The Life and Times of the Shah

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.

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.” — Jay Freeman ― Booklist Published On: 2008-12-15

“A magisterial biography . . . painstakingly researched and meticulously sourced.” ― Iranian Freedom Blog Published On: 2009-01-25

“An easily accessible book, which should prove useful to people who are interested in the history and politics of modern Middle East.” — Serpil Atamaz-Hazar ― The Historian Published On: 2011-06-29

From the Inside Flap

“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

From the Back Cover

“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

Table of Contents

PART 1: FATHER AND SON

1. The Father

2. Father and Son

3. The Man

PART 2: HARD TIMES

4. Ascending the Throne

5. Azerbaijan

6. Nationalizing Oil

7. Toward the Abyss

8. TPAJAX

PART 3: 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 4: 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 5: EXILE

23. Trek to Nowhere

24. The Ayatollah’s Shadow

25. Almost Bartered

26. Closing in a Dream

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Brief Chronology of the Pahlavi Dynasty

About the Author

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