Blood & Oil: A Prince's Memoir of Iran, from the Shah to the Ayatollah (Paperback)

~ Manucher Farmanfarmaian (Author), Roxane Farmanfarmaian (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

PEN/West Award Finalist


"        Told with energy, perception and great charm. . . . For anyone who wants     to . . . gain insight into the great cultural and political richness of Iran, past, present and future, this book is a marvelous introduction."        
--Fred Halliday, Los Angeles Times

Iran was the first country in the Middle East to develop an oil industry, and oil has been central to its tumultuous twentieth-century history. A finalist for the PEN/West Award, Blood and Oil tells the epic inside story of the battle for Iranian oil. A prominent member of one of Iran's most powerful aristocratic families--so feared by Khomeini that the entire clan was blacklisted--Prince Manucher Farmanfarmaian was raised in a harem at the heart of Iran's imperial court. With wit and provocative detail, he describes the days when he served as the Shah's oil adviser and pioneered the partnership that resulted in OPEC. Beautifully written and epic in its scope, this scintillating memoir provides a fascinating history of modern Iran.

"        Distinguished by its political acumen, historical sense, and vividness of description and anecdote. It is also notable for a wry sense of humour. . . . Amid the euphoria about the development of the oilfields of Central Asia and the Transcaucasus, [its] lesson should be kept in mind."  
                                         --Anatol Lieven, Financial Times

"A book of stunning beauty . . . One of the best accounts of the cultural and political life of modern Iran, it is exquisite and intimate, rendered with art-istry and detail."                                                                     --Fouad Ajami

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (December 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812975081
• ISBN-13: 978-0812975086
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #944,518 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars engaging account of Iran, March 26, 2007

By	Luis Mansilla Miranda (Viña del Mar, Chile) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I came to this book interested more in the history of AIOC (Anglo-Iranian Petroleum Company). After reading these long worthy pages, I cannot but to praise the author for his engaging account of the Twentieth century history of Iran, although is just one view of the events, one side of the history.

This book provide a rich insight of the culture, religion and life of Persia, but also, the rol of Britain, United States and France in some of the important moments of Iran. This book is an excellent source in order to know more about the creation of OPEC, Venezuela's oil policy, Mossadeq overthrown and the description of the Ayatollah Khomeini bloody revolution. After reading these pages you realize how difficult is to rule in Iran since there are lots of conflict of interest and self interest, corruption and a powerful clergy, at least in those years.

In my opinion, and despite it may sound as cliché, Iran must learn from his history and errors.I only wish the best for Iran, peace and prosperity for its people. It all depends on its goverment and the strategy they take to become part of this globalized world and to live in peace.