The Heikal Papers: A Discourse on Politics and the 1967 Arab-Israeli War with Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser

Mohammed Hassanein Heikal is perhaps the most prolific and influential presidential chronicler in Egypts modern history. He has written many volumes on the Egyptian perspective of the Arab- Israeli Wars and continues to write books that help Egypts intellectuals rationalize modern events. He has spent over five decades as a journalist, presidential confidant to Egypts presidents Nasser 1954-1970 and Sadat 1970-1981, as well as editor and commentator. Heikal had the unique opportunity to spend 10 hours with President Gamal Abdel Nasser on June 9, 1967, four days into the 1967 Six-Day War. Heikals interview represents Nasser unedited, as having a discussion with a close confidant Heikal as the 1967 war rages around him. Heikal was asked by Nasser to help craft his resignation speech that was later rejected by an Egyptian public that could not conceive of losing the charismatic Nasser -despite a military blunder that would enter the annals of history. It still remains a point of historical debate whether the rejection by the Egyptian public of Nassers resignation was orchestrated or not, but the Egyptian leader would remain President for three more years, until his death in 1970.