Few politicians have shaped their country as profoundly and for as long as Benjamin Netanyahu. For more than three decades, he stood at the centre of Israeli politics. He was admired, criticised, but never ignored. Again and again, he survived setbacks, political crises, international pressure, and personal controversies. What explains his extraordinary political resilience?In this compelling biography, historian Jan-Auwke Diepenhorst traces the life story of the man who became the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history. From his youth in an ideologically driven family and his formative years in the United States to his rise as a diplomat, media personality, and political leader, this book shows how Netanyahu became a master of image-making, strategic manoeuvring, and power politics.At the same time, this biography offers an insightful portrait of a nation in constant transformation. Netanyahu’s career runs like a thread through the history of Israel: from war and peace to terrorism, diplomacy, social division, and the ongoing struggle over the future of the Jewish state. Based on extensive historical research and written with an eye for both the man and the politician, this book reveals the motives, convictions, and dilemmas of one of the most influential and controversial leaders of the 21st century.