From Palace to Prison - by Ehsan Naraghi (Paperback)

About the Book

An unusual and illuminating account of the Iranian revolution of 1979, based upon the authorOs long conversations with the Shah in the weeks before his downfall, and upon his own 33-month experience in prisonNthe first testimony to come from a survivor of the Islamic republicOs jails.

Book Synopsis

This unusual and illuminating account of the Iranian revolution of 1979 is far more than an insider's memoir of the shah's downfall and the rise of the Islamic republic. It is also a unique behind-the-scenes view of Iran's tempestuous politics and society. In the first half of the book, the author, a prominent Iranian sociologist, engagingly recounts his long conversations with the shah in the weeks before the revolution. Here is the shah at bay, a man overtaken by events and unbelievably ignorant of the causes of the popular agitation against him. Mr. Naraghi provides an unparalleled picture of the revolutionary events as seen through the eyes of those at the very center of power. In the second half of the book the author recalls his thirty-three-month experience in prison-the first testimony to come from a survivor of the Islamic republic's jails. In a rich, intensely human portrait of his co-prisoners and his jailors, Mr. Naraghi powerfully reconstructs his prison world as a microcosm of the political earthquake that engulfed Iran. His book is a highly readable and authentic counterpoint to Not Without My Daughter.

From the Back Cover

"On September 28, 1978, I was summoned to the Saadabad Palace for the first of eight audiences with the Shah spread over the last hundred days of his reign. During these meetings the monarch, anxious to understand the growing revolutionary crisis in Iran and if possible to find a way out, questioned me closely about my views of the situation...". So begins Ehsan Naraghi's unusual and illuminating account of the Iranian revolution of 1979. Far more than an insider's memoir of the Shah's downfall and the rise of the Islamic Republic, it is also a unique behind-the-scenes view of Iran's tempestuous politics and society. In the first half of the book, Naraghi, a prominent Iranian sociologist, engagingly recounts his long conversations with the Shah in the weeks before the revolution. Here is the Shah at bay, a man overtaken by events and unbelievably ignorant of the causes of the popular agitation against him. Naraghi provides an unparalleled picture of the revolutionary events as seen through the eyes of those at the very center of power. In the second half of the book the author recalls his thirty-three-month experience in prison - the first testimony to come from a survivor of the Islamic Republic's jails. In a rich, intensely human portrait of his fellow prisoners and his jailors, Naraghi powerfully reconstructs his prison world as a microcosm of the political earthquake that engulfed Iran.

Review Quotes

"Naraghi seeks the truth in the most dangerous places, shakes the conscience, and enlightens the world." --Mohammed Arkoun

"A moving account...Naraghi analyzes without rancor the vast fresco of Iranian society." --Paul Balta, Le Monde

"Unique and fascinating...a book by a compassionate and understanding observer. This account will be long remembered." --Richard N. Frye, Emeritus Professor of Iranian Studies, Harvard University, Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Ehsan Naraghi founded Teheran University's respected Institute of Social Studies and Research in the early 1960s, later moved to UNESCO, and returned to Iran in 1975 to become director of the Institute of Research and Planning in Science and Education. He now lives and works in Paris.