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Gholam Reza Afkhami

The Life and Times of the Shah

$34.95, £24.95 hardcover

978-0-520-25328-5

Available Now

740 pages, 6 x 9 inches, 18 b/w photographs
January 2009, Available worldwide
Categories: History; Middle Eastern Studies; Middle Eastern History; International Relations

Description | Table of Contents | About the Author | Related Books

"This book rises above common misconceptions to tell an important story, one that forged the destiny of Iran and changed the course of Middle East history. There is no better book on the Shah, his rule and legacy, and none more enjoyable to read."—Vali Nasr, author of The Shia Revival

"A thorough and vivid picture of a very significant period in the political history of Iran and the larger world."—Farhad Kazemi, author of Poverty and Revolution in Iran

This epic biography, a gripping insider's account, is a long-overdue chronicle of the life and times of Mohammad Reza Shah, who ruled from 1941 to 1979 as the last Iranian monarch. Gholam Reza Afkhami uses his unparalleled access to a large number of individuals—including high-ranking figures in the shah's regime, members of his family, and members of the opposition—to depict the unfolding of the shah's life against the forces and events that shaped the development of modern Iran. The first major biography of the Shah in twenty-five years, this richly detailed account provides a radically new perspective on key events in Iranian history, including the 1979 revolution, U.S.-Iran relations, and Iran's nuclear program. It also sheds new light on what now drives political and cultural currents in a country at the heart of today's most perplexing geopolitical dilemmas.

Preface
Notes on Transliteration and Translations

PART I. FATHER AND SON
1. The Father
2. Father and Son
3. The Man

PART II. HARD TIMES
4. Ascending the Throne
5. Azerbaijan
6. Nationalizing Oil
7. Toward the Abyss
8. TPAJAX

PART III. SECURING THE REALM
9. A New Vista
10. The White Revolution
11. Women and Rights
12. Mastering Oil
13. Commander-in-Chief
14. Development and Dreams
15. Gas, Petrochemicals, and Nuclear Energy

PART IV. REVOLUTION AND IRONY
16. Politics and Terror
17. SAVAK
18. A Celebration and a Festival
19. The Rastakhiz Party
20. The Gathering Storm
21. "I Heard the Message of Your Revolution"
22. "Melting Like Snow"

PART V. EXILE
23. Trek to Nowhere
24. The Ayatollah's Shadow
25. Almost Bartered
26. Closing in a Dream

Brief Chronology of the Pahlavi Dynasty
Appendix 1: Iran's Prime Ministers under the Shah
Appendix 2: Principles of Iran's White Revolution
Appendix 3: U.S. Ambassadors to Iran, 1941-1979
Notes
Selected Glossary of Terms and Events
Index

Gholam Reza Afkhami is Senior Scholar at the Foundation for Iranian Studies. Before the revolution of 1979 he was Professor of Political Science at the National University of Iran, Secretary-General of Iran's National Committee for World Literacy Program and Deputy Minister of Interior. He is author of The Iranian Revolution, among other books.

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