Most of the world mourned the death of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated in 1981. However, in Egypt, where Sadat had been deeply unpopular, people held a skeptical view of his vice president and successor, Hosni Mubarak. When he assumed the office, President Mubarak already faced opposition from many sectors of the Egyptian population. And through the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the two recent Persian Gulf wars, Mubarak's presidency has endured many challenges and obstacles. But he has also managed to usher Egypt through a difficult era with relative stability - though not without criticism. In this definitive new biography from the ""Modern World Leaders"" series, students will expand their knowledge of contemporary Middle Eastern politics by learning about Hosni Mubarak, tracing his rise from a humble background to a bright career in the military to the top of the Egyptian government.