Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #240993 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 740 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780520253285
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Irans ruler from 1941 to 1979—and one of the 20th centurys more controversial political figures—gets a spirited if not always compelling defense in this sprawling biography. Afkhami (The Iranian Revolution), an Iranian studies scholar and an official of the shahs regime, paints him as a moderate, progressive leader who championed womens rights, secularism and balanced economic development. He was his own man, not an American puppet, Afkhami argues, strenuously challenging interpretations of the 1953 ousting of the nationalist prime minister, Mohammad Mossadeq, as a CIA-engineered coup. And the crimes of his notorious SAVAK secret police, the author contends, were milder than commonly thought—and anyway, the shah knew little about them. Afkhami corrects conventional views of the shahs reign as merely a despotic prelude to the Islamic revolution, but his perspective seems blinkered by his subjects self-regard. The shah emerges as almost a paragon—devoted to his people and Irans constitution, undone by his own misguided humanity and restraint in confronting Khomeinis cabal of Islamists and their liberal dupes. When all Iran rises to overthrow him, the reader is as surprised as the shah. Photos. (Jan.)
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From Booklist
Even those writers who have been deeply hostile to the Iranian Revolution seldom display positive feelings for the displaced shah, Reza Pahlavi. Afkhami, currently senior scholar at the Foundation for Iranian Studies and a former Iranian government official, produces a largely sympathetic biography providing some balance to what has often been a negative historical image. Afkhami acknowledges the shah’s personal shortcomings, including his insecurity and his tendency to ignore legitimate criticisms of his policies. Yet he maintains that the shah was mild mannered, gentle, and generally sought to govern by consensus. The author convincingly illustrates the great achievements of the shah’s “White Revolution,” including great economic growth and advancement of the rights of women. Unfortunately, this was a revolution imposed from above, and the rapid changes were unsupported by institutions that could have made them more palatable to an essentially conservative society. A comprehensive and well-researched reexamination of a well-meaning but tragic figure. --Jay Freeman

Review
"A comprehensive and well-researched reexamination of a well-meaning but tragic figure."--Booklist

"A magisterial biography . . . painstakingly researched and meticulously sourced."--Iranian Freedom Blog

Customer Reviews

A must read for anyone interested in Iran and the Middle East
For anyone interested in understanding Iran, one of the most important and complicated countries of the Middle East, this book is must reading. It is arguably the best researched historical narrative of Iranian political history in the 20th century and critical to the understanding of Iran and its role in the Middle East today. Regardless of one's view on the Shah and his relationship with his people or foreign powers, particularly the United States and England, the reader can't help but be impressed by the depth of scholarship and the wealth of new information contained in this book.

The history of Mohammad Reza Shah's rule and his close alliance with the United States after the 1953 coup d'etat that deposed the democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh continues to be a heated point of debate among Iranian scholars and students of history. I myself was part of the opposition to the Shah's regime and celebrated when the revolution took place (though I stopped celebrating after week one of the Revolution and began crying). In picking up this book, I thought of just perusing it, but after the first chapter I was hooked. It is long, but very interesting reading and written in an enjoyable and readable prose.

An excellent book
The Iranian revolution, arguably one of the most cataclysmic events of the twentieth century, has created divisions and conflicts within and outside Iran among Iranians and others interested in that country's history. It has been almost impossible to arrive at a balanced picture of the events of the second half of the twentieth century in Iran through reading the literature of post revolutionary period. Gholam Reza Afkhami's book is the first of its kind that has made extensive use of the Persian sources including oral histories of Iranian statesmen, policy makers, and leaders of the opposition, as well as documents, books, and newspapers. The author has also meticulously combed through the US National Archives, those of the British and Soviet governments, as well as interviews with foreign statesmen who dealt with Iran during their careers. Afkhami has the keen eye and the patience of a scholar as well as access to sources in the court, the Pahlavi family, and government officials, available to him through his own position in the previous regime. The book provides a new perspective on this period of Iran 's history and sheds new light on such important events as the 1953 coup, the Khomeini uprising of 1963, and the Soviet intervention in Azerbaijan . More importantly it describes in detail the formation of the modern state in Iran under the Pahlavi monarchs and the development of the infrastructure that has kept the country going throughout thirty years of religious rhetoric and revolutionary ideology that has caused the biggest brain drain in world history. There will be many who have a vested interest in versions of history or appraisals of the Shah's life and work. But this monumental study will no doubt herald a beginning of a new look at Iran in the second half of the 20th century. I give this book five stars and recommend it to all those who are interested in Middle East history and especially in Iran past, present, and future.

Truly a Great Book
The author does a magnificent job of capturing the life and times of His Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shah of Iran. The book is an essential read for anyone who is interested in Iran. The author's detail account will help complete the picture for anyone who is interested in understanding Iran and the Shah. Most importantly, this book will help dispel other "pop culture" books on the subject with so called "authorities" on the Shah. An important book to read. I commend the author for the years of painstaking research and dedication to the subject matter.