A comprehensive, highly readable life of the well-known but
much-overlooked Middle Eastern leader.Middle Eastern politics is
endlessly complex. Born in Baghdad, raised in Israel, educated in
Britain and now a resident of Germany, Shlaim (International
Relations, Oxford; The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World, 2000,
etc.) is well equipped to comprehend and convey just how tortuous
its routes can be. Modern Jordan began as a British-governed
bulwark against Saudi expansionism, a defense against their
"pristine and puritanical brand of Islam." By the time Hussein bin
Talal (1935 - 99) ascended to the throne of the Hashemite Kingdom
of Jordan in 1953, his nation stood between Saudi Arabia and Iraq
on one side and Israel on the other. In the greater scheme of the
"Arabian Cold War" that would soon develop, Jordan, Lebanon and
Saudi Arabia were friendly with the West, while Syria, Egypt and
Iraq favored the Soviets. All were to some degree hostile to
Israel, though once Jordan tasted defeat in the 1967 war - a
conflict, Shlaim writes, born of "Arab overconfidence and Arab
overbidding" that proved largely that the Arab states "cannot act
separately and they cannot act collectively" - Hussein became
increasingly committed to seeking peace, not least because so many
Jordanians were now dispossessed Palestinians opposed to his rule.
Regrettably, Shlaim writes, Israeli intransigence worked against
peace. Hussein was constantly underestimated and shoved aside,
while American diplomats such as George Shultz and Henry Kissinger
and presidents from Eisenhower to Clinton viewed him as a minor
character in the larger drama of world politics. Sharper attention
turned to King Hussein when it appeared he was aligning Jordan with
Iraq during the first Gulf War, though, Shlaim suggests, Hussein
was not wrong to disdain the Kuwaiti ruling family.Hussein's
legacy, Shlaim holds, is "the possibility, at least, of peace in
the Middle East," toward which he contributed a share - indeed, a
lion's share. A worthy biography. (Kirkus Reviews)
Avi Shlaim's Lion of Jordan: The Life of King Hussein in War and
Peace is the first major account one of the most important figures
in the turbulent history of the Middle East. Peace-broker,
statesman, charismatic ruler and master of realpolitik, Hussein of
Jordan was one of the dominant figures in Middle Eastern politics,
its most continuous presence, and one of the most consistent
proponents of peace with Israel. For over forty years he was at the
eye of the storm in the region, constantly negotiating between the
Arab world and the Israelis, guiding his country through conflict,
surviving assassination attempts and trying to fulfill his lifelong
quest for peace and the survival of his dynasty. This is the first
major account of Hussein's remarkable dialogue across the battle
lines, and of his covert meetings with Israeli leaders. Drawing on
extensive archival sources and on unprecedented interviews with
Hussein, his family, and confidants, it reveals a titanic leader
and a courageous man. 'A thrilling, masterful biography' Simon
Sebag-Montefiore, Sunday Telegraph Books of the Year 'The most
comprehensive biography of the "plucky little king"' Anton La
Guardia, Literary Review 'A nuanced portrait of Jordan's late King
Hussein ... salutes Hussein's extraordinary physical and moral
courage' Daily Telegraph Avi Shlaim was born in Baghdad in 1945;
grew up in Israel; and received his university education at
Cambridge and the LSE. His books include Collusion Across the
Jordan: King Abdullah, The Zionist Movement, and the Partition of
Palestine (Winner of the Political Studies Association's WJM
Mackenzie Prize, 1988), War and Peace in the Middle East: A Concise
History and The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World.
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