When the young Hussein became the King of Jordan in 1953, conventional wisdom held that his days were numbered. As the embodiment of the socially conservative, pro-Western Jordanian state, he seemed little able to stand up to the rising forces of pan-Arab radicalism. Yet Hussein and theJordanian monarchy have not only endured, they have thrived, and continue to play a vital role in Middle Eastern politics. Historian Uriel Dann here explores the political history of the formative years of the Jordanian state, uncovering the sources of its durability against forces seeking tofundamentally alter the traditional bases of Arab politics. | King Hussein and the Challenge of Arab Radicalism by Uriel Dann, Paperback | Indigo Chapters