The Fall of Heaven: the Pahlavis and the Final Days of Imperial Iran by Andrew Scott Cooper
Review by Sabrina Pecorelli
The short:
In this extraordinary portrait of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Andrew Scott Cooper tells the fascinating story of one of Iran’s most complex rulers as he transformed and modernized the nation with Western-style reforms.
The long:
This book offers an in-depth understanding of Iran’s pre-revolutionary events as well as the tensions that led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of an Islamic Republic. Mohammad Reza Shah was the last monarch of Iran, and his rule influenced the 1979 Revolution as well as the country’s shift to a more conservative government. The book navigates through the entire Pahlavi Dynasty, starting with Mohammad’s father Reza Shah and his social, political, and economic reforms.
Its meticulous research includes firsthand accounts from royalists and revolutionaries, to the Shah’s widow and the first elected Iranian president, and even testimonials from American diplomats and White House officials.
The first part narrates the beginning of Reza Shah’s liberalization policies and how they created the revolutionary sentiments that culminated in the revolution a couple of decades later. It also captures a fascinating insight to the deliberations that went on inside the Shah’s inner circle, as some members argued for strict crackdowns and some wanted to appease moderate elements. Interestingly, one of the strongest voices for greater modernization was the Shah’s wife Empress Farah, emerging from the book as Iran’s Princess of the people.
The second part focuses more on the events directly leading up to the Revolution, as well as the Revolution itself and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini. It shines a light on the Shah’s ignorance toward his people’s grievances and how disconnected he was from the general population.
The read or not to read:
For those interested in a more personal understanding of the Pahlavi era and of the Pahlavis themselves, this book is a fascinating close up of one of the most controversial families of Iran’s twentieth century.