The Islamic Revolution in Iran, the collapse of the pro-United States Pahlavi monarchy, and its replacement by a hostile Islamist regime marked the beginning of a new phase of near continuous U.S. engagement in the Middle East. Nearly 50 years later, we’ve seen several wars, one lengthy occupation, and (most recently) the first major U.S. military action against Iran itself.

King of Kings, the rollicking new account from Scott Anderson, brings the cataclysmic events of 1978-79 back into focus. The book emphasizes the inertia of U.S. policymaking and the chaotic, unforeseen nature of political change—themes that resonate at a time when Iran policy has stalled, even as domestic developments suggest powerful and unpredictable shifts are on the horizon.

The Islamic Revolution in Iran, the collapse of the pro-United States Pahlavi monarchy, and its replacement by a hostile Islamist regime marked the beginning of a new phase of near continuous U.S. engagement in the Middle East. Nearly 50 years later, we’ve seen several wars, one lengthy occupation, and (most recently) the first major U.S. military action against Iran itself.

King of Kings, the rollicking new account from Scott Anderson, brings the cataclysmic events of 1978-79 back into focus. The book emphasizes the inertia of U.S. policymaking and the chaotic, unforeseen nature of political change—themes that resonate at a time when Iran policy has stalled, even as domestic developments suggest powerful and unpredictable shifts are on the horizon.

King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation, Scott Anderson, Doubleday, 512 pp., $35, August 2025

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