Hero of the Crossing: How Anwar Sadat and the 1973 War Changed the World

In eleven dramatic years, Anwar Sadat changed historynot just that of Egypt, or of the Middle East, but of the entire world. As the architect of the 1973 war against Israel, he gained the support of other Arab nations and inspired the oil embargo that transformed the global economy. Following the war, however, he forever ended Arab aspirations of unity by making peace with Israel. Early in his presidency, Sadat jettisoned Egypts alliance with the Soviet Union and turned to the United States, thereby giving the West a crucial Cold War victory. Sadats historic tenure still resonates in the twenty-first century as the Islamic activistswhom he originally encouraged but who opposed his conciliatory policy toward Israel and ultimately played a role in his assassinationcontinue to foster activism, including the Muslim Brotherhood, today.

Thomas W. Lippman was stationed in the Middle East as a journalist during Sadats presidency and lived in Egypt in the aftermath of the October War. He knew Sadat personally, but only now, after the passage of time and the long-delayed release of the U.S. State Departments diplomatic files, can Lippman assess the full consequences of Sadats presidency. Hero of the Crossing provides an eye-opening account of the profound reverberations of one leaders political, cultural, and economic maneuverings and legacy.