Lion of Jordan: The Life of King Hussein in War and Peace
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During his long reign (1953–1999), King Hussein of Jordan was one of the most dominant figures in Middle Eastern politics and a consistent proponent of peace with Israel. This is the first major account of his life, written with access to his official documents and with the cooperation (but not approval) of his family and staff, and also extensive interviews with international policy makers. For more than forty years, Hussein walked a tightrope between the Palestinians and Arab radicals on the one hand and Israel on the other. Avi Shlaim reveals that, for the sake of dynastic and national survival, Hussein initiated a secret dialogue with Israel in 1963 that encompassed more than one thousand hours with Golda Meir, Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Shamir, Yitzhak Rabin, and countless others. Shlaim reconstructs this dialogue across battle lines from previously untapped Israeli records and the firsthand accounts of key participants, and makes clear that it was Israeli intransigence that was largely responsible for the failure to achieve a peaceful settlement between 1967 and 1994.At Hussein’s memorial service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Prince of Wales hailed him as “a man amongst men, a king amongst kings.” Lion of Jordan illuminates the triumphs and disappointments, the qualities and character of this extraordinary soldier and statesman, and significantly rewrites the history of the Middle East over the past fifty years. The Washington Post - Sandra Mackey In Lion of Jordan, Avi Shlaim brilliantly lays out Hussein's search for tranquillity for his country and his neighbors, and the obstacles his negotiating partners put in his way.
List of MapsList of Illustrations1 The Hashemite Heritage 32 Murder of a Mentor 403 The Making of a King 614 The Baghdad Pact Fiasco 775 The Dismissal of Glubb 996 The Liberal Experiment 1137 A Royal Coup 1318 The Year of Revolution 1559 Arab Foes and Jewish Friends 17410 The Palestinian Challenge 20411 The Road to War 22512 Picking Up the Pieces 25513 Dialogue Across the Battle Lines 28114 Civil War 31515 The United Arab Kingdom Plan 34616 The October War 36117 The Road to Rabat 37618 The Camp David Accords 39619 Lebanon and the Reagan Plan 41220 Peace Partnership with the PLO 42821 The London Agreement 44622 Intifada and Disengagement 46023 The Gulf Crisis and War 48524 From Madrid to Oslo 51425 Peace Treaty 53926 The King's Peace 55427 Collision Course 56728 The Last Journey 589Epilogue: The Life and Legacy 616Notes 624Jordanian Secret Meetings with Israeli Officials 671The Hashemite Dynasty 673Chronology 674Interviews 681Bibliography 685Index 696
