A rare and riveting chronicle of a major political story of our time. Powerful personal stories are woven together to provide new insight and understanding. Well-researched, well-written and well worth reading -- Lyse Doucet Stolen Revolution is a must-read for anyone seeking an honest appraisal of revolutionary Iran and the bloody twists and turns of its theocratic regime. By narrating Irans convulsive modern history through the lives of six Iranians in clear prose and engaging personal detail, authors Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Yeganeh Torbati have turned a potentially complex story into one that is compulsively readable, and they deserve high praise for this achievement. I found Stolen Revolution unputdownable, and cannot recommend it highly enough -- Jon Lee Anderson Rarely has a book been so timely, and so apposite. By chronicling the Iranian revolution through the lives of six Iranians in the tradition of John Herseys classic Hiroshima Sharafedin and Torbati tell the story of modern Iran in a compelling and accessible way. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the protests that broke out in January 2026, and the Islamic Republics resistance to the subsequent attacks by the US and Israel -- Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor, Channel 4 News and author of I BROUGHT THE WAR WITH ME This excellent, rigorous, sensitive book tells the tragic but often inspiring story of Iran over the last fifty years. It is a rare window into a rich and varied world of protest, ideology, hope and fear. Essential for anybody interested in the country and the Middle East -- Jason Burke, author of THE REVOLUTIONISTS This book would have been important to read at any time, but now it is essential reading . . . beautifully written and in its portrayal of the lives of key Iranians betrayed by the revolution extraordinarily powerful -- Jack Straw, former British Foreign Secretary Stolen Revolution is a captivating read, and illuminates the human motivations that drove the 1979 revolution and its fallout. Sharafedin and Torbati's intimate storytelling makes you feel like you have the rare privilege of really knowing the six Iranian protagonists who will go on to surprise you in the decisions they take. Whether this is your first book on Iran or your tenth, it will show you something new -- YUAN YANG, author of PRIVATE REVOLUTIONS A profoundly affecting account of life in modern Iran through the eyes and experiences of a group of remarkable and remarkably brave individuals. It is also a sobering examination of the brutal instruments of repression the regime employs to maintain power. This is one of the most incisive works on Iranian society in a generation -- Scott Anderson, author of KING OF KINGS Stolen Revolution is a vital dissection of Irans Islamic Republic over the past fifty years. Through the eyes of people at the heart of the countrys progressive resistance, Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Yeganeh Torbati reveal the deepest flaws of Ayatollah Ali Khameneis regime in Iran and the inspiring resilience of those fighting for its improvement. With the worlds gaze on Irans future, this compelling history is a must-read -- Cara McGoogan, author of THE POISON LINE A brilliant investigative history of modern Iran, a powerful story of ambition and survival amid the deepening coercion and repression of the Islamic regime. With prodigious research and unforgettable characters, the authors reveal the truth about Irans tumultuous revolutionary epoch from mullahs to start-ups and offer hope for a future beyond it -- David E. Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar Spy, a New York Times bestseller, and The Dead Hand, winner of the Pulitzer Prize Rigorous and revelatory, a kaleidoscopic history of modern Iran that is gripping and suspenseful and endlessly interesting. Torbati and Sharafedin tell the vivid story of a group of idealists who have crashed up against the realities of a revolutionary project gone terribly awry. A masterwork of reporting, this book is a kind of skeleton key for understanding the present moment -- Jonathan Blitzer, author of EVERYONE WHO IS GONE IS HERE The best book to understand Iran today. Torbati and Sharafedin have written a masterful narrative that moves seamlessly between grand historical turning points and the intimate details of private lives . . . Beautifully written, perfectly timed, and impossible to put down, Stolen Revolution is a kaleidoscopic portrait of modern Iran by two of its most clear-eyed observers -- Edward Fishman, bestselling author of CHOKEPOINTS Stolen Revolution is truly revelatory. It is at once a searing exposéshowing how the Islamic Republic really works, and for whomand a tragic tale of all that has been robbed, materially and morally, of Iranians who sought to make their country a better place. It is investigative and narrative journalism at their best -- Laura Secor, author of CHILDREN OF PARADISE Anyone who cares about the future of Iran should read Stolen Revolution. Yeganeh Torbati and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin explain how the 1979 revolution was subverted by Iran's corrupt and arrogant leadersand how courageous Iranians continued to fight for a free and modern country. The Iranian people's struggle, told here though more than 130 interviews, should inspire us all -- David Ignatius A consciousness-changing record of the oppression of extremism lived and resisted at the personal level . . . We are left with a portrait of a nation more nuanced, complicated, and promising than the worldand perhaps even its own leadershave fully appreciated * Kirkus Reviews *
