The book examines the turbulent political climate that prevailed in Iran during Mosaddeq’s tenure, the confrontation between Iran and Britain for control over Iran’s oil, the strategic considerations that led U.S. officials to opt for a coup, and the details of the coup itself. Based on exhaustive research by leading academic experts in the field, this is the most authoritative account of the tragic events that led to the overthrow of Mosaddeq. With the recent declassification of CIA documents regarding the 1953 coup that overthrew Mohammad Mossadeq’s government in Iran, there is an opportunity for new in-depth analysis into not only the coup Coup d'Etat itself but the events that inevitably led up to it.