Duty and loyalty

This is the first comprehensive biography of an Iranian statesman who was not very well known to the general public outside his own country. In the 1950's, General Zahedi was Mossadegh's very active companion during the national movement for the nationalization of Iranian oil and against Britain's influence in Iran. He later became his successor, and was the man who succeeded in stabilizing the situation.

Many historians compare Zahedi to the English General George Monck (1608-1670), Cromwell's companion who, after the latter's death, was at the origin of the restoration of the British monarchy.

This biography, based on Zahedi's family's personal archives that the author was able to consult, and on secret American and British diplomatic documents that are now available to the public, sheds light on many little-known aspects of the history of contemporary Iran and the Middle East.

Houchang Nahavandi, writer and academic, was formerly the rector of the Universities of Tehran and Shiraz ; he also served as Minister of Development under the Iranian monarchy. After the revolution he taught in several Parisian universities. He is a laureate of the Académie française and a Corresponding Member of the Institut de France. He is the author of numerous books on Iran and Islamism, several of which have been translated into English, Persian, Arabic and Polish.