The Shah

by Milani, Abbas

• ISBN13: 9781403971937
• ISBN10: 1403971935
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-01-04
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Summary

Though his monarchy was toppled in 1979 and he died in 1980, the life of Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlevi, the last Shah of Iran, continues to resonate today. Here, internationally respected author Abbas Milani gives us the definitive biography, more than ten years in the making, of the monarch who shaped Iran's modern age and with it the contemporary politics of the Middle East. The Shah's was a life filled with contradiction--as a social reformer he built schools, increased equality for women, and greatly reduced the power of the Shia clergy. He made Iran a global power, courting Western leaders from Churchill to Carter, and nationalized his country's many natural resources. But he was deeply conflicted and insecure in his powerful role. Intolerant of political dissent, he was eventually overthrown by the very people whose loyalty he so desperately sought. This comprehensive and gripping account shows us how Iran went from politically moderate monarchy to totalitarian Islamic republic. Milani reveals the complex and sweeping road that would bring the U.S. and Iran to where they are today.

Author Biography

Abbas Milani is a historian and author. He is the Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution. Milani has written for publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes and has appeared on CNN, the BBC, and NPR, among others. A member of the board of directors of the Iranian Studies Group at MIT, the San Francisco Chronicle has said that  “Milani has the ear of Washington insiders.” He lives in California.

 

 

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. v
The Flying Dutchman	p. 1
A Compromised Constitution	p. 11
The Peacock Throne	p. 29
Jocund Juvenilia	p. 41
Happy Homecoming	p. 53
Crown of Thorns	p. 67
Hurley's Dreams	p. 89
Dawn of the Cold War	p. 111
Palace of Solitude	p. 141
Ajax or Boot	p. 171
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof	p. 203
Russian House	p. 221
The Dark Side of Camelot	p. 233
Garrulous Premier	p. 255
The Bright Side of Camelot	p. 279
The Desert Bash	p. 309
Architecture and Power	p. 339
The Perfect Spy	p. 355
The Perfect Storm	p. 369
The Shah's Last Ride	p. 405
Epilogue	p. 435
Notes	p. 442
Index	p. 481
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