Product Description
Brimming with a splendid assortment of extraordinary facts, unexpected connections, interesting and frequently hilarious anecdotes. It is rich in human character and indeed tells us far more about history than those who have a blinkered prejudice against 'genealogy' may realise. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Much better than the Burke's average
Intended as a companion volume to _Burke's Guide to the Royal Family,_ this product of the "new Burke's" follows the familiar indented-outline format and is very easy to use. The early history of each House is only summarized, but is complete from the sixteenth century or so. Families that are "temporarily out of business" make up the bulk of the book, including portraits of the current pretenders (up to c.1980, anyway). Much readable anecdotal material, and the Introduction has some salty comments on the observed results of replacing hereditary monarchy with "mob democracy." An excellent and trustworthy source for ready-reference.

Very Excellent Book set
This is one of the finest research book set available. All the world's royal families are at your fingertips. Includes photographs & geneological tables. Highly recommended. Please look at this book. ... Read more

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A well-researched, captivating history of the Arab nation, wrapped into the biography of Ibn Saud, founding father and first king of Saudi Arabia. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (164)

Iranian history
This is one of the best books I ever read.The author very carefully details the history of Iran in the twentieth century and identifies the themes emerging from it that have come to inform Iranian history, views, and passion since then.The writer is very objective and scholarly in transcending narrow rhetoric and biases in order to get at the real story.I would recommend this fine piece of work to anyone.

All the Shah's Men:Questions Answered
"So what's the story with Iran?What's that mess all about?"I don't remember where I heard this, but it was on TV somewhere (maybe I read it somewhere).Regardless, it's a question that maybe a lot of us ask, but never really took the time to answer.After reading Kinzer's Overthrow, I was curious about American involvement in Iran and this book answered all of my questions.For the length of the book, Kinzer answered a lot of questions and showed how often agenda having government bureaucrats can change the course of history.What Kinzer does well is that he takes a plethora of information and drills it down into a regular sized book.Some people complain that he could have gone more in-depth, but I feel his penetration of the subject is just right.A really great book that leaves you thinking.

The politics of greed and fear...
A clear, concise history of 50+ years in US, Iran, and UK relations and the coup that toppled Mossadegh's government, a coup motivated by Britain's need to control Iran's oil supply and the Eisenhower administrations rising fear of potential growth in communist influence. You meet the major players:Truman, Mossadegh, Churchill, the Shah, Eisenhower, the Dulles brothers, and Kermit Roosevelt (grandson of Teddy Roosevelt and a CIA operative) who masterminded the plan.The author then takes you full circle to present when he visits Mossadegh's house at Ahmad Abad, Iran, in 2002 and confronts the confused legacy left to the Iranian people, weighing short term political gains vs. long term consequences.

an excellent book about Mossadegh and the US coup that toppled his goverment
Doubtlessly, Stephen Kinzer is a gifted writer.His book All the Shah's Men tells the story of Mohammad Mossadegh who was briefly prime minister of Iran in 1952-3 before getting overthrown by a secret United States coup.Unlike his book on Turkey, Crescent and Star, this book is primarily based on research and not personal experience in the country he writes about.Nevertheless, you can easily tell that Kinzer deeply feels for Mossadegh, and Kinzer's Epilogue, where he tells about his own personal pilgrimage to the home and town where Mossadegh was imprisoned the last 11 years of his life, is extremely moving and revealing.

As is Kinzers habit, just underneath the surface of his text is a warning and a message on current United States foreign policy.Surely, this 1952-3 story of the overthrow of the Iranian government has lots to teach us about Iran, but the story is a little more complicated.

As an aside, in the book we learn of yet another sordid episode in the history of British Petroleum, initially created as the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company!!!... the nationalization of which the entire 1953 coup was about!

Impressive
One of the best history books I've ever read, just can't imagine it could be writen in better way. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

One of the best books ever written
Nigel Ashton comes from one of the best schools for politics and economics and he proves it with this work. He has always written great works but this one is by far the best. He gives a great account of King Hussein's life and went to great depths to get these sources. He really finds great sources which must have taken him years to do. The book gives a great balanced story of an important Arab leader after World War II.
Side note, the book is about 350 pgs long, notes and bibliography make it 450 so dont be discouraged. Also the book is ridic heavy because of the paper material is fantastic ... Read more

Product Description
A moving story of the former Empress of Iran -- now in paperback.

At the age of twenty-one, Farah Diba married the Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi. A loving marriage, the raising of four children, and a devotion to social and cultural causes marked her early years as queen, although there were already signs of grave national diversions on the horizon.

Twenty years later the dream had turned into a nightmare: demonstrations and riots shook the country, and Farah and the Shah decided to leave in order to avoid bloodshed. With the hardcover publication of An Enduring Love, a New York Times bestseller (extended list) in 2004, Farah Diba, wife of the last emperor of Iran, broke her silence and told the wrenching story of her love for a man and his country. Her compelling memoir offers an intimate view of a time of upheaval, but stands above all as a powerful human document from one whose life was caught up in an epic and tragic national struggle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (79)

XCELLENT
This is a really good book. Not only does it talk about Empress Farah's childhool, education, and marriage it also discusses about the Shah on how he tried to reform Iran and it goes into depth about the issues affecting Iran. It is also touching how she stood by the Shah during his illness and her youngest daughters suicide. It is a well written book discussing about the family's life in the states. This is a must read for a biography as well as a history lover. The book is not lenghty or boring at all. I couldn't put this book down.

A bio on life with the Shah of Iran
Very informative insight for Iranians living in the US and abroad. Info on the downfall of the Shah and how the Carter adminstration turned their backs on the Shah and the Iranian people. Carter is a disgrace for what he did to Iran. The Shah was not the purest of governments but far better than the Khomeni revolution and the present day government.

Insights of an era of conflicts
Although like any other autobiography ,former Queen Farah's memoirs are presenting a single sided view on a regime, country and people, I have enjoyed reading this book .It gives insights on an era of conflicts and reminds of us of all the personalities who have ruled the world.

A Look At the Man Behind the Turmoil
The Iranian revolution has overshadowed much of the Shah's "other" unofficial life. Most people studying Iran try to make sense of why the events had to unfold with the inevitability that they did. Ofcourse, the obvious reasons of totalitarianism and socio-economic inequity always rise to the forefront. Empress Farah's memoir provides a glimpse into the gentler side of the monarchy. The anecdotes involving the Shah as a suitor, a husband and father are far more interesting than Her Majesty's insights into the actual day to day workings of the government. Ofcourse, no one expects the Empress to stand up and provide a critical analysis of the late Shah's reign, and the reader wonders at times if Her Majesty was glossing over some of the unpleasantries of royal rule. Despite this imbalance, or perhaps because of it, the book is worthwhile in the sense that it brings back our focus to the man demonized by many scholars and historians for the decisions he made and which paved the way to the rise of political Islam. The Shah's human qualities are what endure in this memoir.

Great book!
I am an Iranian who has lived in the United States since the 1979 islamic revolution in Iran that dawned one of the most BRUTAL BRUTAL AND I MEAN BRUTAL governments known to mankind. The second the last secular Prime Minister Shapour Bakthiar left Iran and the Khomeini government invaded Iran, a theocracy was born. This theocracy single handedly killed tens of thousands of Iranians in the first year alone. Mass executions my relatives had to witness, seeing people hung by cranes for reasons such as not wearing their veils (which became compulsory after 1979), wearing neckties in the streets, going out with the opposite sex in the street, and other simple freedoms we have in the United States. One by one, former generals and government employees of the shah were executed via the firing squad because rather than serving under that piece of GARBAGE ayatoillet khomeini, they would rather die. Upon his return to Iran in 1978, he was asked how he felt and the piece of garbage said simply "nothing"....and the people he murdered and the genocide he committed. Little boys were abducted in the streets ordered by khomeini himself for them to run accross mine fields to ensure they were safe...and the ones that weren't were blown up just to make sure...Now 27 years later, a burned out generation and youth who 70% were born after this hijacking, have arisen....Depressed youth in which the government follows them in every way, shape, and form......reasons being MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE UNEMPLOYMENT, being told what to wear, being told how to act, not allowed to have any kind of western fun without fear of raids and repurcussions, and the list goes on.... because of this piece of GARBAGE government. The government in iran gives millions to palestine each year but pays their teachers and other social workers only 100 dollars a month and they are LUCKY just to get that!

The shah's era was a time in which Iran was brought out of the middle ages and into the modern world. An era which brought the Iranian currency equal to 7 tomans to 1 dollar (versus now 5000=1). An era in which women were seen equal in the eyes of the law and could hold any position equal to a male.....An era where anyone could choose what kind of education they want to recieve, what religion to preach, how to live their life peacefull.......An era in which every 100 college graduates had 200 jobs to select from where now every 100 have 35-40 at max leaving the balance home doing nothing all day, trying to determine who pays the bills......Yeah the cia trained savak was out of hand, and corruption within that faction were running amuck (the only area where anyone can bring up the myth of him being a "ruthless dictator")....but you know what, the shah ORDERED the arrest of the savaki leaders after he got the reports of what was going on and the corruption....The "ruthless dictator" told the troops to withdraw on black friday after 70-100 people were shot, but thousands more could have been killed but weren't. This book is a wonderful account of her life with the shah in detail. ... Read more

Product Description

For the last two and a half decades—through war, oil crises, and global terrorism—the United States and Saudi Arabia have had a very special relationship, thanks in no small part to one man: Prince Bandar bin Sultan. The illegitimate son of a Saudi prince and a servant girl, he used his vital behind-the-scenes influence to convince Gorbachev to withdraw the Soviet military from Afghanistan and helped President Reagan and CIA Director William Casey to win the Cold War with Saudi petrodollars. A Machiavellian manipulator, he negotiated an end to the Iran-Iraq war and played a key role in the Iran-Contra affair. George H. W. Bush took Bandar and his family fishing. Colin Powell would drop by to play racquetball.

Customer Reviews (6)

Meeting the Prince
Prince Bandar is the Son of Sultan bin Saud--now second in line to the throne of Saudi Arabia. The Prince is a most interesting man. My husband first met him in Washington, D. C., when he had been selected to become the General officer in charge of the United States Military Training Mission in Saudi Arabia. It was then that we believe Prince Bandar approved Neil to become the new Chief of the USMTM. A few months later, when we had settled into our homes in Dhahran and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Prince Bandar appeared at our home in Dhahran and sat down for an informal visit. He is a most charming individual and I, too, was delighted to meet him. It was soon after that meeting, the Prince moved to Washington, D.C., where he became the Saudi Ambassador to the USA. Our tour there was an amazing time for both my husband and me, and as I was allowed to travel with my husband, I became immersed in the Kingdom's people and history. It was a fascinating time for both of us and we have some wonderful memories of the two years we lived in the land of oil, sand, camels and mystique.
When I saw this book about the good looking Prince who came to my home one day for a visit, I couldn't resist ordering it as a gift for my husband. He is now engrossed in the story and I look forward to reading it at a later date.June Eddins, twoeddins@aol.com

Do note that Prince Bandar "cooperated" with his friend, the author, William Simpson.
Do not waste your money.This is an obvious PR effort and none of the recent news regarding the Prince shows up here - for obvious reasons.

The Prince: The Secret Story of the World's Most Intriguing Royal, Prince Bandar bin Sultan
Not that intriguing a character. The author is a very goooooooood friend of the subject and is obviously very bias.

FASCINATING
Definitely worth reading, I find it very interesting to read about a Saudi prince.Most people have no idea what a Saudi prince is all about and this is a way to find out.

A recommended pick for a wide range of collections, from college to general-interest public libraries.
THE PRINCE: THE SECRET STORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST INTRIGUING ROYAL PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN might at first glance seem to be a special interest title - but it's actually much more. Any reader interested in Middle East issues should read THE PRINCE, as it surveys the life, political rise and richness of the Saudi Arabian prince who today is Ambassador to the U.S. His life reflects social and political changes in the country and his work has led him to play pivotal roles in emerging politics of the entire region, making THE PRINCE a recommended pick for a wide range of collections, from college to general-interest public libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch ... Read more

Product Description
An exposé of the British government’s failure to act when one of its citizens was illegally imprisoned and tortured by a corrupt regime.

When Sandy Mitchell was arrested for his alleged involvement in two bombings in Saudi Arabia in December 2000, he assumed it was a case of mistaken identity and that he would soon be released. Instead, he spent the next 18 months in jail, where he was repeatedly tortured, before being forced to sign a confession. Mitchell was an innocent man—and the Saudi privately knew the attacks were the work of al-Qaeda militants. In July 2002, Mitchell was sentenced to death—then suddenly released. This is the story of a shocking miscarriage of justice. It also suggests a more disturbing truth: that Tony Blair and the Foreign Office—mindful of Britain’s massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia—abandoned Mitchell by adopting a soft diplomatic approach to the corrupt Saudi Royal Family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A devastating portrait of Saudi Arabia and its Western allies
Through the story of an innocently incarcerated British citizen, M. Hollingsworth reveals the real nature of the Saudi Arabian kingdom and its relationship with its Western Allies.

Story
Western citizens were used as cover ups for terrorist attacks by homegrown Islamic fundamentalists. They were tortured and condemned under an abysmally unfair legal system to capital punishment. The Saudi Arabian government also tried to use them as bargaining chips in order to force the UK government to clamp down on SA dissidents in London.

Saudi Arabia
The author sketches sharply the contours of a paradoxical political situation. Saudi Arabia needs the secular West for its security and wealth (oil), while internally it maintains a reactionary Wahhabi fundamentalist regime. There is no democratic freedom (media, human or women's rights). It is ruled by a corrupt, hypocrite (`Do as I say, not as I do') elite, which uses religion as a means to consolidate the existent social order. The author states clearly that `the sole mission of the sharia law is to protect the social order.' Its population however is ferociously anti-American, mainly because of the Palestinian problem.

Western Allies
For the UK and the US, Saudi Arabian oil, together with commercial (weapons contracts at inflated prices in order to permit kickbacks) and military (bases) interests are more important than the protection of human rights and concomitantly individual lives. The latter can `rot in jail'.

Caveats
M. Hollingsworth's analyses could be partially flawed in the light of evaluations of Al-Qaeda by N. Mosaddeq Ahmed and of the 9/11 attacks by D. R. Griffin and P. Zarembka.
For an excellent analysis of the oil shocks of the 1970s, see F. William Engdahl's `A Century of War'.

This book, which reads like a thriller, gives also a valuable short summary of the history of Saudi Arabia.
A must read for all those who want to understand the hypocrisy of the mighty.
... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Queens; Cyprus; Biography ... Read more

Product Description
The twentieth century witnessed the transformation of the area known currently as Iraq from a backward region of the Ottoman Empire, to one of the most important and dynamic states in the Middle East. This book focuses on the interaction between the old and the new, or between continuity and change, as it is manifested in the nature of social development, nation-building, the state and the political opposition The author examines the rise of modern Iraq and its roots in the second half of the nineteenth century when Ottoman reforms led to gradual state modernization and increasing integration in the World Economy. British control after World War I is examined as one of the major determining factors in the establishment of the current borders of the country and the nature of its subsequent national identity. The other important factor explored is the highly heterogeneous nature of Iraqi society and its division along tribal, ethnic, religious, and sectarian lines.Readers wanting a background to current events in Iraq and the Middle East ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Excellent Brief and Balanced Account
This is the best brief book on Iraq and its history as it tells the story of this country starting with its pre-Islamic times of the Sessanids and going well into modern day. The brilliance of this book is based on two factors. First, its choice of what to highlight and what to leave out was extremely successful and relevant for those who want to read history to understand modern day Iraq, and second, its dependency on the bottom lines of reliable secondary sources instead of amassing a big number of quotes from primary sources in order to make a point or two.
The choice of what to cover and how to cover events from Iraq's history yielded this extremely helpful book that brings 5000 years of history into this concise and brief book.
Abdullah's style is extremely catching and flows with practically no repetition. Unlike most history books on the subject, Abdullah economizes with the number of names and dates that he included in the book in order not to distract the reader's attention by bombarding him/her with an unlimited number of often irrelevant names.
Furthermore, Abdullah maintains much needed objectivity when telling Iraq's story at the time most of history books on the Middle East are loaded with prejudice and either explicit or hidden propaganda.
Other valuable insights include Abdullah's tracing of the regional influence on Iraq, both from the Sunni Arab West and the Shiite Persian East. Abdullah also writes with the current internal Iraqi divisions in mind and as you finish the book, you will certainly end up with the impression that history repeats itself.

Iraq - The Original Melting Pot
Grasping to make some sense of the chaos that is today's Iraq, I found A Short History of Iraq by T.A.J. Abdullah to be a throroughly engaging and enlightening read.Concise and with no apparent ax to grind Abdullah helps the inquiring reader gain some clarity to questions like "Who are these people of the Garden of Eden, caught betwen the Persians and the Turks?"What is the attraction of the poor of Baghdad to figures like Muqtada al-Sadr?What are the roles of Imams and shaykhs? How do the lingering shadows of the Ottoman Empire give a modern basis to the strife between Shi'i and Sunni.What is so important about Najaf and Karbala,why does everyone seem so contentious and why were the British so anxious to move back into Basra as the invasion wound down.After reading Professor Abdullah's book, today's chaos will seem no less chaotic. Taking account of two thousand years of turbulent history, however, gives one a feeling of empathy for the people civilizaton's oldest melting pot, and maybe a grain of hope.

I would recommend A Short History of Iraq to anyone who longs for a better understanding or feels compelled to offer an opinion on what he sees on the evening news, not the least of whom might be the commentators.I would like to say "Thank you" to Professor Abudllah for his timely work. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Mohammed Zahir Shah, Mohammed Nadir Shah, Habibullāh Kalakāni, Inayatullah Khan. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 27. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Prince Muhammed Akbar Khan (4 August 1933 - 26 November 1942) Crown Prince Ahmad Shah Khan (born 23 September 1934) Princess Maryam Begum (born 2 November 1936) Prince Muhammed Nadir Khan (born 21 May 1941) Prince Shah Mahmoud Khan (15 November 1946 - 7 December 2002) Prince Muhammed Daoud Pashtunyar Khan (born 14 April 1949) Prince Mir Wais Khan (born 7 January 1957) Mohammed Zahir Shah (15 October 1914 23 July 2007) was the last King (Shah) of Afghanistan, reigning for four decades, from 1933 until he was ousted by a coup in 1973. Following his return from exile he was given the title 'Father of the Nation' in 2002 which he held until his death. Zahir Shah was born on October 15, 1914, in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was the son of Mohammed Nadir Shah, a senior member of the Barakzai royal family and commander in chief of the Afghan army under former king Amanullah Khan. Nadir Shah assumed the throne after the execution of Habibullah Ghazi on 10 October 1929. Mohammed Zahir's father, son of Sardar Mohammad Yusuf Khan, was born in Dehradun, British India, his family having been exiled following the second Anglo-Afghan war. Nadir Shah was a descendant of Sardar Sultan Mohammed Khan Telai, half-brother of Amir Dost Mohammad Khan. His grandfather Mohammad Yahya Khan (father in law of Amir Yaqub Khan) was in charge of the negotiations with the British leading to the Treaty of Gandamak. After the British invasion following the killing of Sir Louis Cavagnari in 1879, Yaqub Khan, Yahya Khan and his sons, Princes Mohammad Yusuf Khan and Mohammad Asef Khan, were seized by the British and transferred under custody to the British Raj, where...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=20886 ... Read more

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Born into a distinguished Arab-American family and raised amid privilege, Lisa Halaby was in the first co-educational freshman class at Princeton, graduating in 1974 with a degree in architecture and urban planning. Then, in 1976, she was introduced, on an airport runway, to King Hussein of Jordan, a direct descendent of the prophet Muhammed. In less than two years, she was his wife, Noor al-Hussein, Queen of Jordan.

With eloquence and candour, Noor talks frankly of the many challenges of her life as wife and partner to the monarch, providing both an intimate portrait of the late King Hussein and his quest for peace in the Middle East, and a moving account of the demands his public role as a world statesman placed on the royal couple's private life.Sharing a personal perspective on the past three decades of world history, Leap of Faith highlights Queen Noor's views on Islam and the West; the challenges of rearing her family; her work as Queen and humanitarian activist; and her struggles to protect her husband as he slipped into the illness that would kill him in 1999. Her story is filled with recollections of the world's most powerful and interesting people: Queen Elisabeth, Jimmy Carter, Pierre Trudeau, Yassar Arafat and Anwar Sadat.In the wake of September 11, Noor reflects on the true message of Islam and the ongoing violence in the Middle East from her unique perspective with a deep and abiding understanding of Arab aspirations and history.

Leap of Faith is refreshingly candid and clear-eyed, a true love story set against the turbulent politics of the last thirty years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Official View of My Life as Queen Noor
Leap of Faith is interesting from the young all American becomes Queen standpoint. It really is amazing that a fairly regular young American woman gains the attention of the King of Jordan and becomes Queen.

It is too bad she was not willing to be more real in her telling of a great story. Queen Noor seems way too aware that she is writing her memoir and wants her memoir written in a contrived way. She wants it written the way she wants you to remember and never mind reality.

The book ends up preaching about Queen Noor's view of the political world and quickly becomes tiresome and boring.

It could have been a very exciting story given her exciting life but she had to go preach to us instead. ... Read more

Product Description
These memoirs - dictated by Abbas II to his secretary several decades after he had been exiled from Egypt in 1914 - provide a window on the mechanics of the strained relations between sovereign and the power occupying his country. They reveal a caring man, desirous of reform, with definite progressive ideas. He was disillusioned by sycophantic Egyptian politicians who, fearing British wrath, rarely supported their monarch. ... Read more

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Xerxes was the Persian King that tried to conquer Greece and the rest of therest of the ancient world. However he met fierce resistance from the Greekking of Sparta and his 300 top soldiers. Xerxes terrorized the ancient world raising a huge army that drain rivers when they stopped to drink. Xerxes is mentioned in the Old Testament. Years later Alexander the Great used Xerxes attack on Greece as the as a reason to invade Persiaan event that started Alexander’s campaign of wold conquest. ... Read more

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There are few portions of the world's history which, to my own mind, afford subjects of such thrilling interest as that which I have selected for the groundwork of the following story.I have tried, in the main, to adhere closely to facts, though I have ventured somewhat to compress the length of time which actually elapsed between the rising against Syrian tyranny at Modin, and the restoration of the Temple.I may also have been inaccurate in representing Antiochus Epiphanes as being still in Jerusalem at the period when the battle of Emmaus took place.Such trifling deviations from history seem to me, however, by no means to interfere with that fidelity to its grand outlines which an author should conscientiously observe.No historical character has been wilfully misrepresented in these pages.If I have ventured to paint one of the noblest of Judah's heroes with the feelings and weaknesses common to man, I trust that even his most enthusiastic Hebrew admirer will not deem that they lower his dignity as commander, or patriot prince.

The exploits of Judas Maccabeus might seem to be a theme more befitting the pen of one of his own race than mine; yet would I fain hope that a work which it has been a labour of love to a Christian to write, may not be altogether despised even by the descendants of Hebrew heroes who shared the Asmonean's toils and triumphs in the land for which he conquered and died.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (256)

Leap of faith

Very sensitive well written. Provides information about the culture and continuing problems of the Middle East.

treasure
This is a fascinating book if you like memoirs.It gives insight into how Lisa became Queen Noor andcame to experience this unlikely life in Jordan. Also gives reader perspective on her choices and values and her relationship with her husband the King of Jordan and a little different view of the Middle East situation than we hear on the news. It completely amazed me how her life touched practically every celebrity of her generation from Middle East royals to Steven Spielberg. . Four presidents attended her husband's funeral in Jordan. Very touching story. She came across to me as a kind of Lady Di character on a bit smaller scale.Couldn't put the book down.

Very informational
This book helped me understand the Palestinian-Israeli conflict more in depth. This is a woman worth of admiration. Easy historical educational reading. Recommend it to anyone interested in politics, arab culture and arab-israeli conflict.

Have not Received
As I have yet to receive the book I can't say much. I ordered it JUNE 18 and used expedited shipping and it has not arrived yet on JULY 19 !!!!!!Do NOT use Mako Books as a supplier!!!!

Touching, personal account of the Jordanian point of view
Anyone old enough to remember the announcement of Queen Noor's marriage to King Hussain will remember the surprise that Americans felt to learn that one of their own was about to become royalty.In the time that Queen Noor reigned with King Hussain we grew to respect her serious work for the Jordanian people, her intelligence and her sincere efforts to explain the Jordanian point of view to Americans.

Queen Noor describes some historical incidents with an insiders point of view and you can't help but feel stunned when she explains President Clinton's determination to announce the Jordanian peace agreement with Israel in Washington.(A deal which apparently cost the United States over 700M!)

But its important to remember reading this biography that this book is written from the Jordanian perspective and is very subjective.Queen Noor is justifiably upset by the Palistinian suffering, but less upset by that of others.Her lack of understanding of why the United States and the Arab states needed to eject Saddam from Kuwait, is only one case in point.

Despite that I was deeply moved by Leap of Faith.The end of the book, which describes the death of the King, such a kind and wise man, made me very sad.I closed the book wishing Queen Noor all of the best, and hoping life brings her happiness after such an early widowhood.
... Read more

Product Description
Roland Dallas'' biography of the late King Hussein of Jordan is the story of an extraordinary man, the survivor of several assassination attempts and a man who was equally at home at a Bedouin campfire or the controls of a Jumbo Jet.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Review on King Hussein: ALife on the Edge
The book explains the very dangerous and exciting life of the late King Hussein.This movie would give insight into the very harsh world of a Middle East peace process and the leader that made it happen for his country, Jordan.This movie would be a great tribute to such a great leader.

When King Hussein was young, he witnessed the assassination of his grandfather and was almost killed by the same gunman.His father was mentally unstable, making him unfit to be King.King Hussein had numerous wives and many children.His goal of keeping peace between Jordan and the neighboring countries was accomplished, and King Hussein was known as a peacekeeper.His life was never far from the brink of disaster.He was the master of survival, escaping many assassination attempts at the same time facing a political crisis.He had many loves: fast cars, classic guns, and beautiful women.His life was so very important that it must be made into a movie.

King Hussein was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever seen.He was a precious source of stability and peace in a particularly unpredictable region of the world, the Middle East.His whole life would be a great movie of his struggles and accomplishments as leader of Jordan.His life was very important in the lives of his peoples and the peoples of neighboring countries.King Hussein was very well respect as to give a eulogy at the funeral of the former prime minister of Yitzhak Rabin.His life was peacefully ended in 1999 due to his cancer, but even in his final days at the Mayo Clinic, he contributed to the peace process by a televised appearance at the Wye meeting.No one could write a script as interesting and exciting like the life of King Hussein.The movie would give great respect to such an extraordinary leader of the Middle East.

Well written but disappointing....
As someone who has studied the Middle East extensively, I found this book to be well-written, but ultimately -- and unfortunately -- just a rehash of secondary sources. In other words, although there's nothing particularlywrong with this book, there's nothing particularly great about it either. No inside insights into what made the enigmatic King Hussein tick, forinstance, which could have been very helpful and interesting but whichwould have required the author to interview people who knew the King well.It also would have been interesting if the author could have untangled themany seeming contradictions in King Hussein's reign, but unfortunately heeither tried but was unable to do so or just did not do the necessarylegwork needed to discover some of these answers. Ultimately, it appearsthat the author, or perhaps his publisher, was more interested in rushingout the "first book on King Hussein since his death" than indoing a first-rate job.That's unfortunate, and ultimately a disservice tothis fascinating man and also to the events he lived through and played arole in.

A thoroughly readable and informative biography.
Hoping to improve my knowledge of Middle Eatsern history and politics, as well as find out more about this fascinating man, I tried Dallas's book. It was fast-paced, dynamic, gripping and very revealing. I highly reccommendit.

King Hussein
I completely enjoyed reading this book.It is a well written biography of a great man. King Hussein lead his country from obscurity to that of an important player in the Middle East, during the Arab-Israeli Crisis andthrough the long and at times extremely troubled road to Middle East Peace. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in the Middle East,and who want a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. ... Read more

Product Description
Readers of Princess Sultana's extraordinary story, PRINCESS, were gripped by her powerful indictment of women's lives behind the veil within the royal family of Saudi Arabia. Now, Jean Sasson turns the spotlight on Sultana's two teenage daughters, Maha and Amani.

As second-generation members of the royal family who have benefited from Saudi oil wealth, Maha and Amani have never known the poverty which their grandparents experienced as children. Surrounded by untold opulence and luxury from the day they were born and which they take for granted, but stifled by the unbearably restrictive lifestyle imposed on them, they have reacted in equally desperate ways.

Their dramatic and shocking stories, together with many more which concern other members of Princess Sultana's huge family, are set against a rich backcloth of Saudi Arabian culture and social mores which are depicted with equal color and authenticity. We learn, for example, of the fascinating ritual of the world-famous annual pirlgrimage to Makkah as we accompany the princess and her family to this holiest of cities.

Throughout, however, Sultana never tires of her quest to expose the injustices which her society levels against women. In her couragewious campaign to improve the lot of her own daughters of Arabia, Princess Sultana once more strikes a chord amongst all women who are lucky enough to have the freedom to speak out for themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (88)

Good continuation of Sultana's tale
After reading the first book in this trilogy, naturally I had to continue on, so I bought books 2 and 3. While not quite as good as the first one, I enjoyed this book a lot. I understand that some of the negative reviewers don't like this book because they complain that some of the stuff can't be true, like having a lesbian lover or illegal firearms or such.

Just because something sounds crazy doesn't mean it can't happen. And keep in mind that this book also includes the disclaimer that some events have been altered. So there should be no surprise. Bad things happen to women, even in this 21st century of ours. Women have always been abused through the ages, and even in today's 'enlightened' age some parts of this world are still achingly backwards in many aspects, not just the Middle East.

It's interesting to read a memoir from a very rich person. Typically the biographies I read are of people with more modest means, and it's quite the experience to read about Sultana describing her activities or items - her daughters have millions of dollars with of expensive jewelry, they have fancy and fine palaces and armies of servants and so many different luxuries. Maha and Amani are lucky enough to have a father who treated them better than Sultana's own father did, but as this book really shows, money doesn't buy happiness. At least not for the women - it's shocking what some of these Saudi princes can get away with with enough money. It's an eye-opening book and a decent read in the Sultana trilogy.

Continued...

When I read Jean Sasson's 'Princess', it seemed that the plight of women is more or less the same across. The only thing that changes is the degree to which this varies.

'Daughters of Arabia' is a sequel to Princess. In Princess, Princes Sultana of the Saudi Arabia talks about her life (through Jean Sasson's book) and about life of women in Saudi Arabia. Now in Daughters of Arabia, Jean Sasson talks about daughters of Princess Sultana. Even though they are of royal family, what all they have to face is all depicted in this book.

Good read.

Women in Saudi Arabia
The "Sultana" trilogy is not to be missed by anyone concerned with human rights, more specifically women's rights in a Muslim country.
Masterfully written, "Princess Sultana's Daughters" is no exception to the rule: it reads as well as the first and last book of this collection.
The saga of this beyond imagination wealthy royal Saudi woman and her daughters is not only inspiring, sensitive but also educational as it gives many insights on how women in general live in a male dominated culture.
This is the kind of book you don't want to put down once you start to read it.

great book
really good book. happy that i bought part two.. now i need part three.. must read for all women.

Unspeakable horrors
"Princess Sultana's Daughters" is the second installment of Jean Sasson's trilogy about life as a woman in Saudi Arabia, as told to the author by Princess Sultana, a member of the royal family. This true story picks up shortly after the first book in the series, "Princess," left off. Although Sultana's husband, Kareem, is much more modern-thinking as far as the role of women in the Middle East is concerned, Sultana and her female family members still suffer greatly at the hands of the abuse and restrictions placed upon them by their male relatives. Now that Sultana's three children are older, her concern shifts from her own misfortunes to those of her daughters, Maha and Amani, who react to their oppressive situations in different disturbing ways. Even Sultana's son, Abdullah, is forced to make difficult decisions as a result of women's status in the country. Despite the many horrors that the women in Sultana's country face, most of the men in Saudi Arabia don't seem to care enough to speak out in an attempt to change the status quo.

I enjoyed this book very much. Sasson is an excellent writer and storyteller who vividly brings Sultana's world to life for the reader. Unfortunately, despite Sultana's wealth and apparent life of luxury, there is nothing glamorous or envious about the lives Saudi Arabian women lead. The women of the royal family may be rich, but their money is not their own, and they live each and every day at the will of their husbands or fathers, with absolutely no personal freedom. It's a horrific thing to imagine, and unfortunately, it's all true. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1964 Faisal bin Abdul Aziz became king of a country holding a quarter of the world's oil reserves, also home to Mecca and Medina. He was called 'the most powerful Arab ruler in centuries'. Eleven years later, in front of television cameras, his nephew shot him in the head at point-blank range. Alexei Vassiliev tells the story of a pious, cautious and resolute leader who steered Saudi Arabia through a minefield of domestic problems, inter-Arab relations, and the decline of Soviet influence in the Middle East. King Faisal maintained ties with both Egypt and the US through two Arab-Israeli wars and the 1973 Arab oil embargo. Throughout, he staked high hopes on cooperation with the US, a relationship that is still vital to both countries' interests. Vassiliev's research includes original documents and interviews in Arabic, Russian and French - allowing for a unique perspective of this seminal figure. ... Read more