Swords of Saud Volume 1: Birth of the Desert Empire, 1744-1930

This first volume traces the dramatic rise of Abdulaziz Ibn Saud and the early campaigns that laid the foundations of modern Saudi Arabia. Beginning with the audacious 1902 night raid on Riyadh—where the young prince, known as “the Leopard”, reclaimed his family’s ancestral capital—the book follows two decades of warfare, diplomacy, and tribal manoeuvring across central Arabia.

Volume 1 details the key conflicts in the unification of the Nejd and surrounding territories, including the wars against the Rashidi dynasty and their Ottoman allies, the capture of Qasim, and the strategic conquest of al-Hasa. It explores the emergence of the Ikhwan, the zealous tribal militia that became Ibn Saud’s principal instrument of expansion during the 1910s and early 1920s.

Set against the wider backdrop of the First World War, the book also examines Ibn Saud’s position relative to the more visible Hashemite-led Arab Revolt supported by the British. While Lawrence of Arabia captured the Western imagination, Ibn Saud was building a power base in the interior that would ultimately prove more enduring.

The volume combines vivid narrative with military analysis, drawing on a wide range of sources to reconstruct battles, alliances, and the shifting tribal landscape of early 20th century Arabia. It also outlines the origins of the enduring alliance between the House of Saud and Wahhabism, a force that would shape the emerging state’s religious and political identity.

Ending in 1921 with the fall of the Rashidi emirate and Ibn Saud’s firm control over central Arabia, this volume captures the formative years of a leader whose ambition and resilience would alter the course of Middle Eastern history. The story continues in Volume 2, which will cover the conquest of the Hejaz, the clash with the Hashemites, the Ikhwan rebellion, and the final unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.