Aaron Magid, "The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan" (Universal Publishers, 2025)

Nov 12, 2025

Aaron Magid, a former Amman-based journalist and author, delves into the life of King Abdullah II of Jordan in his new biography. He discusses Abdullah’s unique American upbringing and its influence on his leadership style. The conversation highlights Abdullah's strategic alliance with the U.S., counterterrorism efforts, and the challenges of balancing regional relationships, particularly with Syria and Iran. Anecdotes reveal Abdullah’s personality and quirky experiences, including a cameo on Star Trek, providing a fascinating glimpse into the life of this impactful monarch.

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INSIGHT

American Upbringing Shaped Policy

Abdullah's long U.S. upbringing created deep personal and political ties to America.
Those ties shaped Jordan's foreign policy and a steady alliance with Washington.

INSIGHT

Utility Secures Long-Term Alliance

Abdullah made Jordan useful to every U.S. administration through security and intelligence cooperation.
That usefulness secured sustained U.S. aid and political backing across presidents.

ANECDOTE

From Playful Bonding To Break With Syria

Early in his reign Abdullah bonded with Bashar al-Assad's family over video games.
Relations with Syria collapsed after 2011 when Abdullah called on Assad to resign.

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The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan (Universal Publishers, 2025) is the first comprehensive biography on Jordan’s King Abdullah. Drawing on interviews with over 100 individuals, including Abdullah's classmates, former Jordanian ministers, and CIA directors, The Most American King offers a thorough account of this key Arab leader. Aaron Magid, a former Amman-based journalist, charts Abdullah’s path to power from a Massachusetts prep school to a British military academy to the throne. This book examines how Abdullah has remained in power for over a quarter century, surrounded by wars and refugee crises. While leaders nearby were ousted during the 2011 Arab Spring protests, Abdullah survived the wave of discontent.

The Most American King details Abdullah’s efforts to cement an alliance with Washington. Despite leading a small desert country, the Jordanian king was the first Arab leader to meet US Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama. The kingdom has received billions in US assistance, and Abdullah’s intelligence services helped the CIA foil Al-Qaeda terror plots against American targets. Abdullah’s personal ties to the United States have strengthened this relationship. Abdullah trained with the US Army in Kentucky, appeared on a Star Trek episode, and interviewed with Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart.

While the Hashemite ruler has frequently been lauded in the West, The Most American King discusses how some of Abdullah’s decisions provoked controversy inside the Hashemite Kingdom. Abdullah approved a $15 billion gas deal with Israel in 2014, but thousands of Jordanians protested the Hashemite Kingdom’s largest-ever deal with the Jewish state. Over a decade earlier, Abdullah agreed to host US troops in Jordan and provide Washington with overflight rights ahead of the Bush administration’s 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood denounced such military cooperation with the United States as it prepared to topple the government of its neighbor. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Jordanian politics.

Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref

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