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All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror
by
Half a century ago, the United States overthrew a Middle Eastern government for the first time. The victim was Mohammad Mossadegh, the democratically elected prime minister of Iran. Although the coup seemed a success at first, today it serves as a chilling lesson about the dangers of foreign intervention.In this book, veteran New York Times correspondent Stephen Kinzer giv
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Paperback, 272 pages
Published
August 1st 2004
by John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken, NJ)
(first published July 17th 2003)
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Start your review of All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror
I just re-read this book in preparation for a book club. This book is the tragic story of a CIA operation that removed one of the only democratically elected leaders in the Middle-East. Mossadegh came into power and angered the British by nationalizing Iranian Oil and the British were determined to oust him from office. After Truman (who opposed a coup) left office and Eisenhower came to office, the Americans also signed on and actually conducted the coup. This story is so tragic (especially if
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All the Shah's Men, Stephen Kinzer
All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror is a book written by American journalist Stephen Kinzer.
Following the 1941 Allied Invasion of Iran, Reza Shah was forced to abdicate in favour of his son Mohammad Reza Shah, who upheld the oil agreement with APOC, which by then had been renamed the "Anglo-Iranian Oil Company".
When the first democratically elected parliament and prime minister in Iran took power in 1950 they planned to sei ...more
All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror is a book written by American journalist Stephen Kinzer.
Following the 1941 Allied Invasion of Iran, Reza Shah was forced to abdicate in favour of his son Mohammad Reza Shah, who upheld the oil agreement with APOC, which by then had been renamed the "Anglo-Iranian Oil Company".
When the first democratically elected parliament and prime minister in Iran took power in 1950 they planned to sei ...more
Eye-opening, sad and infuriating read. Tells how the U.S. destroyed the birth of democracy in the middle east, which began in Iran, and now falsely accuses Iran as a sponsor of Mid-East terrorism, when in truth, it's the Saudis!
Always remember majority of Islamist terrorists are 'Sunni' Muslims, while Iran are Shia Muslims! ...more
Always remember majority of Islamist terrorists are 'Sunni' Muslims, while Iran are Shia Muslims! ...more
Outstanding -- a must-read for all who want to understand US/Iran relations. Author & audiobook narrator are great.
"My countrymen lack the bare necessities of existence. Their standard of living is perhaps the lowest in the world. Our greatest natural asset is oil. It should properly be our national industry and the revenue from it should go to improve our conditions of life."
"If the exploitation of our oil industry continues in which the Iranian plays the part of a mere manual worker, and if foreign exploiters continue to appropriate practically all of the income, then our people will remain forever in a st ...more
"If the exploitation of our oil industry continues in which the Iranian plays the part of a mere manual worker, and if foreign exploiters continue to appropriate practically all of the income, then our people will remain forever in a st ...more
Wow, such a great book. I had read Kinzer’s “The brothers” a few years ago, about the Dulles brothers, and found it just as engaging, well-written, and well researched.
Kinzer has a real gift to write history that is deep, accurate and, at the same time, as gripping as a novel.
I’ve often found that many history books that are very engaging lack a certain depth or seriousness. “All the Shah’s men” does not — it’s both a gripping tale, almost a page turner, and a really good history book.
The onl ...more
Kinzer has a real gift to write history that is deep, accurate and, at the same time, as gripping as a novel.
I’ve often found that many history books that are very engaging lack a certain depth or seriousness. “All the Shah’s men” does not — it’s both a gripping tale, almost a page turner, and a really good history book.
The onl ...more
Iran has a long and distinct history. Beginning in the 6th century BC with Cyrus, followed by Xerxes and Darius and on to the present, Iran’s people have had a common identity. The adoption of Shiism in the 7th century AD imparted a common set of values. Since then Arabs, Mongols and Turks ruled Iran. In the 19th century the decadent Qajar rulers exploited Iran to support their opulent lifestyle. In 1925 they were overthrown by a British engineered coup conducted to thwart Russia. The British pl
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Part of what makes All The Shah's Men: An American Coup & the Roots of Middle East Terror so fascinating is Stephen Kinzer's ability to put all of the details into historical context and still formulate his story in a way that causes it to read like a spy novel at times. I initially read this book on the American involvement in Iran when I was awaiting an Iranian visa to visit a country that was officially listed as part of the "Axis of Evil".
While being very curious about the erstwhile Persia, ...more
While being very curious about the erstwhile Persia, ...more
The overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh is one of the little known events that lead to Mohammad Reza Shah coming to power in Iran. This book looks at the tragic aftermath - and the continuing strife - that was a direct result of this act.
My S.F. Chronicle review from 2003:
Nearly two years after the shock of Sept. 11, 2001, it's fair to start poking through the legacy of U.S. foreign policy and raise troubling questions about the extent to which our own past misdeeds ultimately boomeranged on us. Few readers of "All the Shah's Men," by longtime New York Times foreign correspondent Stephen Kinzer, can come away without grave suspicions that Sept.
11 was in many ways a self-inflicted wound.
What American crime could explain so sens ...more
Nearly two years after the shock of Sept. 11, 2001, it's fair to start poking through the legacy of U.S. foreign policy and raise troubling questions about the extent to which our own past misdeeds ultimately boomeranged on us. Few readers of "All the Shah's Men," by longtime New York Times foreign correspondent Stephen Kinzer, can come away without grave suspicions that Sept.
11 was in many ways a self-inflicted wound.
What American crime could explain so sens ...more
Aug 05, 2010
Erik Graff
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Americans
Recommended to Erik by:
Einar Graff
Shelves:
history
Although over ninety, Dad is unusually active. He is a docent at the Dundee Historical Society and, thanks to the influence of his Danish wife, Lene, takes courses as a non-degree-seeking student at the Roosevelt University campus out in dreary Schaumburg, Illinois. He tends towards history and political science, having said at one time that he enjoys ganging up with the liberal teachers against his mostly right-wing, fellow suburban students. (Dad always was a pinkish Democrat.) This book was r
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Great Britain via Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) wanted to secure its grip on Iran's oil. The United States wanted to prevent Iran from joining Russia and going communist. Iran wanted freedom, an Iran free of British imperialism.
These three nations, and their conflicting priorities, were on a collision course in the early 1950s, and it culminated in the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh, the popular Iranian prime minister who nationalized his country's oil industry and fought for an Iranian gove ...more
These three nations, and their conflicting priorities, were on a collision course in the early 1950s, and it culminated in the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh, the popular Iranian prime minister who nationalized his country's oil industry and fought for an Iranian gove ...more
We remain unable to recognize the dangers of unintended consequences. Such dangers should breed caution and a reluctance to engage in foreign adventures. Does each generation have to relearn this?
An alternate title of this book could be "United States: Strangler of Infant Democracies". It is pretty well known among scholars and international relations experts that anti-American Mideast terrorism has its roots in the US coup that overthrew Iran's first-ever democratically elected prime minister in 1953. This book explains the history of Iran, its governments, its oppression at the hands of colonialists, its exploitation by the British oil industry, and how Britain talked the United States
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Why should you read All the Shah's Men?
1. Stephen Kinzer is, in my opinion, the greatest journalist of our age.
2. Also, his expertise in the Middle East is almost nonpareil. (Refer to aforementioned point on his journalistic prowess)
3. If you want to learn about why the US really, actually, does not like Iran.
4. If you, like me, think that Iran could've been a world power under Mohammad Mossadegh.
5. If you don't believe the above statement, and need proof.
6. If you want a short, concise history ...more
1. Stephen Kinzer is, in my opinion, the greatest journalist of our age.
2. Also, his expertise in the Middle East is almost nonpareil. (Refer to aforementioned point on his journalistic prowess)
3. If you want to learn about why the US really, actually, does not like Iran.
4. If you, like me, think that Iran could've been a world power under Mohammad Mossadegh.
5. If you don't believe the above statement, and need proof.
6. If you want a short, concise history ...more
I wish more people read books like this. I think it is important for every citizen of the US to understand why people from other countries feel the way they do about us, particulary in the Middle East. I think most Americans are simply unaware of what our government does under the broad and vague umbrella of what is deemed "classified" information. As we are supposed to be a government "of the people" and our government therefore, in effect, represents us and our interests, I think Americans sho
...more
The book is fabulously researched, thought-provoking, and Kinzer really knows his stuff. It also helps that the writing style flows. This is a truly powerful read.
Anyone interested in U.S.-Iran relations or the 1953 Coup d'etat in Iran will find "All the Shah's Men" to be an interesting read. Kinzer's language is quite simple, and I can see how this might frustrate more intellectual readers. However, for a student or young person interested in learning more about the history of the coup, Kinzer's simple language is an asset; his book is probably the easiest way to quickly learn about the coup.
The reader should bear in mind that even sixty years after t ...more
The reader should bear in mind that even sixty years after t ...more
Although the subject of the book is interesting I have issues with Kinzer's prose. Maybe I took the book too seriously. ATSM reads like a historical novel instead of a factual and objective historical account of events leading up to the 1953 American backed coup.
The language used by Kinzer is highly emotional and subjective. The arguments put forth are too simplistic and almost everything is painted in black and white. The British are all evil to the core while all Iranians are noble and long su ...more
The language used by Kinzer is highly emotional and subjective. The arguments put forth are too simplistic and almost everything is painted in black and white. The British are all evil to the core while all Iranians are noble and long su ...more
Kinzer explores the sentiments and values of all parties concerned in the tragic destruction of Iran's first democratic government. Towards the nationalist hero Mossadegh, Kinzer shows the various sides of the man's idealism, which inspired his followers, demonized his opponents, and made compromise next to impossible. Toward the Americans, Kinzer depicts the turning of American foreign policy -- from supporting the aspirations of nationalists against colonialism, to regarding all rebels against
...more
May 29, 2016
Stephen
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
world-affairs,
persia-iran,
espionage-and-commandos,
america,
britain,
middle-east,
geopolitics
On one dismal night in 1953, a conspiracy destroyed both Iranian democracy and American honor. At the dawn of the 1950s, Iran was struggling to free itself from British domination, a precursor to the bloody colonial revolutions that would mark the mid-20th century. Despite being a product of colonial rebellion itself, the United States would betray its own history and one of amiable relations with Iran to assert itself on the world stage. All the Shah's Men is an admirably executed mix of espion
...more
A must-read for anyone who wants to be able to put current events into perspective (4.5 stars)
All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror was a terrific book - a detailed and well-balanced historical non-fiction that at times reads like a spy thriller and throughout made me unbelievably angry and sad. Stephen Kinzer does a wonderful job of taking you behind the scenes of Mossadegh's overthrow and includes information from all the key players. He provides an enlighten ...more
All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror was a terrific book - a detailed and well-balanced historical non-fiction that at times reads like a spy thriller and throughout made me unbelievably angry and sad. Stephen Kinzer does a wonderful job of taking you behind the scenes of Mossadegh's overthrow and includes information from all the key players. He provides an enlighten ...more
All the Shah's Men by Stephen Kinzer
5 Stars and a heart
In 1979, Iranian students stormed the American Embassy and held fifty-two Americans hostage for 444 days. Americans were shocked because, in their minds, the U.S. and Iranians still held the mutual affinity shared pre-1953. Prior to 1953, “Americans were regarded with nearly universal admiration and affection.” Iranians saw Americans as allies, supporters of their fragile democracy, and remembered martyrs such as Howard Baskerville, the “Ame ...more
5 Stars and a heart
In 1979, Iranian students stormed the American Embassy and held fifty-two Americans hostage for 444 days. Americans were shocked because, in their minds, the U.S. and Iranians still held the mutual affinity shared pre-1953. Prior to 1953, “Americans were regarded with nearly universal admiration and affection.” Iranians saw Americans as allies, supporters of their fragile democracy, and remembered martyrs such as Howard Baskerville, the “Ame ...more
**Spoiler Alert**
This is going to shock a lot of people. Several years ago there was a Republican administration that completely failed to understand a foreign nation and its people. However, they didn't let such a small detail stop them from inducing a regime change favorable to Western big business interests at that moment.
While the need for immediate gratification was fulfilled, the Eisenhower Administration stole Iran’s future away from its people and planted the seeds of Islamic fundamenta ...more
This is going to shock a lot of people. Several years ago there was a Republican administration that completely failed to understand a foreign nation and its people. However, they didn't let such a small detail stop them from inducing a regime change favorable to Western big business interests at that moment.
While the need for immediate gratification was fulfilled, the Eisenhower Administration stole Iran’s future away from its people and planted the seeds of Islamic fundamenta ...more
In 1953, the CIA, aided by the British, engineered a coup to overthrow the secular, democratically elected government of Mohammed Mossadegh in Iran, as Mossadegh had committed the "crime" of nationalizing the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (now British Petroleum). Before then, Americans had been regarded favorably in Iran and much of the Middle East, and veteran journalist Kinzer makes a strong case that this coup led directly to the hatred and distrust of the U.S. in this part of the world, various
...more
This is a very interesting book, but the way the author presents it is fractured. He begins the book with the first failed days of the 1953 coup, then jumps into a great narrative of Iranian history leading up to 1953, then the narrative picks back up with the coup. Well, I forgot the important details of the first try. I think it would have been a lot better to do a straight chronological story.
Overall, it is a good book and it is particularly interesting to see the difference between Truman an ...more
Overall, it is a good book and it is particularly interesting to see the difference between Truman an ...more
There's no better time to read All the Shah's Men than now. The relationship between the United States and Iran has gone from bad to worse. The Trump administration has suspended the nuclear agreement and recently assassinated General Qasem Soleimani.
But how did these two countries get to this sourish juncture?
"All the trouble started in1953. In Iran, almost everyone has for decades known that the United States was responsible for putting an end to democratic rule in 1953 and installing what b ...more
But how did these two countries get to this sourish juncture?
"All the trouble started in1953. In Iran, almost everyone has for decades known that the United States was responsible for putting an end to democratic rule in 1953 and installing what b ...more
Kinzer's work is great for a lot of reasons, and the book manages to perform a few tasks very well. First, it presents the events of Summer/Fall 1953 in Iran many times through the words, written and spoken, of those involved. Second, it provides the context of the 1953 coup by explaining Britain's and America's relationships to Iran over the course of the early 20th century, as well as providing a brief overview of all Iranian history to understand the Iranians' desires in the 20th century. Thi
...more
I think it's a shame that most Americans remain ignorant of the role our government played in overthrowing Iran's moderate, liberal and secular government in the 1950s, led by Mohammed Mossadegh. This book does its part to fill that gap. However, contrary to many others who reviewed this book on Goodreads, I didn't come away with a conclusion in my mind that the United States perpetrated a manifest injustice on the people of Iran. This was not an indictment of US foreign policy, as some others h
...more
Only a complete jackass would argue that the CIA-engineered overthrow of the popular Iranian prime minister Mossadegh in 1953 had positive benefits for the region, and Iran, especially. Not only did the Dulles brothers and the CIA make sure that the oil kept flowing to the profit of Western interests, but the operation placed the Shah solidly in power, ushering in a new age of repression and violence which culminated in the Iranian revolution in 1979.
None of this is controversial. It hasn't been ...more
None of this is controversial. It hasn't been ...more
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