Khomeini's Ghost: The Iranian Revolution and the Rise of Militant Islam

by Con Coughlin

Con Coughlin, the New York Times bestselling author of Saddam , returns with Khomeini’s Ghost , the definitive biography of Ayatollah Khomeini and his Islamic revolution. More than thirty years after Khomeini’s return to Tehran and the subsequent rebirth of Iran as an Islamic Republic, Khomeini’s Ghost offers an intimate, richly detailed portrait of the fundamentalist leader and architect of Iran’s adversarial relationship with the West—a man whose legacy has influenced history and policy, and will continue to do so for generations to come.

Genres: History, Iran, Nonfiction, Islam, Middle East, Politics, Biography

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Osama]

Controversial.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit dry for me. I had a hard time incorporating all the names, facts, dates, etc in a meaningful way. However it was a period and culture I was very interested in learning more about and it did contain a lot of information (albeit a bit depressing and alarming).

[KG · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was a wee tot, my ginger hair and pale skin simply called out like a beacon to bullies to harass me. I seem to recall a gaggle of puny 8-year old shitheads with red pom-poms on their heads impersonating me on a regular basis. I was tortured most of my schooldays (that is, until I found punk rock and thrift stores and angry youthfulness to relieve me - but that's a post for another day). It occurred to me later, mostly because said shitheads told me so, that they sorta kinda liked me. They liked the way I looked and they liked my sassy ginger attitude.

After reading "Khomeini's Ghost" by Con Coughlin I started to think how similar Iran's behavior towards the US is to the shitheads behavior towards me. Only someone who harbors a real desire and passion for someone else can devote that much hatred, that much vitriol. Iran would not endlessly and tirelessly refer to the US in speeches, publications and hand-written misspelled signs covered in blood as "the great satan" if they didn't want to feel a real connectivity to us. I can't help but see them as a little silly when I, from the comfort of a tarnished but rebounding global power, watch a guy in pajamas standing next to a guy in a member's only jacket (who was likely elected president through unscrupulous and fraudulent means) calling me the devil.

I know that the US has an incredibly mired and deplorable foreign relations past. Our history with Iran is one of misguided involvement and unintended consequences. We helped Britain try to protect Western oil interests there, interfered in Iranian national politics and put someone in power who quite possibly didn't deserve it. Not for the first time, by the way (see Pinochet, Mugabe, etc). We abused our power and the Iranians got pissed off, killed a bunch of people, took some US citizens hostage (which the afore-mentioned wearer of the member's only jacket may have played a role in) and began a process of nationalized Islamic radicalism.

We deserve their anger. We deserve to have to prove our equanimity and good intentions in the Middle East. But I wish they would give it a rest already. The best revenge is success so they should begin the process of proving to us great Satans that an Islamic state can exist, thrive and do so with honesty and little violation of human rights.

It also occurred to me that we're not the only place in the world with a sullied past. A lot of countries, Iran included, have made some egregious gaffes and exploitations. It just seems like we're the only ones willing, constantly willing, to admit our mistakes and ask for absolution.

The book itself is so so. I learned a lot about Iran's place in the Middle East and what a favor we did them by ousting Saddam, who kicked Iran's Shiite ass in the 80's. Iran's relationship to the Taliban is a complicated one. I think I got from the book that they are enemies but that Iran was a willing participant in the protection of some serious 9-11 assholes. It wasn't entirely clear. I learned that Khomeini and Khamenei are two different people - same politics, both the supreme leader (Khomeini originally, Khamenei presently) with carte blanche over Iran and it's citizens, but actually different dudes. The book is written very drily, like a 400 page newspaper article with a wealth of interesting facts but little in the way of big picture.

I'm not a blindfolded apologist for the United States but I'm sick of worrying about Iran.

[Marc Maitland]

A well-researched and eminently readable account of the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini, his return to Iran in 1979, the firm grip on power he took, how he maintained that grip, and his enduring legacy. From a Middle Eastern backwater to one of the World’s most dangerous states in one generation: that is Khomeini’s frightening legacy.





The cultural revolution he led in Iran would have been bad enough on its own, but in the later chapters of this excellent and timely book, Mr. Coughlin carefully analyses the interwoven web that connects Khomeini, his Revolutionary Guards, and the Iranian-state-supported rise of various Islamist terrorist groups that led ultimately to the 9/11 outrage in 2001, and its tacit support for Al-Qaeda. Also, the careful distinction that has to be drawn between the various Muslim factions (Shia and Sunni), and the dislike of Baghdad regime by the Tehran regime, the dividing line between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan (fascinating stuff!) is carefully etched.





Khomeini’s background in the Northern wastes of Iran, his exile in Iraq and France, his supporters and confederates, and the regime he replaced in Iran, that of the Shah and his predecessors: nothing is left out in this masterly account of the rise of terror, and the undoubted aim of Khomeini – to give rise to an eternal worldwide Islamist revolution that will only be satisfied when a worldwide Caliphate is in place. Nothing must come in the way of that ultimate aim, and anything that stands in its way (such as a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine question) must be prevented at all costs.





And to cap it all, the ruthless pursuit of nuclear arms under the figleaf of nuclear energy to support those aims. That is the real legacy of Khomeini, and readers of this excellent book will be left in no doubt of the real threat that Iran, under its present fanatical and fantastical leader, the truly dangerous Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, poses to us all.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Agustinus Wibowo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku tentang revolusi Iran, tetapi bukan hanya revolusi. Buku ini juga menceritakan sejarah panjang Iran, bagaimana para Shah dari dinasti Qajar dan Pahlavi menjual kekayaan negara habis-habisan, bagaimana intrik negara-negara imperialis luar seperti Inggris, Amerika, dan Rusia turut bermain untuk mengeksploitasi Iran, juga peranan negara-negara tetangga dan dunia Arab terhadap revolusi, dan tentunya yang paling utama adalah figur dan latar belakang Khomeini, bagaimana dia menggerakkan revolusi sampai "membajak" revolusi.

Saya sudah banyak membaca buku tentang sejarah revolusi Iran. Buku ini, jujur, sangat lambat di bagian pembuka, sehingga susah masuk ke ritme penulis. Tetapi setelah sampai pertengahan, mulai readable, terutama setelah masuk bab kilas balik masa kecil Khomeini dan sejarah dinasti Qajar. Tidak banyak informasi baru yang saya dapatkan, dan terasa datar karena buku ini semata-mata adalah urutan berbagai peristiwa yang melatarbelakangi dan mengikuti Revolusi. Dua jempol untuk foto-foto bersejarah yang disisipkan di tengah.

Kesan utama yang saya dapatkan setelah membaca buku ini adalah bahwa dalam politik tidak ada pahlawan dan tidak ada bajingan, pahlawan bisa jadi bajingan dan bajingan bisa jadi pahlawan. Yang ada hanya kerakusan dan kekuasaan.

Beberapa quote favorit:
[Tentang Negara Islam] "Memberontak terhadap pemerintahan Tuhan berarti memberontak terhadap Tuhan. Dan memberontak terhadap Tuhan berarti penghujatan." [Khomeini]

[Tentang Dinas Rahasia SAVAK]
Jendral Pakravan berkata, "Politik adalah dusta, penipuan, hina dan kejam. Serahkan saja politik pada kami."
Khomeini menjawab, "Semua dari Islam adalah politik."

[Tentang Khomeini]
Mantan murid Khomeini di Najaf, "Di Qom [Khomeini] ingin menjadi pemimpin agama, di Najaf dia ingin menjadi pemimpin politik."

[Penyiksaan oleh SAVAK]
"Mereka menggantung kamu terbalik, lalu seseorang mencambukimu di kaki atau di kemaluanmu, atau mereka menurunkanmu, memeloroti celanamu, dan mencoba memperkosamu ketika kamu masih tergantung terbalik."

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Khomeini. The most iconic and notorious islamist to grace the modern world. But what experiences and factors turned him into the man he was and motivated him into creating the Middle East's most successful (read oppressive)Religious dictatorship? In Con Coughlin's Khomeini's ghost, we take a wild ride through Iran and explore the historical/political/social factors which led to a selfish, autocratic Islamist come to power.

Let's begin with Khomeini himself. He may have become a fanatical despot when he got off the Air France 747 in exile but this book probes into his early years and reveals some surprising gems. For starters, he once dabbled in satire, writing risqué poems about the then Grand Ayatollah's womanising. Also for a rigid Islamist fanatic, he was a surprisingly benign husband and parent. We then explore the years where he first met the man he would overthrow (hate at first sight), formulated his ideas of a religious dictatorship and how he slowly developed into a highly competent political animal rivalling the backstabbing Josef Stalin.

The book also takes us through Iranian history, how it kept getting treated like a chew toy by Britain and Russia, how Iran was on the verge of having a democracy before it got destroyed again by Britain and Russia, how the Pahlavi dynasty came to power etc. The Palavi dynasty section is very interesting. Despite trying to drag Iran into the 21st century in a highly commendable effort, the Shah of Iran also blew money on military equipment and gaudy trinkets while the poverty level and underclass slowly increased due to the wealth not being spread around, something Khomeini took advantage of.

Overall, I highly recommend this book as it delves into the head of the most influential Islamist radical of modern history, how he came to power, how his legacy endures and an understanding of how Iran became one of the biggest state sponsors of terrorism worldwide. ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED

[Rob Gaines · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read on this subject. It's very readable, is filled with facts and footnotes. I couldn't memorize all the names and facts, so I just absorbed the narrative as Coughlin presents it. That said, I feel I can use this book as a starting point to find more material to read on the subject. Or I could read it all over again with more eye to detail

It felt very hawkish at the beginning (I'm more a peace and harmony kind of guy), but later I found it is simply very critical of all US Presidents' policies toward the Islamic Republic of Iran. It provides an excellent historical summary that helps to explain Khomeini's rise, going all the way back to the Persian Empire's relationship with the West in the 1750s.

I am much better informed about the Islamic Republic having read it and better understand the choices we face in how to deal with it.

[Rasha Yousif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written informative book about the life of Ruhollah Khomeini and his rise throughout the Shah's monarchy to the revolution which was called later the Islamic revolution when Khomeini took over the stole the revolution from the people!
The book is eye opening at so many levels and can relate the Khomeini vision to so many current events in the middle east. Its a must read for anyone who lives in the MENA region and anyone interested in the Middle East affairs.

[Ashwath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyday one of the best books I have read on the revolution. Well detailed. The language is simple and not too complicated. The link between the geo-political scenario as of today and the revolution is clearly depicted. Definitely a read for all those interested in understanding Iran. The book derives a lot of information the works of Dilip Hiro. The author himself was a journalist who covered the Iran-Iraq war. He definitely knows what he is talking about.

[Chakresh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written book on Iranian Revolutions - its inception, its rise and final consolidation of all the developments. The book gives an insight in the politics of Iran and thus middle east as well.

[Fatema Mansoori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about Khomeini's life and his revolution. Highly recommend it if you are interested in iranians politics.

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Con Coughlin is a journalist who, for more than thirty years, covered the Middle-East for the 'Daily Telegraph'.

In here he does more than to offer us a biography of the infamous Ayatollah. He also puts his revolution back into perspective, to show that it was a crucial turning point those consequences went beyond Iran.

Beginning with the Qajar dynasty and up to the fall of the Pahlavi, he offers a disturbing picture of what was the seed to such radicalism. Beyond dictatorship, he also exposes a violent country, mere pawn on the geopolitical chessboard but nevertheless playing its own cards to the point of causing its own bloodbaths, from Lebanon to Israel.

This book surely contains controversial passages -e.g. his attempts to establish links between the Iranian regime and Al-Qaeda in Irak. It remains, however, a powerful indictment of a regime sinking deeper and deeper into darkness.

The author here worried about such country gaining its own nuclear arsenal... We can't claim we didn't know what to expect!

[Richard Murff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The trick with covering fundamentally politic subjects in a hyper-ideological time is keeping that even keel in the writing. Con Coughlin executive foreign editor of the Daily Telegraph, is enough of a profession to pull it off while maintaining the tempo of an intriguing story.

The story is not just Ayatollah Ruholland Khomeini and his place in Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, but the violent aftershocks of a country "exporting revolution" across the Middle East. Khomeini's shrewd, even brilliant takeover of the movement to remove a corrupt and brutal Shah was only the first step in a foreign policy that some hardliners (at least claim to) bring on the Apocalypse. And the regimes near total disconnect from the Iranian population two generations later.

It is a gripping guide to background of a growing threat.Published in 2010, this is one of those few current events books that has managed to get more topical in the intervening decade since it was published.

[Bun · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book does an ok job at describing Khomeini's rise to power, but it suffers from a fundamentally liberal analysis in multiple aspects. It does not really meaningfully discuss Iranian or middle eastern antipathies to Israel and the United States, nor the motivations the Iranians had in supporting Khomeini other than just dismissing it as fundamentalist extremism. In addition, it suffers from a huge pro-US and pro-Israel bias in the modern sections, as it does not really discuss aggressions the US/Israel has done towards the region.

[Джордан · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book rather disappointing. I had expectations for the reasons his exile being much more dramatic. Still an interesting read but I also found it a bit too dry.

[Gisele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned some things. One of the things that surprised me was learning that Iran sent a letter of condolensce to the US after 9/11 happened.

[Jennifer Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far a superb superb book!
It's about 1979 Iran revolution and so far seems very lucid and objective,non judgmental..
I am still reading it,but couldn't help but update my review.
As an Indian,I always felt that the British seriously fucked up the world,and especially my own India.
But reading about how they ruined Iran so many times in the 20th century takes British savagery to another level!
This book is not pro Iran regime or the Ayatollah who are arguably the 1st ever Muslim terrorists known to us(The book mentions how the Ayatollah was an advocate for a terrorist group called Fidayeens of Islam which had origins in Iran and how he was successful in turning death sentence for their member to a life prison!)
The book can be described in 2 diff parts.The 1st being Iran when Ayatollah Khomeini was alive and the 2nd the part of Iran history past his death!When he was alive,Iran's focus was more inwards based and around Iran like in Iraq(Iran vs Iraq war) and Lebanon.
Once the Ayatollah died,the west was particularly hopeful to engage with 'Moderates' in Iran,namely Hashemi Rafasanjani,who was a shrewd politician,and projected a liberal reformist face to the wishy washy liberals in the west who fell for it!But Iran's 25 years after the death of Ayatollah are mired with evangelism of terrorism as one might put it!With Iran's export of Islamic terrorism expanding to Egypt,Lebanon,the Gulf,Saudi Arabia,Sudan,Somalia,Argentina Israel and even my India!As Iranians threatened feckless Indian national congress govt in India in mid 90s that India cannot forever 'bully' Muslims in Kashmir!Also I was surprised to know that the Ayatollah Khomeini was originally from Awadh kingdom of India!He was a poet and used 'Hindi' (Indian) in his pen name in his poems!I didn't know of this Indian connection before and was really surprised to know this!
The book is very balanced in that it tells the story of Iran since 1909,why Khomeini became so radical,how Brits and Russians really messed Iran up and why the nation is so freaking paranoid about the west!Yes,Brits really screwed this one up and Iran's skepticism about the west is fueled by British/Russian and later CIA misdeeds.The book is very well organized in chapters on the revolution,factors which caused the revolution and on Iran-Iraq war,on Israel/Palestine,on Iranian Nukes etc!
There are lessons for Indian politicians too in this book,Indian right due to their prejudices vs Sunni Muslims(who are majority of Muslims in India and Pakistan,and the world) consider Shia community as friends and believe that Iran can be a reliable friend of India!It's too much wishful thinking!Yes,Shias vote like Hindus in Indian elections and are involved in very very few terror attacks, if at all in India compared to Sunnis and they are persecuted in Pakistan too.They as a community dont amount to any kind of danger to India,but Shia regime and Mullahs in Iran are NOT our friends!Ultimate goal of the terrorist Mullahs of Iran is to spread Muslim terror worldwide and India is one of the prime target hence Indians need to be realistic in approach to Iran as long as Mullahs are in power!
The book highlights how Iran has exported terror worldwide and how it aims to establish a global Muslim empire and actually works for it!I wish it had covered 1979 American Embassy siege in more detail and how prez Carter proved to be a hopeless leader in that case.

[Behrooz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, interesting book about the historical change in Iran. Very informative.

[Moinak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would want to give this book 2.5 stars and not three.
It is an awesome read and extremely well researched; but while reading it, I had to remember that every coin has "two" sides. Demonizing a person and a country while portraying US as the sole-whole-hearted-true-savior-of-Mankind-on-the-planet is probably not the correct picture; and this is exactly what reduces the number of stars according to me.

Some sections "seemed" very questionable: example: a section says that Iran had completely removed a nuclear site from one location to the other because there were international inspections about to take place about Iran's nuclear capabilities; to the extent that they had wiped the area clean of even trees to hide traces of Uranium from leaves! So when the team arrived for inspection they found nothing!!! REALLY!!! If they found nothing, how does the author know this for a "true" fact. The author mentions a British news agency in the notes for the source! Again, when inspectors found nothing - how legitimate is the source of information. (Deliberately I am keeping the details vague here so that I don't give out spoilers). US attacked Iraq and destroyed Saddam Hussain's reign on the pretext of WMDs that Iraq was said to have had. Well, later US said "oh ! sorry, we found nothing!"

However, an extremely gripping book for anyone interested to understand "why-the-world-(possibly)-is-what-it-is-today" 1

[Greg Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written. Tried hard to be objective, to the extent that there were fewer overarching lessons than many similar books would have. But the world is a messy place, and Iran more so than most of the rest of it, so overarching lessons aren't always helpful.

With a name like Khomeini's Ghost, I thought most of the book would cover Iran after his death. I was wrong. But his life was plenty interesting, so that's not a complaint.

Recommended as an introductory lesson in recent Iranian history.

[Bill Perrin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dreadful. Strong impression the author was paid by some unsavoury US propaganda outfit. Not really an historical account.