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. Author Shlaim reveals that Hussein initiated a secret dialogue with Israel in 1963--Shlaim reconstructs this dialogue from previously Israeli records and 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. This biography illuminates the qualities and character of this extraordinary soldier and statesman, and significantly rewrites the recent history of the Middle East.--From publisher description.

The Hashemite heritage -- Murder of a mentor -- The making of a king -- The Baghdad pact fiasco -- The dismissal of Glubb -- The liberal experiment -- A royal coup -- The year of revolution -- Arab foes and Jewish friends -- The Palestinian challenge -- The road to war -- Picking up the pieces -- Dialogue across the battle lines -- Civil war -- The United Arab Kingdom plan -- The October War -- The road to Rabat -- The Camp David Accords -- Lebanon and the Reagan Plan -- Peace partnership with the PLO -- The London Agreement -- Intifada and disengagement -- The Gulf Crisis and war -- From Madrid to Oslo -- Peace treaty -- The King's peace -- Collision course -- The last journey -- Epilogue : the life and legacy -- Jordanian secret meetings with Israeli officials -- The Hashemite Dynasty -- Chronology -- Interviews.