Muammar El-Qaddafi (World Leaders : Past and Present)

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up Kyle focuses on the leader of Libya and therefore on comparatively recent political events rather than broad social, cultural, or historical trends. He discusses Qaddafi's emerging political awareness in school, the revolutionary coup of 1969, and efforts to make Libya both modern and independent of the superpowers. He also includes a chapter on Qaddafi's moves toward Arab unity, particularly the alliance with Egypt and Syria, and shows why they failed. He describes the ``people revolution'' that Qaddafi organized and outlines his increasing involvement in state-sponsored terrorism. The last third of the book explains Libya's isolation in the Arab world, touches on the Billy Carter fiasco, and ends with the U.S. bombing in 1986. The well-written text is interspersed with black-and-white photographs on every page. Three-inch margins give the pages a clean, uncluttered look; in addition, informative captions, commentaries, and quotes dot this space, lending spice and a sense of controversy to an already lively text. The book includes a short list of further readings that is aimed at adults rather than children. The two maps provided, one showing Libya's borders, the other the OPEC nations, confuse as much as clarify. Don Lawson's Libya and Qaddafi (Watts, 1987) covers much of the same material but is broader in scope and more complex in presentation. Easier to read, Kyle's book has an upbeat, annecdotal style and conveys a sense of Qaddafi's energy and fervor, however misplaced. Ellen D. Warwick, formerly at Thompson School, Arlington, Mass.Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Card catalog description
An illustrated biography of the Libyan leader.


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Gr 6 Up Kyle focuses on the leader of Libya and therefore on comparatively recent political events rather than broad social, cultural, or historical trends. He discusses Qaddafi's emerging political awareness in school, the revolutionary coup of 1969, and efforts to make Libya both modern and independent of the superpowers. He also includes a chapter on Qaddafi's moves toward Arab unity, particularly the alliance with Egypt and Syria, and shows why they failed. He describes the ``people revolution'' that Qaddafi organized and outlines his increasing involvement in state-sponsored terrorism. The last third of the book explains Libya's isolation in the Arab world, touches on the Billy Carter fiasco, and ends with the U.S. bombing in 1986. The well-written text is interspersed with black-and-white photographs on every page. Three-inch margins give the pages a clean, uncluttered look; in addition, informative captions, commentaries, and quotes dot this space, lending spice and a sense of controversy to an already lively text. The book includes a short list of further readings that is aimed at adults rather than children. The two maps provided, one showing Libya's borders, the other the OPEC nations, confuse as much as clarify. Don Lawson's Libya and Qaddafi (Watts, 1987) covers much of the same material but is broader in scope and more complex in presentation. Easier to read, Kyle's book has an upbeat, annecdotal style and conveys a sense of Qaddafi's energy and fervor, however misplaced. Ellen D. Warwick, formerly at Thompson School, Arlington, Mass.


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