When Ayatollah Khomeini burst onto the international stage in the late 1970s, radical Islam emerged as a powerful force in political life that would go on to change the world. With the Iranian Revolution, which Khomeini led in 1978–79, religion once again took center stage in global politics.
Who was this frail octogenarian who became the inspiration for a new wave of militant Islam? Khomeini was the most radical Muslim leader of his era. He launched a movement of Islamic revival that quickly transformed him into a hero for his supporters and a villain for his enemies. In the process, Khomeini became one of the defining figures of the modern age.
Still something of an enigma in the West, Khomeini reshaped the Middle East and influenced the wider world. But where did he come from? What were his childhood and family background like? How did the turbulent events in Iran during his youth shape his political outlook? What transformed him from an obscure, traditional theologian into a radical, determined, and uncompromising leader bent on reshaping the Middle East?
With radical political Islam now clearly central to any attempt to understand today's international political landscape, this compelling biography of the man who helped set these events in motion is essential reading for anyone interested in the Middle East and global affairs.