Description
Book SynopsisThis is a new edition of the bestselling biography of the Iranian leader who influenced the current global Islamic revival.When the Ayatollah Khomeini burst onto the international scene in the late 1970s, radical Islam became a factor of political life that would change the world. And with the Iranian Revolution that Khomeini led in 1978/79, religion once more moved centre stage in world politics. Who was this frail octogenarian who became the inspiration for a new militant Islam? Khomeini was the most radical Muslim reader of this age. He launched an Islamic revival movement which quickly turned him into a hero for his supporters and a viallin for his enemies.In the process, Khomeini became one of the seminal figures of the modern age. Still an enigma in the West, Khomeini transformed the Middle East and the world. But where did the man come from? What was his childhood and family background? How did the turbulent events in Iran during his youth shape Khomeini's politics? What changed him from an obscure traditional theologian into a competitive and vengefulradical set to reshape the Middle East? With radical political Islam now clearly central in all attempts to understand the international political scene today, this compelling biography of the man who started it all beomes essential reading for observers of the Middle East and world affairs.
Trade Review"'This is an important account of how Khomeini the man and the seminal, historical phenomenon may well linger on as a notional inspiration for modern Iran' - Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Journal of Peace Research 'In spite of the modesty of its author, the book is highly detailed and full of the insights only a well-informed author can bring' - John King, BBC Arabic Service"
Table of ContentsPreface The Orphan: Childhood in Khomein In the Seminary: Student Years in Qom In Search of Perfection: Taking Refuge in Mysticism The Formation of a Politician: Reza Shah and After Challenging His Majesty Khomeini and the Shah in Conflict The Leader: Khomeini and the 1963 Uprising Arrest and Imprisonment The Emergence of a Political Ayatollah In the Den of the Snakes: Exile in Turkey and Iraq Waiting in the Wings: Iran Prepares for Revolution Khomeini in Paris: The End of an Empire Revolution: The Return of the Imam The Ruler: Creating an Islamic Republic The Warrior and his Theocracy: Khomeini Defies the World The Rise of the Phoenix: Khomeini's Last Months Khomeini's End: Death of a Patriarch Notes Select Bibliography Index
