Vassiliev, A: King Faisal

In 1964 Faisal bin Abdul Aziz became king of a country holding a quarter of the world's oil reserves, also home to Mecca and Medina. He was called 'the most powerful Arab ruler in centuries'. Eleven years later, in front of television cameras, his nephew shot him at point-blank range. In this authoritative biography, Alexei Vassiliev tells the story of a pious, cautious and resolute leader who steered Saudi Arabia through a minefield of domestic problems, inter-Arab relations and the decline of Soviet influence in the Middle East. King Faisal maintained ties with both Egypt and the United States through two Arab-Israeli wars and the 1973 Arab oil embargo, which revolutionized the world energy market. Throughout, he staked high hopes on cooperation with the US, a relationship that is still vital to both countries' interests.

In 1964 Faisal bin Abdul Aziz became king of a country holding a quarter of the world's oil reserves, also home to Mecca and Medina. He was called 'the most powerful Arab ruler in centuries'. Eleven years later, in front of television cameras, his nephew shot him at point-blank range. In this authoritative biography, Alexei Vassiliev tells the story of a pious, cautious and resolute leader who steered Saudi Arabia through a minefield of domestic problems, inter-Arab relations and the decline of Soviet influence in the Middle East. King Faisal maintained ties with both Egypt and the United States through two Arab-Israeli wars and the 1973 Arab oil embargo, which revolutionized the world energy market. Throughout, he staked high hopes on cooperation with the US, a relationship that is still vital to both countries' interests.

Contents Preface 9 chapter one The Delicate Youth on a Fiery Horse 13 chapter two The Father 31 chapter three An Adolescent Discovers the Big, Big World 58 chapter four From Youngster to Statesman 71 chapter five Viceroy of Hijaz, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Military Commander 88 chapter six Oil and Gold 118 chapter seven Faisal and Iffat, Iffat and Faisal 126 chapter eight World War II and the Discovery of America 144 chapter nine The Autumn and Winter of the Patriarch 166 chapter ten My Brother, My King, My Sorrow 189 chapter eleven The Pendulum: Premiership to Dismissal to Deputy Premiership 217 chapter twelve To Be or Not to Be 232 chapter thirteen The Road to the Throne - Without Bloodshed 249 chapter fourteen King at Last 264 chapter fifteen Nasser and the Yemen Trap 288 chapter sixteen The Six-Day War 300 chapter seventeen Two Yemens: A Headache, but No Threat 312 chapter eighteen Political Realities, Old and New 325 chapter nineteen Al-Aqsa Ablaze 333 chapter twenty Taming Aramco 344 chapter twenty-one Death of Nasser, Rise of Sadat 354 chapter twenty-two The Year 1973: Five to Twelve 363 chapter twenty-three The 1973 War 376 chapter twenty-four 1973: The Embargo 386 chapter twenty-five "The Mightiest of Arab Rulers" 395 chapter twenty-six Poitiers, American-Style? 409 chapter twenty-seven A New Relationship with the US 417 chapter twenty-eight Financial Might: Beyond the Possible 427 chapter twenty-nine Storm of Change: The King is Assassinated 436 Epilogue 449 Notes 461 Bibliography 477 Index 483