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The Fall of a 20th Century King

Writer William Shawcross's new book profiles the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown during the Iranian revolution. Despite his despotic rule -- including the brutal deployment of the SAVAK secret police -- the Shah advanced some reforms in education and women's rights. He was an ally to the United States; who provided the Iranian state with money for weapons.

27:45
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Other segments from the episode on October 20, 1988

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, October 20, 1988: Interview with William Shawcross; Review of Albert Goldman's book "The Lives of John Lennon" and the film "Imagine"; Interview with Noel Hynd; Review of…
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06:15

Reviewing John Legend

John Lennon's life and legacy are revisited in a new film and biography. Rock critic Ken Tucker says Albert Goldman's book The Lives of John Lennon is an inelegant hatchet job that portrays the musician in a harsh light; the film Imagine, on the other hand, is little more than treacly hagiography.

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A New Biography of Iran's Fallen Shah

Book Critic John Leonard reviews The Shah's Last Ride by journalist William Shawcross. The book documents the Iranian leader's rise with the help of Western intervention, and his overthrow during the Islamic Revolution.

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Western Attitudes Toward Refugees

Journalist William Shawcross says that countries in the West are often fatigued by the perpetual struggles of refugees around the world. He recently wrote the introduction for the book Forced Out; an earlier book of his own, called The Quality of Mercy, covered Cambodians fleeing the American bombing and the Pol Pot regime.

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