King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR NONFICTION • KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER • From the author of the landmark bestseller Lawrence in Arabia comes a stunningly revelatory narrative history of the Iranian Revolution, one of the most momentous events in modern times. This groundbreaking work exposes the jaw-dropping stupidity of the American government and traces the rise of religious nationalism, offering essential insights into today's global unrest. On New Year's Eve, 1977, President Jimmy Carter toasted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, King of Kings, praising Iran as an island of stability. Fourteen months later the Shah fled Iran into exile, forced from the throne by a volcanic religious revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini. The ensuing hostage crisis forever damaged America's standing in the world. Scott Anderson tells this astonishing tale with narrative brio, mordant wit, and keen analysis.