Paramedic to the Prince: An American Paramedic’s Account of Life Inside the Mysterious World of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A Californian paramedic answers an advertisement for contract work at a military hospital in Saudi Arabia. So his adventure begins. This is a riveting, factual account of his ten years inside a country seldom seen by the outside world. Working on the private medical staff of King Abdullah, no western writer has ever been this close to the "House of Saud". The author takes you on a journey from the desert camps of the Bedouin to the highest echelons of the Saudi royal family. From meetings between King Abdullah and Yasser Arafat to the death of Edi Amin the author documents it all. Themes explored include the contrast of cultures and the rise of terrorism in a post 9/11 world. The author's unique and often humorous perspective provides a view of Saudi society that has never before been documented by any other book in this genre. The author gives an important insight to events that continue to affect the world today.

Patrick Notestine was born in California. He drifted from job to job after leaving high school, working as a gas station attendant and farm laborer amongst other things. At the age of 23, he took a long hard look at the direction his life was going. At the back of his mind was an interest in science and medicine. Becoming an Emergency Medical Technician seemed a good option, so he enrolled on a course at his local college. Graduating in March 1983, he started working on an ambulance. He attended UCLA School for Pre-hospital Care and graduated as a paramedic in 1986. He found work on primary response ambulances and eventually moved on to helicopter and air medical evacuation. In 1993, the author answered an advertisement to work at a hospital in Saudi Arabia. Working on the private medical staff of King Abdullah, he enjoyed unprecedented access to the ＂House of Saud＂. The Middle East is never far from the author’s heart, he has worked in Oman, Qatar and Iraq after completing his service in Saudi Arabia. He is currently working on his second book