King of Kings

A spellbinding narrative history of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and its devastating consequences by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia.

'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... for those seeking to understand the seemingly endless state of conflict between Israel, the US and Iran Anderson’s new book is a good place to start'
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

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:
'The most compelling account yet of the revolution in Iran... Outstanding'
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