| The Prince The Secret Story of the World's Most Intriguing Royal Prince Bandar bin Sultan by William Simpson |
"I must congratulate William Simpson capturing in his book, the enigmatic of my dear friend Prince Bandar in an intriguing, explosive and thoroughly revealing account of the life of this man of immense ability and conscience. I would encourage everyone to read this biography." - Former President Nelson Mandela "It [The Prince] reads better than a James Bond novel." - Judith Regan, CEO of Regan Books "This excellent book tells the story of a man for our times who had been at the heart of world events for two decades and whom I am proud to call a friend." - Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher "The Prince is essential reading. But it is far, far more than that. 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." - The Washington Times, Martin Sieff, Managing Editor for International Affairs UPI "In his revealing biography, Simpson reveals the intriguing and fascinating life of a man of contradictions. Already hailed by The New York Times and other reviewers as an important biographical work, Simpson’s study should be read by anyone interested in state affairs." - Washington Life Magazine. November 2006 "It’s a fascinating story - it’s a great story. He straddles just so many immensely important international events with key personal participation, influence, and stature; he has a wonderful reputation." - Louis Freeh, Director of the FBI, 1993-2001 "Saudi Arabian Prince Bandar Bin Sultan emerges in this biography by Simpson, 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. 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." - Publishers Weekly "The Bandar story is remarkable.... If the book is to be believed, Bandar's role in clinching arms deals, putting out Arab fires and pursuing peace was even more central, and more Machiavellian, than the world had realized." - The Economist - Economist Books - December 2, 2006 "Bill’s much acclaimed book “The Prince” is the biography of Prince Bandar Bin Sultan and a riveting portrait of one of the most enigmatic yet influential powerbrokers in America. His first book is described by Nelson Mandela in the foreword as 'a fascinating and accomplished story of a man of principle, a diplomat of astonishing calibre, and one of the greatest peacemakers of our time.' Within this “secret story of the world’s most intriguing royal” are - among many eye-openers - accounts of Bandar’s direct involvement with winning the Cold War with Saudi petrodollars, with the Iran-Contra affair, with Gorbachev’s withdrawal of Soviet military from Afghanistan, and with negotiating an end to the Iran-Iraq war." - Newsdesk of ITV Channel Online.TV Nigel Soane-Sands. November 23, 2006 "If anybody could get away with the words 'international man of mystery' on a résumé, it's Prince Bandar, the charismatic Saudi Arabian royal who served as ambassador to the U.S. from 1983 to 2005. 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., after a glamorous career flying fighter jets in the Royal Saudi Air Force." - The New York Daily News. The Powerbroker by Jane Ridley "The invitation was gold-embossed, the setting the magnificent Great Hall at the Library of Congress, and the hors d'oeuvres and wine flowed freely. Celebrity publisher Judith Regan made a rare appearance in Washington to flack her new tome ("It's better than any James Bond novel"). And Nelson Mandela sent accolades. Bandar is best known as the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States. The reach of the man and the petrodollar oligarchy he represented is outlined in the book: Bandar advised Nancy Reagan on Cabinet appointments, hid defense contracts from Congress, secretly bought Chinese missiles, got the Soviets to withdraw from Afghanistan, brokered deals in the Gulf War." - A Royal Book Party, Minus Its Subject: Saudi Prince. Amy Argetsinger & Roxanne Roberts. Washington Post. October 19, 2006 "William Simpson's book on Prince Bandar is requisite reading if Americans are to begin to understand Saudi Arabia. Bandar is a man that has moved in very powerful circles. He was the ultimate power player...He was the ULTIMATE MIDDLEMAN. This is why you must read this book…you can't help but get a feel as to who and what Bandar is. You also get a feel for Saudi Arabia, and the power game they play… This is why you have to spend the time to understand the Prince, and the culture he comes from. Saudi Arabia is a lifeline for us. Without their oil, the oxygen would be sucked right out of our economy. Bandar has INFLUENCE. Read the book. It's a great read about a man of many faces." - Amazon Review by Richard Stoyeck "When historians search for a paradigmatic figure who embodied America's old, pre-9/11 relationship with the Arab world, an obvious candidate will be Saudi Arabia's swaggering ambassador to Washington from 1983 to 2005, Prince Bandar bin Sultan. He was the Gatsby of foreign affairs: entertaining Washington's elite at his mansion overlooking the Potomac; exchanging secret favors with a string of presidents." - The Operator. Saudi Arabia's longtime ambassador sidled up close to Washington's elite-perhaps too close. November 5, 2006. Washington Post Book Review "A partial-in both senses-life of the Saudi diplomat and powerbroker dubbed “Bandar Bush.” “If you knew what we were really doing for America,” Prince Bandar once proclaimed, “you wouldn't just give us AWACS; you would give us nuclear weapons.” Among the things he's done on our behalf: pushed for war with Saddam Hussein following the invasion of Kuwait; laundered money in Iran-Contra; engineered the ouster of several officials in the Reagan administration; brokered side deals with China that nearly plunged the Middle East into an apocalyptic war. Simpson's revelations, however, have use for readers seeking a view of how Washington really works." - Kirkus Reviews "THE PRINCE by William Simpson, the first biography ever written on Prince Bandar, parts the veil of secrecy surrounding the man the New Yorker called “Washington’s indispensable operator”- putting these myths into perspective and context, and revealing for the first time the true story of the Prince behind the White House.A riveting must-read for anyone interested in politics-and the intersection of American interests and foreign policymaking - THE PRINCE is the definitive work so far on this enigmatic yet influential man." - Max Pulsinelli, Maximum Impact Public Relations, LLC "If current and former world leaders chose the next king of Saudi Arabia, Prince Bandar bin Sultan undoubtedly would win. Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela count themselves among legions of fans who have worked with Prince Bandar, and each wrote an introduction to a new biography, "The Prince: The Secret Story of the World's Most Intriguing Royal." Neither made it in person to Tuesday's glitzy book-launching in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress. The event did feature Mrs. Thatcher, however, on a flat-screen television in one corner of the foyer, praising the prince over and over on a video loop. Mr. Mandela sent a letter praising the book as an "overdue tribute." - Bandar: Royally Popular. Willis Witter. The Washington Times. October 20, 2006 "International lawyers who follow diplomatic developments will enjoy a newly released book about Saudi Arabia’s Prince Bandar, who served as the Saudi ambassador to the United States 1983-2005: The Prince: The Secret Story of the World’s Most Intriguing Royal Prince Bandar Bin Sultan by William Simpson (2006 Harper Collins). Last night I dined with the author (Bill Simpson) and learned about his friendship with Prince Bandar. Simpson regaled us with stories of diplomatic intrigue from the book. He also explained why Prince Bandar has become such an accomplished international figure. The author was both charming and well spoken. The book is next on my reading list." - New Book about Prince Bandar. Janet Moore. International Lawyer Coach Blog. October 31, 2006 "In this biography, William Simpson pulls back the curtain for the first time on the fascinating and startling life of a man of contradictions - equally at home in the royal palace in Riyadh as on the ski slopes of Aspen or playing hardball politics with international heads of state; a super-wealthy playboy yet a devoted family man; an expert in subterfuge and misdirection, yet a straight talker trusted the world over; a man of peace and yet the biggest arms dealer in the world - who emerged throughout the 1980s and '90s as one of the driving forces behind American foreign policy." - Blackwell Books Online. About "The Prince." "It's a storyline worthy of any novel. But the incredible tale of Prince Bandar's life is no work of fiction. He's a fabulously wealthy playboy who is equally at home in the royal palace in Riyadh as on the ski slopes of Aspen - or playing hardball politics with international heads of state. And despite being an expert in subterfuge and misdirection, he is known as a straight talker and trusted the world over. This is the fascinating story of one of the world's greatest diplomats, statesmen and peacemakers - a man who has played a fundamental role in all the key political decisions between the Middle East and the west since the 1980s." - By Royal Appointment. Tom Bradsaw. The Guernsey Press. November 29, 2006 |
| Last Updated 8 May 2010 |
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Intriguing Royal Prince Bandar bin Sultan."
Launch reception in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress on October 17, 2006. Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, The launch of William Simpson’s incisive biography - The Prince - is a valuable and overdue tribute to one of modern history’s great diplomats, statesmen and above all peacemakers - Prince Bandar bin Sultan. I must congratulate William Simpson on capturing in his book, the enigmatic character of my dear friend, Prince Bandar, in an intriguing, explosive and thoroughly revealing account of the life of this man of immense ability and conscience. In his authoritative biography, William Simpson accurately and objectively portrays Prince Bandar as a charismatic man of vision, in a fascinating and frequently anecdotal account that is at once controversial, powerful and enlightening. In ‘The Prince’ Simpson has disclosed many previously untold stories of how Bandar has played a pivotal role in the writing of modern history, as an architect of peace in a world of conflict, he has been a man of amazing access, especially to the White House during the Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. I would encourage everyone with an interest in world affairs over the past three decades to read William Simpson’s compelling and revealing biography-The Prince. I am confident that it will become the definitive work on Prince Bandar, an exceptional individual whom I am proud to call a close friend. Nelson Mandela |