I didn't find this to be a terrible book, it was filled with good research and informed opinions, but the pacing just killed it for me. I kept experiencing the mind wander off onto other subjects whilst trying to focus on this book. The author clearly has a lot of experience and knows her history, but the way it was presented didn't make me feel informed, but rather bored, as if I were listening to a lecture on a subject I wasn't really invited to listen to.

Still, although this book and I did not get on perfectly, it had some really good points. One of them was that it listed dates and short explanations for certain events that allowed me to look them up externally and see if they were something I was interested in learning more about. If you are new to this subject and are looking for a good reference, this book will no doubt be very helpful.

Overall, I decided on three stars because it wasn't the most captivating book I've read on this subject, but it was helpful.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately there is nothing new here, in fact it's a re-hash of everything already written since 1979 and advent of Iranian Revolution. I don't know but maybe Arabs, Turks and Persians have a more complex history than whatever happened in the last 40 years? It was certainly exacerbated by the power struggle (with a bit of nudge from super powers) these past few decades, but whatever it is, has been there for some time - but that's just my opinion.

Exceptionally well researched and well written this is a must read for anyone interested recent in middle eastern history especially the events of 1979 Iranian revolution

For a while now I merely “knew” that a Saudi Arabia-Iran rivalry was one of the factors shaping the present-day Middle East. Now that I’ve completed “Black Wave,” I can see just how little I was actually grasping. Thanks to the intense research and work she has poured into her newest work, Kim Ghattas has made it incredibly clear that the Saudi-Iranian struggle isn’t just one factor behind current events - it has been the major molding force in the center of the Muslim world the past forty years. And not only does she provide badly needed education for readers the likes of myself, but Ghattas upends many a common assumption by plainly demonstrating how so much of the intense sectarian violence and religious extremism that has come to be so associated with the Middle East are far from old trends, and actually are relatively recent phenomenons that were birthed by the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. On top of all that, Ghattas deserves particular praise for taking putting a spotlight on the Muslim world that has been lost as a result of it all - a world that allowed for far greater freedom of expression, religious diversity, and until just a few decades ago was the norm, until the hardliners at opposite ends of the fringe pushed for a narrative change and haven’t ever let up.

Don’t let this book’s five hundred-odd pages intimidate. While this is indeed a detail-rich work, “Black Wave” is also a strongly cohesive (and not to mention riveting) narrative that is focused intimately through the lens of a range of key women and men who have been a part of the seismic changes that have been rocking their nations, faith and culture since 1979. The time and effort needed for “Black Wave” will very much be worth it, as this is definitely one of the most clarifying and eye-opening historical reads you’ll have the good fortune to encounter this year.