, became mortal enemies after 1979. She shows how they used and distorted religion in a competition that went well beyond geopolitics. Feeding intolerance, suppressing cultural expression, and encouraging sectarian violence from Egypt to Pakistan, the war for cultural supremacy led to Iran’s fatwa against author Salman Rushdie, the assassination of countless intellectuals, the birth of groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the September 11th terrorist attacks, and the rise of ISIS.Ghattas introduces us to a riveting cast of characters whose lives were upended by the geopolitical drama over four decades: from the Pakistani television anchor who defied her country’s dictator, to the Egyptian novelist thrown in jail for indecent writings all the way to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Black Wave is both an intimate and sweeping history of the region and will significantly alter perceptions of the Middle East. Review: Compelling, with much more to learn - I must mention a couple other books that I read before 'Black Wave' (BW) which made it more accessible. 1) Rashid Khalidi's '100 years' war on Palestine...' and 2) more relevantly, a comprehensive history of the Middle East by Sydney Nettleton Fisher - my most in-depth understanding of Mid-East history even though it was last revised in 1967 (& covered the rise of islam, islamic kingdoms/caliphates, impact of euro imperialism, growth of republicanism, the religious right, coups, Israel etc). Thanks to this, I entered BW with some understanding of the background/political trajectory of the states covered in it. Kim is not a historian but a reporter (stated upfront) and her writing reflects that. On the whole, BW is a compelling & illuminating read. Kim may not have intended some of my takeaways but here they are anyway - at one level, it reinforced my current understanding of the nexus between certain Arab rulers and the much maligned America/West (strange bedfellows and all that) in causing many of this region's problems - meaning it doesn't seem to have always been a West (alone) meddling in the Mid-East story. Caveat: I'm yet to read a proper Arab/Middle-East perspective (maybe Albert Hourani?) Yet, at another level, I went in expecting Kim's background to also call out the genuine tragedy of western interference exacerbating regional problems but there didn't seem to be too much censure in my opinion. Perhaps, this was not the intention. One thing Kim does want to counter is Western notions of Islam by establishing a divide between the large mass of open minded Mid East muslims and the fundamentalists who mislead them. Yet, this is the part where I'm not fully convinced. Not to paint all muslims as conservatives but from the vantage point of sitting in 2024 and hindsight etc, I feel that large masses of Muslims are indeed supportive of Sharia-based theocratic set up or Islamic democracy perhaps with state religion etc. (I understand that there will be a variety of views under this). The region's secular/liberal forces seem to have been far too inspired by the clinical west I think, ignoring or suppressing the natural religiosity of the common populace? Kim's language at this point seems too much in the old western liberal mould - "the nice guys are just like you folks and the face-veiling, sharia-touting ones are bad fundamentalists who the majority don't like". The gaining of power by religious right actors is presented as moments of deep societal shock and yet, the only people chosen to illustrate are those living and working in a slightly westernised/liberal elite world - TV presenters, actors, singers, writers etc. Finally, as an Indian, I could not help notice the similarities between Hindutva and conservative Islamist thoughts - the religious right everywhere have pet peeves. For eg., the disdain for a liberal/secular worldview that is believed to be a total western import. (Though for some Hindutvadis, their dislike stems from the belief that it has done nothing for them and favoured only muslims/minorities at the expense of hindus/majority.) Final takeaway - the book is definitely a great buy and highly informative, richly detailed. It has, like any good book, left me with many thoughts to grapple with - Islamophobia, rise of right/far-right ideologies all over, current state of secularism/liberalism discourse and its effectiveness in countering all of these pressures. It only pushes me to know more. Review: Amazing insight on Middle East - Fascinating read that makes you appreciate the intricacies of Middle East politics and the factors that shaped it over the years. The shadow of events of1979 looms large and how it has affected everything since then is explained lucidly. A must-read for anyone wanting to understand middle east politics and dynamics. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #428,240 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #120 in Politics #141 in Middle Eastern History (Books) #50,051 in Religion & Spirituality (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,792 Reviews | ## Images ![BLACK WAVE - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/810EHlA3NrL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Compelling, with much more to learn *by S***J on 18 March 2024* I must mention a couple other books that I read before 'Black Wave' (BW) which made it more accessible. 1) Rashid Khalidi's '100 years' war on Palestine...' and 2) more relevantly, a comprehensive history of the Middle East by Sydney Nettleton Fisher - my most in-depth understanding of Mid-East history even though it was last revised in 1967 (& covered the rise of islam, islamic kingdoms/caliphates, impact of euro imperialism, growth of republicanism, the religious right, coups, Israel etc). Thanks to this, I entered BW with some understanding of the background/political trajectory of the states covered in it. Kim is not a historian but a reporter (stated upfront) and her writing reflects that. On the whole, BW is a compelling & illuminating read. Kim may not have intended some of my takeaways but here they are anyway - at one level, it reinforced my current understanding of the nexus between certain Arab rulers and the much maligned America/West (strange bedfellows and all that) in causing many of this region's problems - meaning it doesn't seem to have always been a West (alone) meddling in the Mid-East story. Caveat: I'm yet to read a proper Arab/Middle-East perspective (maybe Albert Hourani?) Yet, at another level, I went in expecting Kim's background to also call out the genuine tragedy of western interference exacerbating regional problems but there didn't seem to be too much censure in my opinion. Perhaps, this was not the intention. One thing Kim does want to counter is Western notions of Islam by establishing a divide between the large mass of open minded Mid East muslims and the fundamentalists who mislead them. Yet, this is the part where I'm not fully convinced. Not to paint all muslims as conservatives but from the vantage point of sitting in 2024 and hindsight etc, I feel that large masses of Muslims are indeed supportive of Sharia-based theocratic set up or Islamic democracy perhaps with state religion etc. (I understand that there will be a variety of views under this). The region's secular/liberal forces seem to have been far too inspired by the clinical west I think, ignoring or suppressing the natural religiosity of the common populace? Kim's language at this point seems too much in the old western liberal mould - "the nice guys are just like you folks and the face-veiling, sharia-touting ones are bad fundamentalists who the majority don't like". The gaining of power by religious right actors is presented as moments of deep societal shock and yet, the only people chosen to illustrate are those living and working in a slightly westernised/liberal elite world - TV presenters, actors, singers, writers etc. Finally, as an Indian, I could not help notice the similarities between Hindutva and conservative Islamist thoughts - the religious right everywhere have pet peeves. For eg., the disdain for a liberal/secular worldview that is believed to be a total western import. (Though for some Hindutvadis, their dislike stems from the belief that it has done nothing for them and favoured only muslims/minorities at the expense of hindus/majority.) Final takeaway - the book is definitely a great buy and highly informative, richly detailed. It has, like any good book, left me with many thoughts to grapple with - Islamophobia, rise of right/far-right ideologies all over, current state of secularism/liberalism discourse and its effectiveness in countering all of these pressures. It only pushes me to know more. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing insight on Middle East *by A***A on 3 January 2021* Fascinating read that makes you appreciate the intricacies of Middle East politics and the factors that shaped it over the years. The shadow of events of1979 looms large and how it has affected everything since then is explained lucidly. A must-read for anyone wanting to understand middle east politics and dynamics. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A wonderful book *by P***P on 11 January 2021* I found this book to be very interesting as it throws light on issues plaguing Middle East due to Saudi-Iran rivalry. The author has touched upon every aspect and one could correlate with the bits and pieces one often comes across about Middle East politics. I strongly recommend reading this book. ## Frequently Bought Together - Black Wave - Blood and Oil: Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power - Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/422909430-black-wave](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/422909430-black-wave) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-06-24*