Download or read book Pivot of the Universe written by Abbas Amanat and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 572 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In this book, the first in English about Nasir al-Din Shah, Abbas Amanat gives us both a biography of the man and an analysis of the institution of monarchy in modern Iran. Amanat poses a fundamental question: how did monarchy, the center-piece of an ancient political order, withstand and adjust to the challenges of modern times, both at home and abroad? Nasir al-Din Shah's life and career, his upbringing and personality, and his political conduct provide remarkable material for answering this question.