Alan George gained his PhD, on Syria, at Durham in 1978. Since 1984 he has worked as a freelance journalist and researcher, contributing to a wide range of UK and international publications including the Observer, the Independent and the Guardian, and commentating on Middle Eastern affairs for radio and television. He is a former assistant director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), of whose Executive Committee he has been a member for many years. He has visited Syria repeatedly since 1967.He is the author of Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom (Zed 2003)

Beautifully written, lively and engaging, this book will give both old hands and first-time visitors a very 3-dimensional analysis of Jordan and where it stands five years after King Hussain's passing.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChronologyVital StatisticsPart 1: Jordam1. 'Fulfilling our Promises': The Creation of Jordan2. 'Neither Democrat nor Demagogue': Jordan under King Hussain3. 'Bread before Freedom': Jordan under King Abdullah IIPart II: Jordanians4. Abdullah bin Al-Hussain: King5. Barjas al-Hadid: Tribal Shaikh6. Rajai Khoury: Businessman7. 'Abd al-Fatah al-Bustani: Dentist8. Abu Muhammad: Taxi driver9. Awad ash-Shubaiki: Farmer10. Anisa Salim: Palestinian refugeePart III: Institutions11. The 'Stratified Elite' : The Royal Family and Royal Court12. 'Strengthening the Moderate Majority': Parliament and Parties13. 'The Basis of Governance': The Legal System14. The Sky's the Limit: The Media15. 'Investing in a Mobile Resource': Higher Education16. Visions and Realities: The FutureSelect BibliographyIndex

Alan George gained his PhD, on Syria, at Durham in 1978. Since 1984 he has worked as a freelance journalist and researcher, contributing to a wide range of UK and international publications including the Observer, the Independent and the Guardian, and commentating on Middle Eastern affairs for radio and television. He is a former assistant director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), of whose Executive Committee he has been a member for many years. He has visited Syria repeatedly since 1967.He is the author of Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom (Zed 2003)

Beautifully written, lively and engaging, this book will give both old hands and first-time visitors a very 3-dimensional analysis of Jordan and where it stands five years after King Hussain's passing.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChronologyVital StatisticsPart 1: Jordam1. 'Fulfilling our Promises': The Creation of Jordan2. 'Neither Democrat nor Demagogue': Jordan under King Hussain3. 'Bread before Freedom': Jordan under King Abdullah IIPart II: Jordanians4. Abdullah bin Al-Hussain: King5. Barjas al-Hadid: Tribal Shaikh6. Rajai Khoury: Businessman7. 'Abd al-Fatah al-Bustani: Dentist8. Abu Muhammad: Taxi driver9. Awad ash-Shubaiki: Farmer10. Anisa Salim: Palestinian refugeePart III: Institutions11. The 'Stratified Elite' : The Royal Family and Royal Court12. 'Strengthening the Moderate Majority': Parliament and Parties13. 'The Basis of Governance': The Legal System14. The Sky's the Limit: The Media15. 'Investing in a Mobile Resource': Higher Education16. Visions and Realities: The FutureSelect BibliographyIndex