Rating: 
Summary: A riveting, touching and personal revelation
Review: What an amazing book! I was profoundly touched by the humanity, honesty and emotional openness of the writer. What a gripping emotional roller coaster of a life. It helped me better understand what really went on in Iran during those dark years. It's an opportunity to grasp the depth of the issues at hand, feel the human anguish, and open up to a different perspective on the key players of this extra-ordinary yet very real saga.
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Summary: A Touching and Important Autobiography
Review: A revealing personal account of an important public figure of our time. This book provides an intimate look inside the world of pre-revolutionary Iran, as well as an emotional and poignant narrative of the post-revolutionary life of the Iranian royal family. For Iran scholars and enthusiasts, as well as for aficionados of biographies, this is a must-read. It provides personal details about the life of the royal family (including their experience of the revolution, relationships with various world leaders pre- and post-revolution, the Shah's illness, as well as the politics behind its mismanagement) which many people are unaware of.
It is also a touching autobiography of a public figure who has maintained incredible grace and dignity despite very difficult circumstances.
Many books have been written about people's experiences of the Iranian revolution, by members of the Shah's regime as well as by its opponents. How can you miss reading this one?
Rating: 
Summary: Missed Opportunity
Review: This could have been a really interesting book. Instead it's treacle attempting to be Queen Noor's book.If Farah had more humor and wit, she could have included the Shah's interview with Orianna Fallaci in which he said that men are superior to women (in his view, not mine - I don't want my wife to leave me). Farah could have commented on how she felt about howlers like that.[...]
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Summary: A memoir overdue!
Review: Wonderful timing wonderfull book and wonderful words to set the record right.
The memoir of Farah (Diba) Pahlavi, widow of the Shah of Iran, has been overdue.
The bookstores were thirsty of completing their shelves by this book; the bookstore near my office ran out the first day. Both queen and Shah were dear to the heart of millions in Iran, the communism and fundamentalism joint-venture never liked orderly fashion of living. They are influenced by their disorderly system of mentality. Their joint-venture with help of foreign press and oil sisters destroyed a country that was close to be called Japan of Persian Gulf.
What Pahlavi dynasty delivered to Iran is not parallels to Saddam or any ruler around the world. True Pahlavi's story, needed time to emerge and Farah Pahlavi patiently provided such time. The Barbara Walter, of ABC's 20/20 interview with Farah Pahlavi (Shahbano) is the compliment of this book, sat the record right. When the real differences emerged, today's world demonstrated is sorrow by establishment of Islamic Regime in Iran, their end result is Taliban. The book brings out the truth, one of the reasons for us reading negative posting in this site. Controversial subject always creates negative and positive critic, which is healty. This is a wonderful book that made me proud and said out loud whatever million Iranians waited to let out, this touching and inspirational words are here for the world to read. She wrote with a contagious affection for her Iran, her love and the culture that nourished the world.
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Summary: Dignity and Grace
Review: Shahbanou Farah's book has many facets. From childhood in Iran to her student years in France, she writes about a life many can identify with. Once she married the late Shah, her life changed forever. In this book she writes about herself as wife, mother and role model for an entire nation. She carried herself with dignity and grace throughout those years, and she focused her energy on charity work, educational progress, women's rights and the arts. Wherever she went in Iran, people loved her. However, with the tumultuous events of the 1979 Islamic revolution, one tragic event after another tested her endurance. The real tragedy of this story is that she and her husband had been true patriots and lovers of Iran, an Iran they had brought out of backwardness and third-world status, working towards democracy and being the 'island of stability' in that region. Still today she carries on with grace and dignity because of her enduring love for her country and its people.
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Summary: A Life story unlike any other.
Review: This book takes us through the life story of a woman who has seen the highest highs and the lowest lows - and throughout has kept her humility, dignity and incomparable grace. This story will give you great understanding of the politics of Iran and how they have drastically changed in the last 50 years.
Iran being a catalyst for Islamic fundementalism since the fall of the Shah; this tale will illuminate you on the daily struggles of the Shah - having to cope with foreign interests, Communism and the dark cloud of Islamic fundementalism. These memoirs will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, from hope to despair, from love to hatred. The Struggle for light over darkness, for enlightenment over the obscurantism of the clerical regime come to light in Enduring Love, My Life With the Shah: A Memoir.
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Summary: FINAL REALITY
Review: I am glad finally the queen of Iran decide to write the real story behind all the lies and rumors.It is true story of shah of Iran from Queen that every one loves.The book it is must for a movie and queen needs to bring it to screen as soon as possible .This book it is well written and it it is going to be the best seller in the world.God bless the queen.Please Mrs Farah Pahlavi have more interview about your book.
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Summary: Graceful, truthful and utterly powerful!
Review: This is an amazing book, that truly sheds light on the power, grace and profound loss of a woman, not simply an Empress. She does so, with tremendous integrity and honesty. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in true love, history, the drama of life. For thos who have chosend to diminish the Shah and his reign, I have a bit of advice. To the non Persian readers whom have called the Shah a tryannical ruler and a dictator....If he was truly such a man, he would have followed the advise of King Hussein of Jordan and commanded a tank battalion and crushed the protestors. However instead he chose to relinquish his crown so that not a single person sheds their blood. Even his harshest critics will site this mans humanity and grace. The reviews that I have read from outsiders can be best described as a novice chef imparting instructions on how to make a souffle having never made one, and then having the temerity and gall to describe the taste never having eaten one!
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Summary: No concept of history
Review: Farah Pahlavi may have love for her husband and her country. Well, that does not make up for everything that her husband was for. He was installed in power instead of Mohammed Mossadegh, a true patriot, to protect the interests of the oil of US and UK. That led to the disastrous consequences. Granted that he gave civil liberties (as long as you do not criticize the monarchy) and there was religious freedom and the government there now is worse than what was there. It depends on the perspective of the person. If you are a common man who has no gripes against the Shah, then you have everything OK. If you are in cahoots with him, then things are great. If you have problems with him, then heaven preserve you. All this is conveniently left out from this book. Anyone can take the life of a person and leave out the relevant portions and make a person look good. There are no details of the misguided life that their family had, including the looting, the torturing of the political prisoners, a small cabal of people having all the wealth and power. When a revolution happens, it does not necessarily produce rosy results. Look at the Russian revolution and its results. The Shah is responsible for the Iranian revolution and the deadly backlash. For all my Iranian friends who feel that we cannot comment on their country and its state, well, they have not yet learnt what freedom of speech is. If they had gone back to the Shah, who knows what would have happened. There is no jealousy in this review. I read enough about Persian history and know that this was the low sink point for Iran. I know that Pahlavis want to come back to power badly. A good start would be to admit the wrongs, but that would never happen would it. Portraying him as Nelson Mandela who was betrayed by all can get the sympathy of a few, well, not all will bite. Unfortunately madam, too many know the history of your family. Better luck next time. I am sorry that she lost her daughter. No parent should go through that, however, it is shameful that she tries to get political milage out of that incident too. Difficult situations produce the best and worst in people, the Pahlavis have not learnt. Her daughter was living an expensive lifestyle. Any other mother would try to analyze the cause for the problem and try to do genuine repair. Look at how Mandela was unable to go to his son's funeral when he was in prison for 20+ years. When he came out, he bore no illwill towards those who incarcerated him. He said, "If I did that, then I will become my own enemy". The change in South Africa happened without the chaos that was seen in Iran. He retired a private person, that is the mark of a great leader. The Pahlavis sent their children to good schools, but I wonder how much they learnt. If they had, they would not repeat the mistakes of the past but carve out a place for themselves. I sincerely hope that Iran goes back to its days of greatness with a happy future for its youngsters, but I am certain of one thing, given the content of this book, it is not under the Pahlavis.
Rating: 
Summary: Once Upon A Time - Farah Diba's Fairy Tale
Review: Every story has two sides - and this is Farah's romanticized version of Iran under the Pahlavi reign. Of course the intent of the Monarchy was noble & their vision for a westernized progressive country very real.But her shocking reaction to the Iranian people's discontent & their subsequent embracing of ANY other regime, no matter how radical - is proof that she still refuses to be accountible for the part that the royal family played. There are serious documentations of the flip side of the coin. Just read the journalistic documentation of Kapunscinski's SHAH OF SHAHS, which leaves little doubt of the medieval, brutal tactics SAVAK employed to silence anyone who dared to speak uo against the excess, greed & corruption that was prevalent among the royal family, who had lost touch with their subjects as a result of their obsession for westernization.
The book is entertaining, despite the sometimes awkward syntax, translated literally from French. It is certainly not educational being one-sided & thus biased. Farah Diba's story will probably be mostly appreciated by nostalgic expats for its emotional value, but should not be a reference point for anybody seeking historical facts about "the good old days in Iran".
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