Publisher's Synopsis
In this newly updated paperback edition of the biography of the controversial Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon is seen in still sharper focus. The events first recorded in this highly acclaimed work ended with the second intifada and the Israeli army's forays into Ramallah in March, 2002. A new introduction deals not only with the main events of the last two and a half years, but also evaluates Sharon's impact on Middle Eastern affairs. Born on a crude farm near Tel Aviv in 1928, the Israeli Prime Minister was from birth surrounded by the violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the years before the creation of the State of Israel, Jewish pioneers faced daily threats from Arabs, and Sharon joined an undercover militia when he was only fourteen years old. The biography investigates a career as widely condemned as it is praised. It provides a detailed examination of Sharon's rapid rise through the ranks of military command, his appointment to several ministerial positions, his purported involvement in the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre and his meteoric regaining of popular support, leading to his election in 2001. This ambitious work meticulously documents all actions and events with which Sharon and his government were involved. Thoroughly researched and up-to-date, this first-ever English biography is an essential manual for anyone interested in the tumultuous politics of the Middle East. Widely praised for its even-handed take on a controversial man, it is a comprehensive look at the shaping of one of Israel's most prominent warrior-politicians.
