Lion of Jordan

By Avi Shlaim,

Book cover of Lion of Jordan: The Life of King Hussein in War and Peace

Book description

The first major account of the life of an extraordinary soldier and statesman, King Hussein of Jordan.

Throughout his long reign (1953—1999), Hussein remained a dominant figure in Middle Eastern politics and a consistent proponent of peace with Israel. For over forty years he walked a tightrope between Palestinians and…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Lion of Jordan as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Perhaps the biggest surprise of King Hussein’s epic life is that he died in his own bed of natural causes and at a relatively advanced age––Hussein of Jordan always assumed he would die from an assassin’s bullet. Incredibly, his long reign had a happy ending: Hussein surmounted enough tragedies and challenges to fill the Book of Job––he witnessed his grandfather’s murder, his father went insane, his beloved cousin was shot, the wife he adored went down in a helicopter crash––yet steered his country and the people of Jordan to safe harbor through five decades of war, revolt and revolution. This…

From Andrew's list on modern monarchy.

Want books like Lion of Jordan?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Lion of Jordan.

Browse books like Lion of Jordan

Book cover of Juan Carlos: Steering Spain from Dictatorship to Democracy
Book cover of The Shah and I: The Confidential Diary of Iran's Royal Court, 1969-1977
Book cover of The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,172

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in peace, politics, and the Arab–Israeli conflict?

Peace 26 books
Politics 772 books