The Coup: 1953, the CIA, and the Roots of Modern U.S. - Iranian Revelations

In August 1953, the U. S. Central Intelligence Agency orchestrated the swift overthrow of Iran?s democratically elected leader and installed Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in his place. Over the next twenty-six years, the United States backed the unpopular, authoritarian shah and his secret police; in exchange, it reaped a huge share of Iran?s oil wealth.

The blowback was inevitable, as this “relevant, readable? (Kirkus Reviews) history by noted Iran scholar Ervand Abrahamian shows. When the 1979 Iranian Revolution deposed the shah and replaced his puppet government with a radical Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the shift reverberated throughout the Middle East and the world, casting a long, dark shadow over U. S.-Iran relations that extends to the present day.

In this “well-documented account [that] will become indispensable reading for students of the modern Middle East? (Choice), Abrahamian uncovers little-known documents that challenge conventional interpretations and also sheds new light on how the American role in the coup influenced U. S.-Iranian relations, both past and present. Offering “new insights into his history-shattering event? (Reason.com), Abrahamian?s riveting account will change America?s understanding of a crucial turning point in modern U. S.-Iranian relations.