Books in Modern World Leaders series

Nicolas Sarkozy was born an outsider. A child of immigrants who grew up outside the circles of the French political elite, Sarkozy beat the odds by slowly climbing up the political mountain until he reached France s highest peak--the office of the presidency. But how did this short, obese child from a broken home grow up to become the president of France? In Nicolas Sarkozy, explore what Sarkozy did to make it to the top and the political and personal prices he paid to achieve his dreams.

A former rock music promoter and a student of socialist thought at Oxford University, Tony Blair became a member of Parliament, and then prime minister of Great Britain, in only 14 years. Finding inspiration in President Bill Clinton's political strategy, the youthful Blair made his quick rise through the Labour Party's ranks largely by advocating modernization.

The House of Saud had humble beginnings as a family of nomads living in Arabia. But when a new form of the Islamic religion, Wahhabism, influenced the household, they began a quest to unite all of Arabia under this faith. Wars were waged for more than a century until the Al Saud vision finally was realized under King Abdul Aziz, the first king of modern-day Saudi Arabia.Now the international oil trade has made Saudi Arabia one of the richest countries in the world, and the Saudi royal family finds itself caught in the balance between traditional Islamic faith and the appeal of wealth and Western-style ways. In addition, evidence points to Saudi involvement in the September 11th attacks on the United States. Combining new information on current events with important historical context, The Saudi Royal Family will spark debate on what lies ahead for one of the richest families in the world.