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Product Description
Review
"The definitive biography... the scholarship is impressive" -- The Washington Times
“A finely wrought, enlightening biography.”-- The Wall Street Journal
"Splendidly detailed... [Milani] succeeds in turning out a thoughtful biography without rancor." --The Chicago Tribune
"An incisive portrait of a deeply riven man and his country... A stimulating biography and a thorough examination of the makeup of an entire nation."--Kirkus Reviews
"A deeply researched portrait... The shah’s private life, which included three wives, alleged mistresses, and extravagances in palaces and other riches, is effectively depicted. With sympathy born of a compassion for someone in over his head, Milani’s meticulous amassing of facts establishes a base for readers to form their own opinions." --Booklist
"Milani interviewed many who were close to Pahlavi, and makes excellent use of archives and memoirs. The result is a comprehensive portrait of a man who modernized Iran—and in doing so ensured his own downfall." -- Macleans
“Abbas Milani brings to life the tragic figure of the late Shah of Iran… A refreshingly balanced biography!”-- Fawaz Gerges, author of Journey of the Jihadist and Obama and the Middle East
"For God’s sake let us sit upon the ground/And tell sad stories of the death of kings.” Shakespeare’s words from Richard II are an apt invitation to this gripping biography of Mohammed Reza Shah. The Shah of Iran, Abbas Milani shows, was a tragic figure whose inner ghosts and deep personal flaws helped to destroy the hopes that were vested in him. His downfall ushered in a nightmare from which Iran and the rest of world has yet to awaken. Milani’s detailed and richly nuanced narrative enables us to understand why the “modernizing monarch” so disastrously failed." --Stephen Greenblatt, author of Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare
"A skilled book, a psychological biography with a profound historical background."--Shahrnush Parsipur, author of Women Without Men
"Using previously untapped archival material... narrates a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions."--Touraj Daryaee, Howard C. Baskerville Professor in the History of Iran and the Persianate World, University of California, Irvine
"For God’s sake let us sit upon the ground/And tell sad stories of the death of kings.” Shakespeare’s words from Richard II are an apt invitation to this gripping biography of Mohammed Reza Shah. The Shah of Iran, Abbas Milani shows, was a tragic figure whose inner ghosts and deep personal flaws helped to destroy the hopes that were vested in him. His downfall ushered in a nightmare from which Iran and the rest of world has yet to awaken. Milani’s detailed and richly nuanced narrative enables us to understand why the “modernizing monarch” so disastrously failed."--Stephen Greenblatt, author of Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare
Book Description
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.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
lack of photo and reproduction,
This review is from: The Shah (Hardcover)
by only looking at "Shah" I can evaluate the merit of this book! I can tell that the book is a fair and unbiased review of The Shah.It would be 5 star book if there were pictures and reproduction of document too.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Day by day with the Shah's ego,
By
This review is from: The Shah (Hardcover)
Milani tries to record nearly everything that's of any note into one almost definitive biography. The detail at times reads almost like a daily log of arguments and official business. Where events are controversial, as in the 1953 showdown with Mossadeq's government, Milani gives a blizzard of perspectives and lets you be the judge. The reporting is so rich in detail that readers can come away weeping for the Shah's lost greatness, or freshly infuriated by his corruption. You will find what you are looking for. The account that stays with me concerns the Shah's virtual panic attack at the prospect of becoming a mere symbolic constitutional monarch in 1953. Milani describes him pacing up and down, finding nothing to do all day long. The prospect of an empty future without power was too much for him to bear. He just couldn't let it go.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews) 30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent historical analysis and account of the Shah's reign.,
By Kersi Von Zerububbel "Kersi" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Shah (Hardcover)
A month or so ago I was reading about the suicide of one of the Shah's sons in Boston. This rekindled my interest in the Shah and his reign. In India, I recall it was a *big deal* amongst Zoroastrians when the Shah married Soraya and since my ancestors were originally from Persia (Iran) I looked around for a good history and picked Mr. Abbas Milani's book.This is a wonderful book that flows easily and keeps one hooked. The text gives a fairly detailed account of how the Shah came to be in power and how Britain, America, and Russia influenced Iranian politics and history. The political machinations of various players are scoped out in goodly portions. Of course, with hindsight, one can easily see how the Shah was doomed beginning as early as 1963. Then at the height of his power and flushed with petro dollars, the decade of 1965 - 1975 was the halcyon point. Or was it? Per Mr. Milani the Shah failed to cease the initiative during this decade and compromise with the intellectual middle class and the religious players. Had he done so who knows where Iran would be now. Much good that the Shah had wrought was overwhelmed by corruption, in-fighting, and outright incompetence. What saddened me were the last days of the Shah. Shuffled from country to country the poor man had no true friends and only one Statesman, Anwar Sadat, who gave him succor. I recall seeing the Shah in interviews on TV in the seventies and the change was remarkable. One aspect about this book that disappointed me to no end was the COMPLETE lack of any photographs of the historical figures discussed so eloquently in the text. I understand with copyright laws and cost cutting some publishers are taking this route. But I am afraid this significantly marrs an otherwise outstanding work. Human beings need to put a face to a name - we just do. For this reason alone I most reluctantly have to deduct a star from my rating. Very sad to do it but I have to be honest and point out this major flaw. Other than this tragic oversight the book is superb and worth reading sans pictures and all. 42 of 49 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing book on the man and the country for anyone who is interested and even those who are not,
By Constant Reader - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Shah (Hardcover)
This book is really terrific. I picked it up and I simply could not put it down. Milani does a great job of balancing substantive information with a narrative that is simply enthralling. The book is based on previously classified documents and is written in a way that flows perfectly. I feel like I really have a sense of the true Shah and why events in Iran went the way they did. If you want to read any book on the Shah or Iran, this is it!
17 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Read,
By James T. - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Shah (Hardcover)
I have read a lot different books on Iran (out of pure interest in the country) and this is an instant classic. Milani's analysis is spot on, engaging the wide variety of ideas and views the history/evidence suggests. I found the book engrossing and a delight, every passage begins with a passage from Shakespeare (very apropos)! This is a worthy purchase.
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