The life and times of the Shah, 1919-1980
By: Gholam Reza Afkhami.
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Berkeley, CA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 713
ISBN-13: 9780520253285; 9780520253292
Subjects: Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, -- Shah of Iran, -- 1919-1980; Iran -- History -- Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, 1941-1979
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."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Illustrations; title: Preface; title: Notes on transliteration and translations; title: Father and son; title: The father; title: The man; title: Hard times; title: Ascending the throne; title: Azerbaijan; title: Nationalizing oil; title: Toward the Abyss; title: Tpajax; title: Securing the realm; title: A new vista; title: The white revolution; title: Women and rights; title: Mastering oil; title: Commander-in-chief; title: Development and dreams; title: Gas, petrochemicals, and nuclear energy; title: Revolution and irony; title: Politics and terror; title: Savak; title: A celebration and a festival; title: The Rastakhiz party; title: The gathering storm; title: "I heard the message of your revolution"; title: "Melting like snow"; title: Exile; title: Trek to nowhere; title: The Ayatollah's shadow; title: Almost bartered; title: Closing in a dream; title: Brief chronology of the Pahlavi Dynasty; title: Appendix 1 : Iran's prime ministers under the Shah; title: Appendix 2 : principles of Iran's white revolution; title: Appendix 3 : U.S. Ambassadors to Iran, 1941/1979.