A sympathetic portrait of the penultimate King of Egypt ‎(‎1920‎-1965‎)‎ which takes into consideration the diplomatic pressures he was subjected to during the time of his reign‎.‎ Though Farouk has often been criticised for his lavish lifestyle‎,‎ Stadiem claims that he also deserves credit for standing up to the British and thus keeping the dream of Egyptian independence alive‎.‎ Rather than lampooning the playboy king‎'‎ for his extravagant lifestyle‎,‎ Stadiem therefore sees him as a leader faced with an impossible task ‎- a task that he almost pulled off‎.‎‎'‎