Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril

Authors : Zeynep Sütalan

Pages : 183-188

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Publication Date : 2013-07-01

Article Type : Other

Abstract :The book by King Abdullah II of Jordan is an autobiography which can be regarded as a follow-up of a family tradition in reference to the King Hussein’s autobiography named Uneasy Lies The Head1 . Like his father, King Abdullah has written the book in the tenth year of his reign. The book as an autobiography provides the reader with an insight into the King’s life, including his childhood and adolescence, his marriage with Queen Rania, and his ascendance to throne after the death of King Hussein. At the very same time, the book is a political history since the King well portrays the national and regional dynamics as a background. In addition, despite his personal account, King Abdullah II devotes a significant portion of his book to his experience and thoughts about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Although the book was published just before the Arab Spring, and the King neither includes nor predicts the revolutionary changes of the Arab Spring, he gives a strong message about the urgent need to solve the Palestinian-Israeli question. This message could be no better timed than ever and is still relevant for the region which has changed considerably with the winds of the Arab Spring. In special reference to the King’s reflections on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the book is worth reading in understanding the Middle East peace process and foreseeing its possible future.
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