King of Kings
By Scott Anderson

THEand NEW YORK TIMESand BESTSELLER'Authoritative, well-reported and elegantly written... If you want to understand the turmoil in Gaza, Syria and beyond, the Iranian Revolution of 1979 is a good place to start'The Times'Anand excellentand narrative account of the two tumultuous years that resulted in the triumph of Ayatollah Khomeini and the creation of an Islamic republic'Telegraph'Andersonand brilliantlyand tells this tale of greed, paranoia and hubris'Financial Times'Goodand andand worthwhile... From the Middle East to the war in Ukraine, the world is still experiencing the aftershocks of the fall of the shah, and it's not over yet'John Simpson,and Guardian'Masterly... anand exceptionaland andand importantand book. Scrupulous and enterprising reporting rarely combine with suchand superb storytelling'New York TimesA spellbinding narrative history of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and its devastating consequences by theand Sunday Timesand bestselling author ofand Lawrence in Arabia.Before the revolution, the Shah of Iran seemed invincible. The world watched in awe as he commanded a huge army and oversaw an economy awash with billions of dollars of oil revenues. The regime's secret police had crushed communist opposition and the Shah appeared to have bought off the conservative Muslim clergy inside the country. On the international stage, Iran had become an invaluable ally to the West during the Cold War.But village streets spoke of a different country - people derided the Shah as an American lackey and blamed him for economic inequality, for spending recklessly on lavish parties and for ignoring the Muslim majority. When a volcanic religious revolution erupted, led by a fiery cleric named Ayatollah Khomeini, the Shah was forced off the throne and into exile. How did it all go so wrong?Brilliantly brought to life by theand Sunday Timesand bestselling author Scott Anderson, this gripping behind-the-scenes narrative reveals how the Iranian Revolution was as world-shattering an event as the French and Russian revolutions, and how its repercussions are still felt around the world today. In the Middle East, in India, in Southeast Asia, and now in Europe and the United States, the hatred of economically-marginalized, religiously-fervent masses for a wealthy secular elite has led to violence and upheaval - and Iran was the template.Praise forand King of Kings:'Gripping... Anderson does anand excellentand job of narrating theand extraordinaryand events of the revolution'Spectator'Told withand clarityand andand directness. It is unlikely that a moreand authoritativeand account of this torrid period will ever be written'Observer'Aand sweeping,and grippingand book, one that makes past times and dead people (often weird, complex and evil) spring to life with its narrative verve and attention to detail...and Riveting...and Compelling'Wall Street Journal'Timely... aand livelyand tale of palace intrigue'New Yorker'The most compelling account yet of the revolution in Iran... Outstanding'Eugene Rogan, author ofand The Fall of the Ottomans'Thrilling... the gold standard account of the Shah's fall... An epic and heart-breaking tragedy'Azadeh Moaveni, author ofand Guest House for Young Widows A masterfully told account…and A must-read'and Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize winning author ofand Ghost Wars Deliversand remarkable new insightsand into one of history's least understood upheavals' Kim Ghattas, author ofand Black Wave'Thrillingand andand fully authoritative' Azadeh Moaveni, award-winning author ofand Lipstick Jihadand andand Guest House for Young Widows'Importantand andand riveting' Sebastian Junger, bestselling author ofand In My Time of Dyingand andand Tribe