Aitken, Jonathan

NIXON: A LIFE [Inscribed to Crown Prince]

Washington, D.C. Regnery Publishing, Inc., 1993. Octavo, xiv, 633 pages plus 16 glossy photo pages. In Very Good minus condition with a Very Good minus dust jacket. Bound in black cloth with silver titling to spine. Dust jacket has a few small scuff marks and some small creases; jacket front has a remnant of tape near top (not a repair to a tear). Spine and boards have light shelfwear to edges and minimal scuffing throughout. Text block has light scuffing and toning to edges, penciling to title page, slight splitting to rear hinge, and light toning to margins throughout. Half-title page is inscribed by author: “To His Majesty The Shah of Iran/With the deep respect and friendship of the author and with happy memories of Ardeshir’s dinner on October 7th 1995/Jonathan Aitken”. Shelved in Room A octavo overflow.

1416674

Special Collections

Price: $500

NOTES

A core part of the persona of imperial Iran’s last ambassador to the United States, Ardeshir Zahedi, was hosting lavish, relationship-building private dinners and parties, especially during his Washington ambassadorships. After settling into exile post-Iranian Revolution, he continued to be an enthusiastic host, bringing guests such as Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and Jonathan Aitken together in dinners such as the one mentioned in this book’s inscription. For his part, Aitken had connections to Iran through Middle East business, British defence policy, and the later controversy over alleged arms exports to Iran. As some supporters of the monarchy have done since the Revolution, he addresses the Crown Prince as “Shah of Iran” in the salutation.