Deadly Secrets of Iranian Princes

Book excerpt: Every once in a while, someone with unprecedented access to the truth, lifts the veil in a memoir so stark and revealing that it has the power to reframe history and our perceptions of those who defined it. Pascal Mahvi's book is one such to me. The Deadly Secrets of Iranian Princes, which spans three decades, is Mahvi's candid account of his struggle growing up straddling two cultures and in the process reconciling his own identity both as an American and a descendant of Iranian royalty. When the newly appointed Shah of Iran reaches out to Mahvi's father to become his chief advisor and confidante, young Pascal is thrust into the controversial leader's elite inner-sanctum during one of the most pivotal periods in history. The author's story of survival is at once both riveting and poignant, offering rare, intimate glimpses of the Shah at his most human away from the glare of the spotlight. It is also a window into the surprising strengths and frailties of some of the world's most famous celebrities from the deeply personal perspective of someone who unexpectedly finds himself an intimate part of their world. Told through the eyes of a son forced to become a man against a backdrop of unimaginable danger and sacrifice, Deadly Secrets of Iranian Princes is the front page story that hasn't been broken...until now. The revelations in this book, from corporate treason and corrupt government to the surreal demands of being an insider in the shadow of a nuclear arms race are sure to ignite a firestorm of controversy, especially for those whose betrayals will finally become public. More than a news story, at its heart, Deadly Secrets of Iranian Princes is also a haunting testimonial to the complexities of extreme privilege and the unforgettable chronicle of one man's quest to honor his father....