The Shah Of Shahs

I borrowed this book from Neda and read it together with Saeed. Well, I read aloud while he drove - we finished it in less than two trips to Athens, about 12 hours. It was written by the Polish journalist and author Ryszard Kapuscinski who has covered revolutions around the world. He befriended Che Guevara, Salvador Allende, and Patrice Lumumba, witnessed 27 coups and was sentenced to death four times.

As cool as all that is I most appreciated his writing style. Wouldn't you think a book of this title in the section labeled "contemporary history/nonfiction" would be boring as hell? But Kapuscinski writes so smoothly, so descriptively, and with such wit that you forget you're reading a history book. He captivates your attention and then pulls you into subject like a lover entices his beloved. How does he do that?!?

In his poetic style Kapuscinski weaves the history of the fall of the most recent Shah of Iran, stories of the individuals participating in the Iranian revolution (and those trying to stay out of it), and his own observations and interpretations of the events that occurred. The first two thirds of Shah of Shahs focuses more on the historical background leading up to the revolution. The last third concerns the revolution itself. In this section Kapuscinski reflects on the nature of revolutions since he has experienced first hand dozens of them around the world. He observed that the people who come to power after a revolution aren't the same people who brought the regime down. He explains that in the case of Iran the people with a democratic vision took the greatest risks, suffered the most oppression, and caused the downfall of the Shah. Iran could not support a democracy, however, because the majority of the population preferred Islamic fundamentalism and got that in the form of Ayatollah Khomeini.

I particularly enjoyed Kapuscinski's observation of Persian men. They have certain behavioral tendencies when in a group, things Saeed's been telling me about for years, but to hear it described by someone else was quite astonishing and funny for me. So this is much more than a history book and if the topic interests you I highly recommend it. I will, however, have to return this particular copy to Neda.