All the Shah's Men

An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror

By: Stephen Kinzer

Narrated by: Michael Prichard, Jonathan Yen

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Half a century ago, the United States overthrew the democratically elected prime minister of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, whose "crime" was nationalizing the country's oil industry.

In a cloak-and-dagger story of spies, saboteurs, and secret agents, Kinzer reveals the involvement of Eisenhower, Churchill, Kermit Roosevelt, and the CIA in Operation Ajax, which restored Mohammad Reza Shah to power. Reza imposed a tyranny that ultimately sparked the Islamic Revolution of 1979 which, in turn, inspired fundamentalists throughout the Muslim world, including the Taliban and terrorists who thrived under its protection.

"It is not far-fetched", Kinzer asserts, "to draw a line from Operation Ajax through the Shah's repressive regime and the Islamic Revolution to the fireballs that engulfed the World Trade Center in New York."

©2003 Stephen Kinzer (P)2003 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Breezy storytelling and diligent research.... This stands as a textbook lesson in how not to conduct foreign policy." (Publishers Weekly)

"With a keen journalistic eye, and with a novelist's pen....a very gripping read." (The New York Times)

"Kinzer's brilliant reconstruction of the Iranian coup is made even more fascinating by the fact that it is true. It is as gripping as a thriller, and also tells much about why the United States is involved today in places like Afgahanistan and Iraq." (Gore Vidal)

All the Shah’s Men

Excellent book. The narrator sounded like an old newsreel caster.

I learned so much from this book. Very well worth the time

well written and narrated.

This very informative book filled in much of the background I think all Americans should know. it also cleared up a number of my assumptions with facts. now I plan to listen to more of mr. kinzers work. I was impressed with his enthusiasm on democracy now!

Excellent

I went to Iran and visited Mossadegh’s home. Kinzer’s story telling is excellent and accurate. The narrator is also outstanding. Listen to it to understand why the world detests the United States and England.

Not just democracy, but whose democracy

A very informative account of the history of Iran in the 20th century, focusing primarily on the jockeying for political position of the Pahlavi family of Shahs, and Mohammed Mosaddegh, the reformist and nationalist Prime Minister of Iran in the early 50s. And into the mix the intrigue brought by master imperialist British and the upstart American imperialists. It's a fascinating story, which is lamentably replayed in nations all over the world. Primarily, a nationalist movement towards democracy, at least notionally rooted in the American ideal, but abandoned by its mentors by being a bit too independent for their tastes. It's only democracy if it's American democracy (a trick learned from the British). All in a hysterical panic to attempt to keep these countries out of a communist sphere of influence. We've seen it in the Middle East, Latin America, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, with disastrous consequences. In this case, a direct line drawn to the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, crowning the US as the great Satan, ostensibly dethroning the British. You're welcome. In it's way it's another frustrating story, displaying the lack of will and integrity of the supposedly great democracies to stand up for true freedom and self-determination. No, no, we can't have that, not with so much money to be made.

You need to hear this history

The history of U.S. involvement in Iran is largely unknown to Americans. This book is very enlightening with respect to the U.S. involvement in the Iranian coup in the 1950's. The author does an excellent job of describing the events leading up to and immediately following the coup. The history of Iran following these events is glossed over (and I would have liked to hear more on this), but that is not the focus of the book. I now have a much better understanding of the roots of the current relationship between Iran and the U.S.

An eye opener

Having seen the influence of Colonial British in Pakistan (then India), this book brought sickening naustalgia. It is very ineresting to see how we as humans with power, make things that are none of our business, our business. And then when things go wrong, we blame everyone else but ourselves. A must read for everyone interested in longterm ramifications of un welcome intrusions into sovereignty of other countries.

A sad story

The story told her reveals the amazing obtuseness of the British government and business and the duplicity of the United States government. It helps one understand how we got where we were in Iran in 1979 and where we are today.

A good history, but the narration could be better

Although I wasn't crazy about the narrator or sound quality, the subject matter and writing were engaging. Shame on Ike for allowing the coup to happen!

best nonfiction book on the middle east

at a time when a it seems a new middle-east/terrorism/iraq/iran book is coming out every week- its nice to finally see a book that is based in a historical perspective. this book tells such a well-scripted story its almost easy to forget its nonfiction. the authors pacing is that of a suspense novel and his command of middle-eastern history and politics is impressive at the least. if you had to pick one book on the middle east - forget the embedded/nonembedded reporters/Bush analysis etc... and pick a book that relies on historical record rather than opinion.

Why are we in Iraq? Read This and Understand

For anyone who wants to understand why we are currently in Iraq, this book on Iran is essential reading. Tracing the history of British and US interventions in Iran in the twentieth century, it provides a set of historical parallels worth some serious thought. It shows how a joint action by the USA and Great Britain against Mohammad Mossadeh, in 1953, offers an uncanny anticipation of the Bush administration's current doctrine of preemptive war. Importantly, tragically, that preemptive coup in 1953 helped to foster in the Arab world (Iran, Iraq, Afganistan) the very fundamentalist and terrorist forces that the Bush administration now invokes to justify that new doctrine of preemptive war. In short, there are some appalling precedents to the Bush doctrine: the United States today is acting in the tradition first established by Kermit Roosevelt in 1953, when with the backing of Eisenhower's White House as well as Churchill, he engineered the ouster of a man who could have brought a moderate nationalism to Iran. In removing from power the charismatic leader who nationalized the oil fields, Roosevelt's central concern was not the well-being of Iran, but the protection and extension of British and US interests in Iranian oil. The author acknowledges that such an action may have brought 25 years of stability in Iran, but he (and we as readers) are only too aware that the long-term costs for such stability are only beginning to be known. Gripping to listen to, cogently and carefully argued, this book narrates the crucial historical backdrop in Iran against which we should understand our current involvement in Iraq.