THE NEW YORK TIMES 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 'An excellent narrative account of the two tumultuous years
that resulted in the triumph of Ayatollah Khomeini and the creation of an Islamic republic'
Telegraph 'Anderson brilliantly tells this tale of greed paranoia and hubris' Financial
Times ' Good and 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 Guardian 'Masterly ... an exceptional and important book. Scrupulous and
enterprising reporting rarely combine with such superb storytelling' New York Times A
spellbinding narrative history of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and its devastating consequences
by the Sunday Times bestselling author of 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 the Sunday Times
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 for King of Kings: ' Gripping ...
Anderson does an excellent job of narrating the extraordinary events of the revolution'
Spectator 'Told with clarity and directness . It is unlikely that a more authoritative
account of this torrid period will ever be written' Observer 'A sweeping gripping 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... Riveting ... Compelling ' Wall Street Journal
'Timely ... a lively tale of palace intrigue' New Yorker ' The most compelling account yet
of the revolution in Iran... O utstanding ' Eugene Rogan author of The Fall of the Ottomans
'Thrilling... the gold standard account of the Shah's fall... An epic and heart-breaking
tragedy' Azadeh Moaveni author of Guest House for Young Widows 'A masterfully told
account... A must-read' Steve Coll Pulitzer Prize winning author of Ghost Wars 'Delivers
remarkable new insights into one of history's least understood upheavals' Kim Ghattas author
of Black Wave ' Thrilling and fully authoritative ' Azadeh Moaveni award-winning author of
Lipstick Jihad and Guest House for Young Widows ' Important and riveting ' Sebastian Junger
bestselling author of In My Time of Dying and Tribe
