E Library

This book sheds light on one of the unique military and social experiences in modern Jordanian history: the People's Army, from its founding in 1970 to the end of the twentieth century. It traces the development of this parallel army, which was not merely a military formation but a reflection of an extraordinary national state in which citizens participated alongside the official military establishment.   The author relies on primary, unpublished sources, most notably the documents of the People's Army preserved in the Archives of the Jordanian Armed Forces and the National Library, in addition to deliberations of parliamentary and advisory councils, speeches by King Hussein bin Talal, and personal interviews with individuals who served in this army.   The book opens with an introduction that defines the People's Army and surveys its roots in Jordan, such as the National Guard and the Popular Resistance in the 1950s. It then details its administrative, military, economic, and social development over three decades, documenting its roles in guarding, training, and supporting, especially in critical moments.   From this work, it becomes clear that the People's Army was not merely a supplementary force; it was a reflection of the state's desire to involve citizens in the national defense system within a broader political and social vision, articulated repeatedly by the Hashemite leadership, especially in King Hussein’s speeches.   The book does not stop at narrating events; it reinterprets this experience in all its dimensions through the testimony of individuals, official documents, and contemporary press sources, offering a portrayal that comes closest to the reality of an institution that remained present in the memories of those who lived it and yet was absent from much of the historical writing.