The Life and Times of the Shah

The Life and Times of the Shah by Afkhami, Gholam Reza. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780520253285.

This epic biography, a gripping insiders 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 shahs regime, members of his family, and members of the opposition―to depict the unfolding of the shahs 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 Irans nuclear program. It also sheds new light on what now drives political and cultural currents in a country at the heart of todays most perplexing geopolitical dilemmas.