Teheran

Teheran (or Tehran) is the capital city of Iran, and the site of the Shah's royal palace where he resides and rules from. The author spends much of his time operating out of a Tehran hotel room. Under the Shah, Teheran transforms from a small desert oasis into a bustling city of five million people.

Qom

Qom is a small city to the south of Teheran. It is home to many of the most fundamental and conservative Shiites in Iran, and it is the hometown of Khomeini. Rioting that ushers in the revolution first takes place in Qom.

Trans-Iranian Railway

During World War II, Shah Reza Khan admires Hitler and eventually refuses to allow Allied forces to use Iran's railroad to transfer supplies to and from the Soviet Union. This situation is intolerable to the Allies, and so Shah Reza Khan is deposed and his son Mohammed...