In her fascinating new book, renowned Middle Eastexpert Olfa Lamloum reveals how this now infamous network, created in 1996, became the preeminent political forum on the Arab scene when it broadcast Osama Bin Laden’s message exclusively to the world shortly after 9/11. Basing her work upon solid inquiry and a tight analysis of the editorial policies of Al-Jazeera, she explains how the network expresses both the democratic hopes of the Arab people and their resentment and hostility towards all forms of imperialism. It also suggests the delicate balance it must maintain as it tires to reconcile its dual roles while discreetly deferring to its silent partner, the Emir of Qatar, one of Washington’s most powerful allies in the Persian Gulf. Additionally, Laloum examines more recent challenges, such as its banishment from Iraqin August, as well as the launch of U.S.-funded competing news sources radio Sawa, the magazine Hi ! and the satellite network Al-Hurra. In this remarkably well- informed essay, complete with detailed footnotes, the author offers an up-to-the-minute understanding of the tensions now at large in the Arab world reflected through the prism of the Al-Jazeera network.