Hussein and Abdullah: Inside the Jordanian Royal Family Hardcover – May 1, 2010

Randa Habib is a legendary journalist that is well-qualified to write about Jordan and the country's two most recent kings. Many of the historical events that she recounts are well-known to scholars of the region, but she also includes subtle insights and anecdotes that add new life to familiar history. Many of her anecdotes are interesting, and some are funny. Some of these stories also do an exceptionally good job of illustrating larger points about King Hussein and his son King Abdullah. While Habib is openly sentimental about King Hussein's years in power, she is cooler in her analysis of King Abdullah. While she certainly has every right to criticize Abdullah for his approach to governance, he may nevertheless deserve a little more context and sympathy for the problems he is facing. Please see my review in Middle East Journal (Autumn 2011) for a more in-depth review. W Andrew Terrill, Ph.D.