Manama - Post Report Question and Answers
Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
I think there is a book about the early history of Bahrain under the Brits that may be interesting. Bahrain was where oil was first discovered in the Middle East, so there has to be some literature on that - otherwise, it's sort of sleepy place historically. I would watch the movie "Syriana" as Bahrain is the real life manifestation of the prototypical petrol state that has totally squandered its wealth, and teeters on the verge of domestic conflagration. Also "The Kingdom," cheesy, but since Saudi Arabia is just over yonder, why not? I actually think "The Kingdom" accurately represents life in Saudi Arabia. - Apr 2017
After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam by Lesley Hazelton - a wonderful depiction of the history that still dramatically affects Bahrain today. - Sep 2012
I don't know of any for Bahrain in particular, but the History of the Arab Peoples, by Albert Hourani, is a good (though general) base, and so is Understanding Arabs, by Margaret Nydell. I wish there were more. - Apr 2010
None - although you could read the Gulf Daily News online to get an idea of the mentality here. - Aug 2008
