Napoleon Bonaparte was once asked what makes a good general. His alleged reply—”audacity, audacity, always audacity”—made it onto the long list of sayings attributed to the French commander. It is less clear, however, whether these attributes make for a good ruler. But as Karen Elliott House shows in her new book, The Man Who Would Be King: Mohammed Bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia, we might just find out.
A longtime observer of the Middle East in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular, House is well positioned to examine the Saudi crown prince. She draws from both her extensive contacts and experience in the country, as well as interviews with the crown prince himself, his friends and family, and his critics.
(Read the rest of CAMERA’s Nov. 16, 2025 review at the Washington Free Beacon)