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Summary: Genuine and vivid history
Review: An outstanding first-hand account of the events and causes of the Iranian revolution. I lived through those days and the vivid nature of this book brings those days alive. Most people will judge this book in accordance to their political opinion of the revolution and its aftermath, but, leaving that aside, the book is an excellent account of the snowballing events that took place.
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Summary: Terror in Iran
Review: I enjoyed reading Shah of Shahs. It's written in a compelling format; a frame story about a reporter organizing his material or cleaning up his hotel room. Holding at arm's length his research material Kapuscinski first describes what he's got; a photo or a newspaper cliping. Then he shares local intamacies telling how he came across this hinge of history. Finally an anecdote about some significant event. [On to the next note or photo.] In this way we learn details about the shah, his opponents and successors, slip into the atmosphere of the revolution, and begin to understand some of its causes and problems. It is not a complete account of the events leading to the Iranian revolution. Look elsewhere for that. In Shah of Shahs you'll find a brief narrative that fleshes out events and adds humanity to the details of history.
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Summary: Great Book!
Review: I really enjoy this style of non-fiction. Kapuscinski describes photographs of different events, summarizes his meetings with different people and describes some of his time in Iran and then sprinkles in the "history." This style works very well for describing a revolution and the events leading up to a revolution. I also enjoyed Kapuscinski's discussion on how revolution develops and the sluggishness afterwards. Afterall he should know since this was his 27th!
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Summary: Irresponsible book. Almost silly.
Review: I suppose the author is one of those "intellectuals" that thought Communism was one of the greatest thing to happen to Russia.I assumed that writing a book about the Shah of Iran just after his overthrow in a bloody revolution, would not have anything nice to say about the Shah. But this book is so over the top, it is silly. Childish even. Every street gossip of the time is written as if it is the truth, with no reference to facts, or proof. Had the author written about the USA, one can assume he would only focus on the poor begging man on the street and make no mention that the country is renowned for an assortment of achievements. One wonders whether the author was paid by his government (Communist at the time) to write this book. It is beyond irresponsible mixing reality with fiction like this. By presenting Khomeini as the "saintly" Gandhi of Iran and the Shah as an illegitimate, despotic, crowned cannibal we have the Islamic Republic of Iran and the most embarrasing and dark period of this countries history. In Middle East politics, perception and rumor is as important as reality. That rumors do not only takes the shape of reality but it becomes a tool of political and undercover warfare. That long before one is judged, ones personality is being killed by the corrosive power of rumor; every terrifying thought, every unpleasant political tendency, and every hidden undesirable tendency is blamed on those involved in politics.
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Summary: A model for historians and journalists.
Review: I use this book in my history of China course. K's book is unrelated to China, yet it brilliantly captures the psychological consequences of living through violent upheaval. K's gifts as a writer are abundant; among these gifts is his uncanny ability to convey so much with so few words. Half of the book describes photographs that we never see; even so, K enables us to see (and understand) these photos.
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Summary: Pure Fiction!!!
Review: If you are looking for a novel that is only rarely fact based and is one that only talks about the worst aspects of a dynasty, than you should definitely read Kapuscinski's Shah of Shahs. Some of the information might be factual but the rest is totally based on heresay.
Every ruler, every government has bad and good charachteristics to it. When someone who doesn't know anything about the Shah or the revolution reads Kapuscinski's book, they won't realize that they are only reading exaggerated versions of the not so great aspects of the Shah's rulings. Kapuscinski reveals in this work of fiction a totally one sided view of what went on during the revolution. He also forgets to mention any association that America had with the revolution at the time. If you want to learn about Iran and its Shah, I'd recommend a book more fact based, and one that is written without having taken sides from page one. A good read for Iranians who will only laugh at it but a terrible one for any foreigner trying to learn!!!
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Summary: I loved this book!
Review: Kapuscinski is a journalist's journalist. This book is a terrific read.
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Summary: Another Kapuscinski Classic
Review: Kapuscinski was born in Poland in the 1930s and lived through World War II. He would go on to write for Poland's national news service (their version of the AP) as a foreign correspondent. He covered the "little wars," the insurgencies, revolutions, and coups that are barely reported in the western media. His point of view is fascinating: a man living behind the Iron Curtain serves his country by reporting on terrifying conflicts in the most inhospitable parts of the world. When you read Kapuscinski's work you may at first feel like something is missing, and then you realize that what's missing is a Western perspective and the presumption and detachment that comes with it. Kapuscinski, like no other writer I've read, is able to delve into the psyche of his subjects and produce remarkable insights about their nature and the nature of their oppression. Which isn't to say that his writing is dry. More often than not, the episodes he relates are quite harrowing. Shah of Shahs is no exception. Quite unexpectedly, I found this book about the Shah and his overthrow by Ayatollah Khomenei to be very relevant to today's conflicts, specifically, the difficulties inherent in replacing a brutal and oppressive regime without falling prey to extremism. His discussion of the horrors of the Shah's secret police, SAVAK, is astonishing, and his insight into the vulnerability of the Iranians as they attempted to move on from decades of oppression is fascinating. In assessing the difficulties of undoing the damage of a regime like the Shah's, the parallels to today's struggles in Iraq are hard to ignore, and, as such, the book was especially interesting to read at this moment in history. I have one book by Kapuscinski left to read, and after that, I can only hope that some benevolent publisher decides to put out more of his work.
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Summary: An excellent, relevant introduction to revolutionary Iran
Review: Kapuscinski writes one of the most accessible, entertaining histories that I've ever read in Shah of Shahs; and in so doing allows the American reader some glimpse into what things were like in Iran during the heady, confusing days of the Iranian revolution. While readable, this book is also rather challenging as it tends to speak to subjects that Americans don't know about and uses terms and devices that many may not be ready to see in a work of non-fiction. Don't assume that Kapuscinski will write in the menacing, deadly serious tone that many other (mostly American) writers reserve for Iran and the other "Axis of Evil" nations; because he doesn't. Instead, he takes the time and effort to recount these terribly serious events in a semi-serious way, while keeping contact with the undercurrent of absurdity and entropy that so many Eastern European writers bring to their work and that is so very appropriate when thinking, talking, and writing about the actions of men and nations. Iran is probably the most misunderstood (by Americans) country there is. You may or may not have some more insight into Iran after reading this book. In my case it spurred me to find out more about their history, the history of Shi'ism, and Islam generally; all topics that most Americans would profit from knowing about. The most striking thing is that Americans have a lot more in common with Iranians than may be imagined, starting with our hatred of tyranny and deep religious committment. And that's not a bad start.
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Summary: Another typical work of Mr. Kapuscinski
Review: Much like the book by the same author about the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, this is yet another fictional work fasioned to resemble fact. Utter rubish that has only an incidental relationship to facts. It is full of errors and half truths, giving a distorted picture of the time and people involved, a gross injustice not only to the Shah, but to his opponents as well. The Shah of Iran was many things, but he wasn't the one dimensional character portrayed by Mr. Kapuscinski. This book is a waste of time and money much as the book on the former Emperor of Ethiopia. One would be better off buying real fiction, rather than fiction disguised as history.
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