All the Shah’s Men

by Stephen Kinzer · 2003

All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror is a detailed narrative of the 1953 CIA‑backed overthrow of Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. Drawing on declassified CIA reports and extensive research, Stephen Kinzer reconstructs the hour‑by‑hour drama of Operation Ajax, the role of British oil interests, and the involvement of figures such as Kermit Roosevelt. The book argues that the coup set the stage for the Shah’s authoritarian rule, the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the rise of anti‑American militancy across the Middle East, making it a vital study of foreign intervention and its long‑term consequences.