King Abdullah II of Jordan - Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril

Unabridged, 96 kbps, Read by Nadim Sawalha
 
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/our-last-best-chance-king-abdullah-ii-of-jordan/1102497715?ean=9780142428009

In “Our Last Best Chance”, King Abdullah writes as both a monarch bestowing wisdom from above and as a man whose life has been intertwined with war and making the case for peace. The memoir opens during the 1967 war, when the King, then a toddler, is dared by his brother to race across the lawn in the middle of an Israeli air raid. An explosion reverberates in the distance and the then-crown prince runs back into the house without having reached the other side. The incident serves as a potent symbol: Unsolved, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict looms over the region, threatening to disrupt daily life at a moment’s notice. The King goes on to detail his formative years, from staring down anti-Arab stereotypes at a US boarding school to his military career in Zarqa and proposing to Rania Yassin on Tal Rumman.

In the first two parts of the memoir, which covers the King’s childhood up to his ascension to the Throne, King Hussein looms large, offering his son lessons in honour and diplomacy while steering Jordan through uncertain waters. When King Hussein falls ill, and the line of succession unexpectedly falls to the author, King Abdullah provides an intimate account of how he faced the sudden responsibility of becoming King while coming to terms with his father’s death. Upon ascending to the Throne, overhauling the country’s economy was a top priority, the King writes, listing Jordan’s membership in the World Trade Organisation and the US Free Trade Agreement among his top achievements in his first years. King Abdullah goes on to highlight Jordanian success stories, including Maktoob.com, Rubicon, the King’s Academy, the King Abdullah Design Bureau, the domestic film industry and the peaceful nuclear programme, taking clear pride in each as a success for the country, each innovation as a step forward in the Kingdom’s development process. But, as the King notes, governance is not as orderly as the army. Directives go unheeded, deadlines are missed and rather than bullets or mortars, progress is threatened by excuses and delays.

In the book, the King uses plain language to explain the complex past, present and future of the region, choosing the steady tone of a commander rather than the prose of a politician. While largely steering away from the sentimental, the Monarch does offer some intimate accounts of larger-than-life figures; dynamite fishing with Uday and Qusay Hussein, disagreements with former US President George Bush and Yasser Arafat’s escape from Jordan in the guise of a woman. The King also delves into his relationship with family members, telling of parachuting with Princess Aisha and the tensions raised by the question of the line of succession. Despite the insightful asides, the memoir’s lasting impressions are lessons from a man and a country who although have been blessed to live in peace and security are touched by the conflicts of its neighbours.

More than a personal history, the King’s first book serves as a message for Washington policy makers, Israeli politicians and Arab leaders to sit up, take notice and not miss “our last, best chance”.

ISBN-13: 9780142428009
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Publication date: 3/17/2011