This book explores the life of Muammar al-Qaddafi, the enigmatic Libyan leader, from his birth to his assassination in a drainage ditch outside the city of Sirte in October 2011. The first authoritative biography of Qaddafi, it aims to make sense of his remarkable life and times. Known for his idiosyncratic ideas and flamboyant dress, his persona was also a cloak he used to obscure his personal and professional life. Qaddafi created a repressive political system, supported te...