Friday, October 26, 2012

King's Counsel

I don't think that I have recommended the book by former CIA station chief in Jordan, Jack O'Connell, titled: King's Counsel: A Memoir of War, Espionage, and Diplomacy in the Middle EastO'Connell was a legend in his times and basically ran the kingdom and ran the King.  It is more revealing than most books of this genre.  All Middle East specialists will read it like a thriller: you can't put it down.  It has some important revelations and even insights about a very turbulent era (were eras of the region ever not turbulent thanks to foreign intervention and meddling?).  It is by far one of the most interesting books on the region to come in a long time.  He also has important insights about US foreign policy making in the Middle East. Wait: I should not go on.  I need to write an article about this important book. Later.

PS Thank you, Tim, for strongly recommending the book to me.
PPS Let me be clear: my excitement about the book and the information in it is in no way an endorsement of the politics of the book especially that the author is an unrepentant and unconditional fan of the King.  He makes no bones about it.