The Ottoman Gulf: The Creation of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar by Frederick F. Anscombe -- Essential background reading on how Kuwait became the nation it is today. Covers the Ottoman period and the geopolitical manoeuvring that shaped the modern Gulf states.
Freya Stark in Iraq and Kuwait by Malise Ruthven -- A collection from the legendary travel writer's journeys through the region in the mid-20th century. Stark's observations on Kuwait before oil transformed the country are vivid and invaluable.
Kuwait Transformed by Farah Al-Nakib -- A fascinating account of how Kuwait City changed from a compact, walkable town of mud-brick houses to a sprawling, car-dependent metropolis in just a few decades. Essential for understanding why the city looks and feels the way it does.
The Sirens of Baghdad by Yasmina Khadra -- A novel set in Iraq that captures the wider regional tensions that have shaped Kuwait's modern identity, including the trauma of the 1990 invasion.
Days of Fear by John Levins -- A gripping firsthand account of the Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait in 1990-91, written by an Australian journalist who was there. Brings recent history to life in a way that guidebooks cannot.