King Abdullah has interested me for awhile for several reasons. As the son of the Jordanian King Hussein and British-born Princess Muna, I've been curious about this western educated (he even went to school in America), moderate Muslim. That curiosity was piqued after I read the memoirs of his step-mother, the current Queen Dowager, Queen Noor, several years ago. (Leap of Faith, Miramax) While I definitely enjoyed that book and learned quite a bit about her life, her husband and the region, I also couldn't help but feel that the book was cold. It felt like a press release. Queen Noor gave us the story she wanted to present to the world, consistently painting herself as disinterested in power and the trimmings of royalty. That is her right, of course, but I was hoping for something with a little more blood in the veins. She touched on some of the fascinating family dynamics that were going on behind the scenes, but again, one had to read between the lines to understand what was happening.
So, I was eager to read this book by her step-son. Before I continue, perhaps a brief primer on Jordan's royal family will help those who haven't read up it. King Hussein of Jordan reigned from 1952 until his death of cancer in 1999. He married four times; he divorced his first wife, then married the mother of the current king, the British born Princess Muna (formerly Antoinette Gardiner). After they divorced, he married Queen Alia, who died in a helicopter crash. Finally, King Hussein married his fourth and final wife, Queen Noor (formerly Lisa Halaby). Many people believe Queen Noor was pushing hard for her son, Hamzah, to be named the successor to the throne in the final days of King Husein's life. Why anyone would think the King would pass over his eldest son, who is well educated and military trained to give the crown to one his younger sons is beyond me. Queen Noor denies this in her book, claiming that she wanted Hamzah to have a chance to continue his education. Whatever the truth, in the end, Hussein named Abdullah his successor, and when the King died, Adbullah took the throne.
This transitional period was, to me, the most interesting part of the book. Abdullah spent most of his life in boarding school and in the military. He had no real apprenticeship with his father, and when he took the throne, he admits he barely knew many of the people with whom he would now be working closely. He hints at the fact that there was quite a bit of drama behind the scenes, as many of the people at court were loyal to Queen Noor and, it stands to follow, Prince Hamzah. Others were closer to Prince Hassan, the former Crown Prince. Simply put, the new King Abdullah was a little unprepared for the role, although a lifetime of travel, being educated abroad and many conversations with his father over the issues facing the region had prepared him better than he realized. In my opinion, he also had a healthy does of just plain common sense and is a good, decent man, something that all the preparation and education in the world could not provide.
This book is more a memoir than a dissertation on our "last great chance" for peace in the region. Although King Abdullah does discuss the issues at hand and even addresses the Israeli people directly in this book, he focuses much more on his life story. There are some amusing anecdotes in the book, especially one about his trip to North Korea. The book also provides a fascinating inside look at America as seen through the eyes of this Middle Eastern leader. For example, while King Abdullah definitely seems to like George Bush as a person, he has some beefs about Bush's policies, plus a few funny tales about comments made to him over the years by Bush and some members of congress. Fortunately, for any American reading this book, the imperfections of America are seen through the affectionate eyes of a man who was educated here, has many friends here, and travels to this country extensively. So they aren't annoying in any way, at least I didn't think so.
The King talks about his beautiful and intelligent wife, Queen Rania, and their four children quite a bit. He is clearly very much a family man, and while he has a tremendous amount of respect for his late father, I got the impression that the King did not appreciate the way his father often changed wives. This King, I believe, will not be making the same mistakes, especially given the frosty relationship he now has with his step-mother Queen Noor. He also has named his son Crown Prince, something King Hussein did not do until his deathbed which caused a lot of scheming in the Jordananian court for several months. So while King Abdullah clearly honors his father's legacy, he also is not repeating some of the mistakes that were made.
All in all, this a great read if you like biography and are interested in the region. Since I fall into both of those categories, I enjoyed it quite a bit. The writing is very good, and feels extremely fresh - many of the quotes used were taken from notes of meetings with world leaders and one can almost hear those people saying those things. And since the story goes well into the Obama administration, it is very current and dynamic. Complete with photographs (alas, in black and white) and a very touching acknowledgements section, this is an excellent book too for anyone who is unfamiliar with Jordan or Middle Eastern politics. It's somewhat basic and easy to read, so if you're a newcomer to this area of the world, you won't get lost.
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