Memoir By Jordan's King Coming Out On Schedule

NEW YORK (AP) - A memoir by Jordan's King Abdullah II is coming out as scheduled, despite the anti-government uprisings in his country and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Carolyn Coleburn, a spokeswoman for Viking, said Wednesday that "Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril" will be released Feb. 22 in the U.S. and around the world, including Jordan and Egypt.

The book is currently embargoed, Coleburn said Wednesday, meaning no advance copies are available. But it is billed as an "exceptionally candid" and "inspirational story" of how a young king "transformed what it meant to be a monarch", in part by "going undercover to escape the bubble of the court."

King Abdullah, facing public pressure inspired by the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, sacked his government earlier this week. He called for changes to boost economic opportunities and give Jordanians a greater say in politics.

On Tuesday, Metropolitan Books announced it had moved up publication from June to April for a book by Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel peace laureate and Egyptian opposition leader. ElBaradei's "The Age of Deception: Nuclear Diplomacy in Treacherous Times," will come out April 26.