This book is a chronicle of the life and achievements of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan during the quarter century from 1946 to 1971 which witnessed his rise to power and fame from a tribal leader in the interior to the President of a modern nation-state. Based on exhaustively researched British archival records, the study presents an interesting and insightful analysis of the different stages of Sheikh Zayed’s political career set against several landmark events in the contemporary annals of the Emirates. During his twenty-year tenure as the Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain oasis, Zayed emerged as a great leader in the making. After becoming the Ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966, he succeeded in transforming the medieval Emirate into a modern metropolis by virtue of his supreme qualities of head and heart. As the pre-eminent figure in Gulf politics and the precursor of political unification in the region, Sheikh Zayed took the lead in establishing the Federation of the U.A.E. on 2nd December 1971 and became its first President. This marked the crowning archievement of his career and a defining moment in the history of the seven Emirates. A leader-statesman of legendary repute in the Arab World, and one of the greatest political figures of our times, Sheikh Zayed’s phenomenal contributions earned for him a memorable place in history.
