interesting , learned a lot 

Written with an experienced veteran journalists keen observations, this tiny book boils down a revolution generations in the making to a few flash points. He describes the last Shah of Iran, a ruler with absolute power, living in a universe completely removed from his subjects.

Kapuścinski witnessed 27 revolutions during his tenure as a foreign correspondent. He reported on the decolonisation in Africa, and in South America, so he tends towards making sweeping generalisations while discussing revolution. By no measure an expert on Iranian history or culture, yet he manages to capture the atmosphere of dread, the fear that permeated every day; the reign of terror of the Savak, the secret police.

He does leave out some essentials, like CIA intervention, but the book as a whole focuses more on the mentality that developed in the public rather than the foreign influences, on the grassroots engine of a revolution. I really enjoyed the way he depicted Mosaddegh, the prime minister, and his fraught relationship with the Shah. He also stays away from dry historical facts like exact dates and random names in favour of some journalistic liberties to give a simpler, purer portrait of events.

The best thing about this book is that it made me do research. I was on the internet every few pages looking things up out if genuine curiousity, because it got me so invested in finding out every detail. I didn't know very much about the Iranian Revolution before so I'm so glad I read this.

Kapuściński crea en este libro un retrato heterogéneo sobre un hecho de consecuencias palpables hasta hoy: La caída de la monarquía en Irán, con el consiguiente ascenso al poder de los ayatollahs teocráticos. Ágil y certero, vaga por la sociedad iraní en su conjunto en busca de respuestas a la caída de una monarquía milenaria y rica, de afán aparentemente modernizador; pero que escondía tal red de corruptela y violencia que creó la alienación que alimentó su fin. Una vívida reconstrucción de qué y cómo llega un pueblo a protagonizar sangrientas manifestaciones y marchas para cambiarlo todo... sin cambiar nada en el fondo. Un imprescindible, uno más, del autor polaco.