How The 1979 Revolution Transformed Iran

Published August 4, 2025 at 4:02 PM EDT

For decades, Iran has been an adversary of the United States. Scott Anderson examines the Iranian revolution of 1979, the upheaval that deposed the reigning monarch and transformed the country from a U.S. ally to an Islamic Republic. He says blunders by American policymakers played a key role in the outcome. Anderson's new book is King of Kings.

Later David Bianculli reviews the new HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So it Goes.

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