Book Description: This work charts the history of Libya's external relations since the 1969 revolution and examines Gaddafi's influence on international affairs through his relations with his Arab neighbours in North Africa and the Middle East, Israel, his own continent of Africa and the wider world. The author argues that Gaddafi's disproportionate influence seems to stem from his refusal to behave like a small world power. The author shows how the West's attempts to denigrate and destabilize Libya have been out of proportion to Gaddafi's offences and reflect the West's inablility to cope with a contradictory, maverick leader.