Qaddafi - by Ronald Bruce St John (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The dramatic life and death of Libya's eccentric leader.

This book explores the life of Muammar al-Qaddafi, the enigmatic Libyan leader, from his birth to his assassination in a drainage ditch outside the city of Sirte in October 2011. The first authoritative biography of Qaddafi, it aims to make sense of his remarkable life and times. Known for his idiosyncratic ideas and flamboyant dress, his persona was also a cloak he used to obscure his personal and professional life. Qaddafi created a repressive political system, supported terrorist movements abroad, and suppressed basic human rights at home, while abusing hundreds of women.

Qaddafi: Beyond the Myth provides a comprehensive look at the forces that shaped Qaddafi and enabled him to become the world's longest-ruling head of state. It also provides essential information for anyone attempting to understand the division, confusion, and chaos that have dominated post-Qaddafi Libya.

Review Quotes

"As the historian St John argues in his new biography, eccentric spectacle not only characterised the Qaddafi regime, it also masked its cruelty. . . . The descriptions of Qaddafi's personal and political life, meanwhile, are vivid, and St John is often liberal with humorous asides."

-- "New Statesman"

"A wide-ranging and insightful biography of a key figure in late twentieth-century politics, valuable for anyone seeking to understand Libya and North Africa or the history of Islamist governance generally."

-- "Library Journal"

"St John's concise biography gives a balanced account of the life of the former Libyan leader."

-- "Irish Independent"

"In Qaddafi: Beyond the Myth, expert Libya scholar St John offers a penetrating reappraisal of one of the Arab world's most enigmatic and polarizing leaders. Drawing on decades of research, he traces Muammar Qaddafi's journey from a Bedouin childhood in the Libyan desert to his four decades in power, exploring the tribal, ideological, and geopolitical forces that shaped his rule. Far from the caricatures of 'madman' or 'messiah, ' St John portrays Qaddafi as both visionary and autocrat--a revolutionary who sought to fuse Islam, socialism, and direct democracy in his 'Third Universal Theory, ' yet built one of the most centralized and repressive regimes in the region. Balancing rigorous scholarship with vivid storytelling, this book reveals how Qaddafi's ambitions, contradictions, and ultimate downfall continue to define Libya's fractured present and contested future. Qaddafi: Beyond the Myth is a definitive and timely portrait of a leader whose legacy still haunts North Africa and the wider Arab world."

--Yahia Zoubir, nonresident senior fellow, Middle East Council on Global Affairs, Doha, Qatar

"In this magisterial work, St John--one of the world's foremost scholars of Libya--draws on nearly a half-century of deep study of the country to present an accessible and fully-realized portrait of Muammar Qaddafi's life. Steering well-clear of the clichés and tropes that have long colored Western depictions, he situates the late dictator within the story of Libya's troubled postcolonial history and the political upheavals of the twentieth century Middle East. Written with verve, clarity, and flashes of wit, this is by far the best Qaddafi biography yet and a must-read for anyone wishing to understand Libya's past and present."

--Frederic Wehrey, senior fellow, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and author of "The Burning Shores: Inside the Battle for the New Libya"

"St John has written an essential guide to the man who long referred to himself as Libya's guide--in the process, deftly summarizing more than five decades of Libyan history."

--Ethan D. Chorin, author of "Benghazi: A New History"

"This intelligent, well-crafted, and highly accessible contribution to the literature places Qaddafi and his forty-two-year rule into historical perspective in an engaging and entertaining way. It reaches beyond the myths to offer a unique perspective on how and in what ways Qaddafi was able to stay in power for so long. St John's deep knowledge and understanding of the country are evident throughout, making this book essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the man, the myth and his place in the world."

--Alison Pargeter, author of "Tribes and the State in Libya and Iraq"

About the Author

Ronald Bruce St John is an expert on Libya and has written five books about the country, including Libya: Continuity and Change. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.