Mohamed Hassanein Heikal

Born in Qalyubiyya Governorate, Egypt. His family were wealthy wheat merchants in the Nile delta. Mohamed the eldest son in his family, which included three other sisters, was trained to manage the business. However he sought a valuable degree course education at the respected American University in Cairo. During the Second World War, the graduate Heikal commenced a career in journalism at the British controlled and funded Egyptian Gazette, which he edited from 1943. The newspaper's contributors included English writers George Orwell and Lawrence Durrell. Throughout his career he was a literary critic of Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak's military regimes, which he perceived as having departed from Nasser's original nationalist dream. But this attitude was most dramatic during wartime. He covered the First Arab-Israeli War on the establishment of the State of Israel. He was also present in Cairo when the Free Officers staged a military ''coup d'etat in 1952. During this period he immediately befriended Gamal Abdel Nasser, a member of the group. Yet his journalism with Al-Ahram as its editor put the regimes under the microscope, gaining a reputation for investigative reporting, and sound authoritative statements. The Washington Post dubbed him "the voice of Egypt...window on a secretive regime". Heikal frequently travelled cross-desert borders between countries in the Middle East eagerly reporting on the conflicts. Heikal was an unashamed Pro-Arabist during the post-war era when Nasser dreamed of a Pan-Arab republic across the whole region. Between 1957 and 1974 he was the author of a well-regarded Friday column Bi-Saraha'' which spoke frankly about Nasser's policies at home and abroad, whilst also being critical. He became a member of the Arab Socialist Union Party, briefly acting as foreign minister under Nasser. But his mood changed with the Colonel's successors, whose lurch to the right shook Cairo's post-colonial establishment. In April 1970 Heikal was appointed minister of information, replacing Mohamed Fayek in the post.{{cite news|author=Raymond H. Anderson == Personal life ==

Heikal was married and had three sons: Hassan, Ahmed, and Ali. The first two work in finance, while the third is a doctor. At the time of his death, he had seven grandchildren. ==Al Jazeera Lecture Series==

Heikal's lecture series on Al Jazeera furnished him with a greater platform in the Arab world, broadcasting every Thursday evening. Here he generally discussed information he acquired during his years as a journalist, historian, and a player in the political arena in Egypt's modern history. His lectures gave an overview of the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of modern Arab nationalist governments. He also lectured on the rise of the American Empire and the decline of the previous superpowers. His lectures ranged from general overviews to intricate details of scenes he witnessed. In addition he discussed the events leading to the deterioration of Nasser's relationship with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the failed assassination attempt. 2007 Al Jazeera Lecture Series • Challenges in Building the Aswan Dam • Aswan Dam and the National Project • The United States and the Arab/Israeli Conflict • Slipping into War • Palestinians and Prospects of Settlement with Israel • Israeli Thinking and the 1956 Events • Conspiracy and Coup Era • French Plans to Interfere in Egypt • Creative Chaos and the Rivalry Links • Conspiracy Theory • Nasser's Debates with the West • Prospects of Settlement in the Middle East (2) • Prospects of Settlement in the Middle East (1) • Nasser's Ultimate Test • Jordan's 1956 Storm • Behind the Arms Deal • Security and National Peace • Arms Deals in the Arab World • Geneva Convention and the Importance of 1955 • Bandong Convention • Preparing for Plan Alpha • Israeli Penetration in the Region • Nasser's Meeting with UK's Foreign Secretary • 1955 and the Arab Division • 1955 and the Distinguishing Symbols 2008 Al Jazeera Lecture Series • Mine in the Aqaba Gulf • Israel's Nuclear Weapons • Politics and History • World on the Verge of Chaos • World Foreign and Internal Politics • Understanding of War in Nations • Arab Resistance and Aid • War Era: Strategy and Politics • Arab False Battles • Instance of True Revolution • America Leads the World • Palestine: Right Refuses to be Forgotten (2) • Palestine: Right Refuses to be Forgotten (1) • Israel's View on Egyptian Role in the Region • Series of Crises in the Time of War • The Naked Empire • Alliance of Empires • Monsters With Eight Heads • Egyptian Armament and Israel's Security • Decision Projects Associated with Suez • Suez War • Conspiracy Theory • National Security Boundaries • Protecting Suez Canal • Seven Plans to Invade • Suez Battle and War Era • Truth of Wars the Arabs Fought • National Security Theories • Arriving Tremors • War Era ==Literary works==

(third from left), 1966 • (1973) The Cairo Documents: The Inside Story of Nasser and His Relationship with World Leaders, Rebels, and Statesmen (New York: Doubleday, 1973), • (1975) The Road to Ramadan (New York: Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co., 1975), • (1978) Sphinx and Commissar: The rise and fall of Soviet influence in the Arab world (London: Collins, 1978), • (1980) October War (Crown, 1980), • (1981) The Return of the Ayatollah: The Iranian Revolution from Mossadeq to Khomeini (London: Deutsch, 1981) • (1982) Iran: The Untold Story (Pantheon Books, 1982), • (1983) Autumn of Fury: The Assassination of Sadat (London: Deutsch, 1983 & London: Corgi, 1984), , in which he analyzed the reasons behind Sadat’s assassination and the rise of political Islam. • (1986) ''Cutting the Lion's Tale: Suez Through Egyptian Eyes'' (London: A. Deutsch, 1986 & New York: Arbor House, 1987), • (1993) Illusions of Triumph: An Arab View of The Gulf War (London: Fontana, 1993), • (1996) Secret Channels: The Inside Story of Arab-Israeli Peace Negotiations (London: HarperCollins, 1996), . == Honours ==

Egyptian national honours • Grand Cordon of the Order of the Arab Republic of Egypt • Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Egypt) Foreign honors • First class of the National Order of Merit (Algeria) • First class of the Order of Merit (Lebanon) • Grand cordon of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco) • Grand cordon of Order of Civil Merit of the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria) • Grand Cordon of the National Order of Merit of Tunisia (Tunisia) ==Sources==