Born in Tyre, Lebanon, As’ad AbuKhalil received his BA and MA in political science from the American University of Beirut, and his PhD in comparative politics from Georgetown University. He is the author of Historical Dictionary of Lebanon, Bin Laden, and The Battle for Saudi Arabia, among other titles, and his articles on Middle Eastern politics and culture have appeared in publications throughout the world. AbuKhalil lives in California, where he teaches political science at California State University, Stanislaus.