TALK: America’s Kingdom:
Mythmaking on the Saudi Oil Frontier
Robert Vitalis (University of Pennsylvania)
Wednesday, November 1 / 4:00 PM
McCune Conference Room, HSSB 6020
Robert Vitalis discusses his new book, America’s
Kingdom, which debunks myths that surround the United
States’ “special relationship” with
Saudi Arabia. Taking aim at belief that the Arabian American
Oil Company, ARAMCO, made miracles happen in the desert,
Robert Vitalis shows that nothing could be further from
the truth. Rather, oil led the U.S. government to follow
the company to the kingdom. Eisenhower agreed to train
Ibn Saud’s army, Kennedy sent jets to defend the
kingdom and Lyndon Johnson sold it missiles. Oil and
ARAMCO quickly became America’s largest single
overseas private enterprise.
Sponsored by the Center for Cold War Studies, Center
for Middle East Studies, Global and International Studies,
Department of Political Science and the IHC
