The Prince - by William Simpson (Paperback)

From the Back Cover

For the last two and a half decades--through war, oil crises, and global terrorism--the United States and Saudi Arabia have had a very special relationship, thanks in no small part to one man: Prince Bandar bin Sultan. The illegitimate son of a Saudi prince and a servant girl, he used his vital behind-the-scenes influence to convince Gorbachev to withdraw the Soviet military from Afghanistan and helped President Reagan and CIA Director William Casey to win the Cold War with Saudi petrodollars. A Machiavellian manipulator, he negotiated an end to the Iran-Iraq war and played a key role in the Iran-Contra affair. George H. W. Bush took Bandar and his family fishing. Colin Powell would drop by to play racquetball.

In this revealing biography, William Simpson pulls back the curtain on the fascinating and startling life of an extraordinary power-player who emerged as one of the driving forces behind American foreign policy throughout the 1980s and '90s. At a time when understanding our friends is as important as knowing our enemies, understanding Prince Bandar bin Sultan may well be the key to figuring out the Saudis.

Review Quotes

"A man of principle, a diplomat of astonishing caliber, and one of the great peacemakers of our time." - Nelson Mandela
"A man for our times, who has been at the very heart of world events for two decades and whom I am proud to call a friend." - Margaret Thatcher
"Flamboyant, dramatic, personable, smart, canny and probably manipulative." - General Brent Scowcroft
"The perfect bridge between the reclusive Desert Kingdom and the anything-goes character of the United States." - Mark Matthews, Baltimore Sun
"A refreshingly different diplomat--not-ideological, highly pragmatic." - Henry Siegman, executive director of the American Jewish Congress
"This in-depth biography of the megarich 57-year-old powerbroker chronicles his relatively unpromising beginnings as the illegitimate son of a polygamous Bedouin prince and a teenage maidservant to his fast track in the inner circles of Washington, D.C.... It highlights the remarkable behind-the-scene roles that Bandar - a close friend of both George W. Bush and his father, and known as "The Arab Gatsby" - repeatedly assumed in key political events across the globe. It also addresses a controversy that Michael Moore obsesses about in his film "Fahrenheit 9/11," when Bandar persuaded Bush to allow members of the Saudi royal family and relatives of Osama Bin Laden to be airlifted from America immediately after the attacks." - New York Daily News
"This is the best street-smart, experience-based assessment discussion of the art of diplomacy I have read since former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's famous work on the same subject. Highly recommended." - Martin Sieff, Washington Times
"produc[ing] an exceptionally valuable and sympathetic, but nuanced and fair portrait of this remarkable man" in a book that "benefits from Mr. Simpson's deep personal knowledge of this complex, talented and multilayered man." - Martin Sieff, Washington Times
"...an exceptionally valuable and sympathetic, but nuanced and fair portrait of this remarkable man." - Martin Sieff, Washington Times
"Highly recommended." - Martin Sieff, Washington Times
"What made Bandar so useful in the old days was that he really could walk between the two worlds. He appealed to Americans not just with his showy ways but also because, in Saudi terms, he was a parvenu. ...The rise of this handsome, dark-skinned man was as close as you could find in Saudi Arabia to the improbable rags-to-riches plotlines of Vanity Fair or David Copperfield. And he was bold: Disdaining the traditional reticence of Saudi diplomats, he made himself into a kind of Arab James Bond-meeting with the president in the Oval Office, then dashing off on a secret mission to Syria or Lebanon to negotiate a ceasefire or deliver a presidential message...and then, when he returned, telling journalists the juicy details that added to the luster of his reputation." - Washington Post
"Saudi Arabian prince Bandar Bin Sultan emerges in this biography...not only a figure well-connected and well-placed among public and private power structures, but a super-man who melds his incredible wealth with savoir faire, razor-sharp pragmatism and a disarming sense of humor. ...Bandar...used Saudi Arabia's status as a crucial ally to the West...to leverage a starring role in a multitude of fascinating, high-stakes political gambits. ...Especially riveting tales feature Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and the first president Bush, in which all parties participate in an intricate diplomatic dance--at times skirting the brink of international disaster--while wars raged throughout the Middle East. In this lengthy account, Bandar plays his role with as much aplomb as the infamous Machiavelli, but with far more humanity." - Publishers Weekly
"The...best part of Simpson's narrative takes place 20 and more years ago. ...Simpson's revelations, however, have use for readers seeking a view of how Washington really works." - Kirkus Reviews
"Simpson's revelations, however, have use for readers seeking a view of how Washington really works." - Kirkus Reviews
"This biography, written by a British classmate from the Royal Air Force College at Cranwell, is the usual courtier's mix of hero-worship and good information. ...The pages on aviation are very good and contain a sensational piece of information." - The Spectator (UK)
"In this account, Bandar plays his role with as much aplomb as the infamous Machiavelli, but with far more humanity." - Publishers Weekly