Man of Defiance: A Political Biography of Anwar Sadat

by Raphael Israeli

Traces the life and political career of Egypt's late president, discusses the evolution of his values and philosophy, and assesses his effectiveness in leading Egypt

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1985

About the author

Raphael Israeli (Hebrew: רפאל ישראלי) is an Israeli historian and writer. He is a professor emeritus of Middle Eastern, Islamic and Chinese history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as well as a research fellow at the Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace and the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Israeli was born in Fes, Morocco and emigrated to the new state of Israel at the age of fourteen. For twelve years he was a career officer in the Israeli Defence Force in Military Intelligence, whereafter he switched to Academia.

He received a degree in Arabic and History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and then studied at the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned a Ph.D in Chinese and Islamic History. He has taught for 30 years at the Hebrew University and was a visiting professor at universities in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Europe. He is the author of over 50 research books and some 100 scholarly articles on the Modern Middle East, Islamic radicalism, Islam in China, Asia and Europe.

Reviews

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well thought out biography that puts a human face on the historical figure of Anwar Sadat. It covers his rise from anti-British Free Officer to president and signer of the peace treaty with Israel, ending with his assassination in 1981. The author also does a good job of describing the events of the Yom Kippur/October War from the Egyptian perspective. The mentality of the two adversaries is explained and gives an understanding as to why unrest continues to this day. Written long before the fall of Sadat's successor, Mubarak, the book gives clues to the problems that will ultimately lead to the new revolution during the Arab Spring.