"There is much for the student of the Middle East to appreciate and digest in Asad. . . . It offers valuable insight into the development and thinking of this hard man, whose stubborn desire to stay at the center of events is a reality that cannot be ignored. . . . Mr. Seale does not shrink from describing the darker side of Asad's rule—the corruption, the suppression of dissent by torture and killing, and the use of terrorism as a tool of policy."
New York Times Book Review
"This is a book in the finest tradition of investigative scholarship. The research is awesome. . . . Seale's great strength is his ability to explain the confusing kaleidoscopic nature of Middle Eastern diplomacy. He understands the game being played and also knows the players. . . . [An] impressive book."
Los Angeles Times Book Review
"A major contribution to our knowledge and understanding of Middle East politics, written with insight and sympathy. Although Seale is evidently fascinated by his subject, the account given is generally fair and objective, and represents an honest attempt to confront the blacker sides of recent Syrian history."
Times Higher Education Supplement
"More than an excellent biography of Hafiz al-Asad, Syria's national leader, this is a tour de force of contemporary Syrian history and politics .... Seale perceives Asad as a masterful politician maneuvering Syria into a position of dominance in the Middle East and uncovers much of the mystery that has surrounded the Syrian leader by documenting Asad's interactions, directly and indirectly, with national and regional leaders. Well recommended and indeed required reading for anyone interested in the contemporary Middle East."
Library Journal