Synopses & Reviews
"A very gripping read . . . a cautionary tale for our current leaders."
—The New York Times
As zealots in Washington intensify their preparations for an American attack on Iran, the story of the CIA's 1953 coup—with its many cautionary lessons—is more urgently relevant than ever. All the Shah's Men brings to life the cloak-and-dagger operation that deposed the only democratic regime Iran ever had. The coup ushered in a quarter-century of repressive rule under the Shah, stimulated the rise of Muslim fundamentalism and anti-Americanism throughout the Middle East, and exposed the folly of using violence to try to reshape Iran. Selected as one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post and the Economist, it's essential reading if you want to place the American attack of Iraq in context—and prepare for what comes next.
"An entirely engrossing, often riveting, nearly Homeric tale. . . . For anyone with more than a passing interest in how the United States got into such a pickle in the Middle East, All the Shah's Men is as good as Grisham."
—The Washington Post Book World
"An exciting narrative. [Kinzer] questions whether Americans are well served by interventions for regime change abroad, and he reminds us of the long history of Iranian resistance to great power interventions, as well as the unanticipated consequences of intervention."
—The Los Angeles Times
"A swashbuckling yarn [and] helpful reminder of an oft-neglected piece of Middle Eastern history."
—The New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
According to Kinzer’ s sources on Iran policy, Bush feels he has nothing left to lose— and everything to gain— from a showdown with Iran. Karl Rove thinks it’ ll distract Democrats from burgeoning scandals, and will highlight Democratic candidate weaknesses. We don’ t have the ground troops for an invasion, but we have the spare planes and bombs for a Kosovo-style mission to destroy civil and military infrastructure. But Kinzer understands, perhaps better than anyone, the price we might eventually pay for overthrowing an Iranian regime.
Synopsis
The national bestseller about America and Iran-now with new material on the coming showdownThis new edition of the bestseller chosen as one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post and the Economist begins with a powerful new essay that warns against an American attack on Iran. As the drumbeat of threats against Iran intensifies in Washington, Kinzer argues that they are based on fantasies that are as dangerous as they are delusional. Any attack, he warns, would usher in another era of upheaval in Iran and the surrounding region, this time with the overlay of nuclear-tinged terror. There is more fertile ground for democratic change in Iran than in almost any other Muslim country, and Kinzer presents an alternate strategy for dealing with the burgeoning crisis there. "As militants in Washington urge a second American attack on Iran, the story of the first one becomes more urgently relevant than ever," Kinzer writes in his new essay. "It shows the folly of using violence to try to reshape Iran."
"A very gripping read."
—The New York Times
"An entirely engrossing, often riveting, nearly Homeric tale...For anyone with more than a passing interest in how the United States got into such a pickle in the Middle East, All the Shah's Men is as good as Grisham."
—The Washington Post Book World
Synopsis
With a thrilling narrative that sheds much light on recent events, this national bestseller brings to life the 1953 CIA coup in Iran that ousted the countrys elected prime minister, ushered in a quarter-century of brutal rule under the Shah, and stimulated the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and anti-Americanism in the Middle East. Selected as one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post and The Economist, it now features a new preface by the author on the folly of attacking Iran.
Synopsis
With a thrilling narrative that sheds much light on recent events, this national bestseller brings to life the 1953 CIA coup in Iran that ousted the country’s elected prime minister, ushered in a quarter-century of brutal rule under the Shah, and stimulated the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and anti-Americanism in the Middle East. Selected as one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post and The Economist, it now features a new preface by the author on the folly of attacking Iran.
About the Author
Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent who has worked in more than fifty countries. He has been New York Times bureau chief in Istanbul, Berlin, and Managua, Nicaragua. His books include Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq and Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds.
Table of Contents
Preface to the 2008 Edition: The Folly of Attacking Iran.
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Notes on Usage.
1. Good Evening, Mr. Roosevelt.
2. Curse This Fate.
3. The Last Drop of the Nation's Blood.
4. A Wave of Oil.
5. His Master's Orders.
6. Unseen Enemies Everywhere.
7. You Do Not Know How Evil They Are.
8. An Immensely Shrewd Old Man.
9. Block Headed British.
10. Pull Up Your Socks and Get Going.
11. I Knew It! They Love Me!
12. Purring Like a Giant Cat.
Epilogue.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Index.