This is not only a history of Iran but also a whole section of our contemporary history. It begins in 1935 when the author was a fifteen-year-old student in Berlin and ends forty-four years later with the Islamic revolution. Because of his privileged position, Amir Aslan Afshar offers us a candid look behind the scenes of the 1979 Revolution. His experiences and observations refute the standard narrative of why the Shah left Iran and why and how the Iranian monarchy ended. Throughout his memoirs, he tries to draw the characters of the players in this modern fresco -- both friends and enemies -- most of whom he knew very well. His unwavering loyalty to the Shah, to whom he was a close confidante, does not prevent Afshar from denouncing and condemning the infamous SAVAKs virulent and corrupt behaviour. Amir Aslan Afshar was born in Tehran. He has had a brilliant and illustrious diplomatic and political career. He represented Iran as ambassador to the United States, Germany, and Austria. In 1979 he was appointed as Grandmaster of Protocol of the imperial court. He served in that position until the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979. He was with the Shah during the kings nineteen-month exile. He presently lives in Nice.