The shah abbas milani free download

Apr 21, Adam Balshan rated it liked it Shelves: biography , heg-persia. The writing was decent, but linearity broke down in the s, and did not return until the final chapters. Lexically above average, but occasionally florid. One word misused on p The use might be upgraded to a 3. Overlongness inhibits a reread. For truth, lots of '3', peppered 3 stars [Biography] W: 2. For truth, lots of '3', peppered with '2'. Specks of 3. The much lavished mistress who had been unfaithful all along… The book is a beautifully crafted account of the Reza Shah Pahlavi's life and times.

Every revolution is unique in nature but the Iranian one has always intrigued me as the Iranian people were not exactly famished either financially or physically , which is a common factor almost mandatory in most revolutions. The author pitches the same question; how could the people hate Shah so much, even after the Shah did so much for them? The The much lavished mistress who had been unfaithful all along… The attention to context details personal life of the Shah and his immediate family in a very vivid detail.

The author has blended the art of Eastern story telling with Western detail to produce a real page turner. The book offers the best story of the Islamic revolution right from its inception to its peak in It seems that the Shah did not defend monarchy in modern state of Iran, choosing instead to counter the external threat of communism with counter propaganda, thus delivering the common man to the mosque and its clergy, making the Islamic revolution inevitable.

It is pretty strange that the Shah although educated in Europe failed to follow the example set by a number of European monarchies as they successfully transformed from ruling absolutely to reigning in name only. How did the Shah see his own rule? He portrayed himself as doing a thankless job almost like some sort of humanitarian philanthropic endeavour which must have further enraged the young Iranians. I loved the gradual manner in which the author brought the Islamic revolution to a crescendo in the last chapters with many astute observations of the some of the contemporary players.

This biography presents a unique and whole picture of the Shah, from a humble beginnings to the height of his career to his end as an international pariah. The book left a strong feeling of compassion for the Shah, like a true lover spurned by his beloved who ultimately paid the ultimate price for his true love.

The only question left is the main reasons for the Islamic revolution in Iran. As the author points out, none of the major reasons for a revolution were present. There was no poverty, jobs were aplenty, democracy in some way and form was there. It isn't still clear to me what prompted the Iranians to revolt. The most ardent followers of revolution were from the new urban class, the peasants uprooted from their villages living in cities. The Shah choose provide more economic and personal growth to try and assuage threat from the new class instead of providing them with their own political representation which is the common practice among most third world sham democracies.

But unfortunately this move only provided an already frustrated class further reasons for blame and impetus for revolution. Further during the lean period of democracy clerical figures like Khomeini were able to proclaim their democratic credentials. The Shah was also dumped by the Americans right towards the end who seemed to be more than happy to deal with the new revolutionaries giving credence to the new Islamic regime. So I guess the Islamic revolution was hardly a revolution but a takeover in reality, by a very shrewd Islamic clergy, the only resort to democracy in an era of political vacuum.

View all 6 comments. I was expecting an unbiased view in the book, but the author seems to have some prejudices and judgments. The author gives a very nostalgic fancy picture of pre, however, this is not the truth.

We all know that. Some part of the book was spoken for the first time which was valuable. Feb 02, Margery rated it liked it. Well written, but very scholarly and dense.

I would have given it a 4 if it included any maps. Apr 29, Jessica marked it as sampled-a-few Shelves: the-persians. I skimmed around and only read parts of it. Seems pretty solid, if overflowing with Shakespearean analogy and allusions. I picture Dr. Milani smoking a pipe, dressed in tweed and arm patches, reclining in a vast study decorated with beautiful Persian rugs and a handcarved bust of the Bard.

However, Wikipedia tells me he graduated from Oakland Tech, which does give him some street cred Okay, the guy's a badass, and if I had time I'd actually sit down and read his book. It's got a good narrative flow, moving along at a decent clip, and despite some amusing professorial lines in places doesn't appear to get dull.

Milani is more down on Mossadeq than most other guys that I've read, and has a more complex and ambiguous take on the CIA-driven coup. I couldn't find anything specifically about the stewardesses, but there's enough salacious gossip to balance out all the political stuff. I certainly have no grasp on Iranian history or politics, but one thing this book drove home is that being the Shah seriously sounds like it sucked.

I don't just mean later, but from very early on: man, what a miserable life. I am definitely not raising my kid as a monarch, there is just no way that lifestyle will not screw you up. Feb 09, Vahe rated it it was amazing. The author's approach towards the Shah and historical events is unbiased. Besides story telling, from time to time he takes on an analytical approach and in that, I think, he is successful.

As the conclusion, the book supports the thesis that imbalanced and fast progress in Iran by the Shah, blockades of conventional political parties, suppressions and censor, while considering religious institutions as the ally against Left-wing forces provided the perfect basis for the revolution.

The book prov The author's approach towards the Shah and historical events is unbiased. The book provides facts about life events of Shah, which the author suggests formed his character and played important role in the fate of his rule and revolution.

Sometimes I felt that the story digs too deep into archives and documents of foreign embassies esp. US and UK and I would rather skip many of the details, however, it makes sure that the book is well-documented and based on available facts and documents. Enjoyed the book. Mar 14, Laura rated it really liked it. I started reading this book a few months ago when I was in France with nothing but time to spare -- I had just left London on the last train to Paris before they closed the borders and didn't know if or when I'd be able to get back home.

Interesting times we live in, interesting times to be reading about the Shah's fall from grace and subsequent exile. All that is to say when I eventually did get back to London and back to work, I of course had a lot less free time on my hands to read a page I started reading this book a few months ago when I was in France with nothing but time to spare -- I had just left London on the last train to Paris before they closed the borders and didn't know if or when I'd be able to get back home.

All that is to say when I eventually did get back to London and back to work, I of course had a lot less free time on my hands to read a page academic biography.

This is an incredibly detailed account of the Shah's life and the history leading up to the Revolution written by a Stanford professor. It's extremely well-researched and informative, but, as someone else wrote, a lot to absorb without a decent background in recent Iranian history. As thorough as this was, I feel like I now need to do more reading around the subject to put all of this into context - the level of detail here obscures the big picture at times.

In my evident ignorance of history, I was completely unaware that Reza Shah came to power by overthrowing the previous dynasty and that the so-called Pahlavi 'dynasty' was a very recent development which only lasted two generations. I suppose what we learned about in school was the Revolution and the Iran-Contra affair, but very little background around either of these things. In that respect, I'm glad I read this book as it provided a bit more colour. Was I necessarily looking for something this granular?

Probably not, but it was still an interesting read. 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. Every single time is an excellent time to check out. Access options available:. Autocrats of different hue and heft—from totalitarian tyrants like Stalin to authoritarian despots like the shah—must pay lip service to the idea of popular elections, incorporating it into their countries' political practices.

Employing a combination of force and chicanery, money and muscle, they deform elections into an empty but expedient gesture of public diplomacy, intended largely for consumption abroad, and not for registering and implementing what Rousseau called "the general will.

The tortured political history of the twentieth century has shown that elections, rather than being a guarantor of democracy, are merely a necessary tool for democracy—and then only if they are genuinely free and fair. Modern Iranian politics provides a good, albeit painful, example of the strange vicissitudes of elections as both an idea and a political practice.

The country has witnessed three types of elections, each representing a distinct political philosophy and meant to underlie a different form of governance. Based on the Iranian experience, one can even extrapolate the general proposition that the relative quality of elections in any country is a reliable reflection and a fair measure of the true nature of power in that society.

Susanne Pari of the San Francisco Chronicle stated that the biography was even-handed, lacking bias, and that it was "a fair and insightful account of a psychologically complex man who was ill-suited for a hard job, yet unable to give up or give in.

Milani, a political scientist, [3] is in charge of Stanford University 's Iranian Studies program. He also conducted several interviews.

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