"In 1954, reporter Uri Dan met a young military commander named Ariel Sharon and followed him closely for more than half a century. Dan became Sharon's trusted adviser and a witness to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict's defining moments - from clandestine meetings with world leaders to open warfare in the Sinai." "This behind-the-scenes narrative traces Sharon's inexorable rise to political power, his history-making encounters with international heads of state, his controversial decision to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza, and his instrumental role in founding Kadima. Dan uses Sharon's extraordinary vantage point as a springboard to explore the political history of the Middle East and chart its ongoing struggle for peace." "This combination of political history, interviews, and narrative biography uses Sharon's own words to provide a thrilling inside look at the legendary leader, a man inextricably intertwined with Israel's destiny. Dan's faithful, intimate, and revealing biography is a beautifully written exploration of Sharon the peace-maker, the warrior, the icon, and the man."--Jacket.