"The Shah's last ride" is an enjoyable recounting of the Peacock throne, the Shah of Iran and the Iranian Revolution in 1979. One forgets that the Shah was one of the more important figures of the 20th Century as he was a key figure in the Cold War as a western ally on the border of the Soviet Union.

We get the full details of the Shah's upbringing and his attempts to modernise Iran, much to the chagrin of segments of the deeply Muslim population. SAVAK, Iran's secret police, are mentioned in all their glory, and the Shahbanu Farah Pahlavi's role in westernising Iran is covered. Her efforts should be applauded, although you can probably imagine that her launch of an arts festival that included nudity in the streets of Tehran probably gave the Ayatollah's supporters plenty to complain about. ( )