Suleiman Mousa
A Jordanian historian who reclaimed the narrative of the Arab Revolt from Western myth, centering the region's own people and leaders.
1919–2008 (age 89)·Jordanian historian·Birthday: June 11·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Suleiman Mousa emerged from a small village in northern Jordan to become one of the Arab world's most respected historical voices. Working initially as a teacher and later for the Jordanian government, he was driven by a mission to document the modern history of his homeland with scholarly rigor and a distinctly Arab perspective. His life's work was a corrective to colonial histories. His seminal book on T.E. Lawrence, 'Lawrence: An Arab View,' meticulously challenged the romanticized 'Lawrence of Arabia' legend by foregrounding the crucial roles of Arab leaders like Sharif Hussein and his sons. Mousa wrote over fifty books, constructing a detailed chronicle of Jordan from the Great Arab Revolt through the 1948 war, ensuring that the stories of its people were preserved not as footnotes, but as the central narrative.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Suleiman was born in 1919, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Suleiman Was Born
The biggest hits of 1919
Suleiman's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1919Born
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Started school
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Became a teenager
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Could drive
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1937Could vote
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Turned 21
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1949Turned 30
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 40
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 50
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 60
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 70
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 80
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Died at 89
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Key Achievements
- Authored 'Lawrence: An Arab View' (1966), the first major historical work to critique the Lawrence myth from an Arab perspective.
- Wrote the definitive biography of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, the leader of the Arab Revolt.
- Produced comprehensive histories of Jordan in the 20th century and its role in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
- Served as a primary historical resource and advisor for the Jordanian government on national history.
Did You Know?
He began his career as a schoolteacher in the Jordanian town of Al-Koura.
Much of his research involved traveling to interview Bedouin tribesmen who had participated in the events he wrote about.
He was awarded the Jordanian Order of Independence and the Order of the Star of Jordan for his contributions.
His work is considered foundational to modern Jordanian national historiography.
“History written by outsiders often misses the voice of our own land.”
