For more than twenty years, the ruler of Syria, Hafiz ad-Asad, has been at the heart of the struggle for power in the Middle East. A remote, enigmatic figure, he is arguably the most important Arab leader of our time.

Based on unique access to the Syrian ruler, his associates, and his adversaries, Patrick Seale’s biography traces how Asad developed from a simple country boy into a politician of great subtlety in a series of brutal contests with such skilled opponents as Henry Kissinger and Anwar al-Sadat, Golda Meir and Menachem Begin, King Husayn of Jordan, Saddam Husayn of Iraq, and U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz.

Asad’s rule has been dedicated to a battle with Israel—and his fellow Arabs—for supremacy in the Middle East. Seale’s biography tells a tale of war and diplomacy, of frustrated ambition, of intrigue and dirty tricks.

Drawing on interviews with dozens of key participants, Seale explodes many myths about the Six Day War of 1967, the Black September crisis of 1970, the October War of 1973, the Lebanese Civil War of 1975–76, about how Egypt made peace with Israel and Iraq went to war against Iran, and about Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982 with its ugly sequel of anarchy, violence, and hostage taking.

Asad’s dramatic story throws light on virtually every important episode of Middle East history since the 1960s.

For many, Asad remains an enigma despite his international prominence. Now for the first time this book reveals the full truth about Asad’s early years, his skill as a conspirator, and his ruthless, often brutal, but always masterful rise to power. He emerges as a leader driven by his personal vision for Syria and the Arab world.