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Book Summary and Reviews of Assassins of the Turquoise Palace by Roya Hakakian

Assassins of the Turquoise Palace by Roya Hakakian

Assassins of the Turquoise Palace

by Roya Hakakian

  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Published:
  • Sep 2011, 320 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

On the evening of September 17, 1992, eight leading members of the Iranian and Kurdish opposition had gathered at a little-known restaurant in Berlin when two darkly-clad men burst through the entrance. Within moments, the roar of a machine gun filled the air. Two rounds of fire and four single shots later, four of the men were dead in what would become known as the Mykonos assassinations. One of the survivors of that shooting, along with the widow of one of the victims and a handful of reporters, attorneys, and fellow exiles, began a crusade that would not only pit them against Tehran but against some of the greatest powers in Germany. When an undeterred federal prosecutor, and an endlessly patient chief judge, took over the Mykonos trial, a historic verdict followed which shook both Europe and Iran, and achieved something few could have predicted - justice. Roya Hakakian's The Assassins of the Turquoise Palace is an incredible book of history and reportage spanning Europe and the Middle East, and an unforgettable narrative of heroism and justice.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. A nonfiction political thriller of the highest order." - Kirkus Reviews

"[Hakakian] does a worthy job of presenting the facts through the eyes of the men who survived the shooting and the German authorities who prosecuted the case… the focus on Middle East politics should give this broad appeal." - Publishers Weekly

"Sobering reading for the politically minded..." - Library Journal

"This is a brilliant, riveting book, with all the elements of a great thriller - a horrific crime, sociopathic villains, international intrigue, personal betrayals, a noble prosecutor and an honorable judge." - Joe Klein, Time Magazine

"Roya Hakakian is something rare: a poet turned investigative reporter. The outcome of this unusual fusion is a work of journalistic revelation, written so fluidly and gorgeously, it is a masterpiece." - Lesley Stahl, 60 Minutes

"Roya Hakakian's beautiful book mercilessly exposes just one of these crimes, and stands as tribute to the courageous dissidents and lawyers who managed one of that rarest of human achievements; an authentic victory for truth and justice." - Christopher Hitchens

"As the world contemplates the pressing predicament of Iran, Roya Hakakian offers one possible solution through a riveting tale that is most timely and profoundly urgent." - R. James Woolsey, CIA Director 1992-1994

This information about Assassins of the Turquoise Palace was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Roya Hakakian

Roya Hakakian is a former associate producer at CBS's 60 Minutes and the author of two books of poetry in Persian. She's a recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship for nonfiction and the author of the acclaimed memoir Journey From the Land of No. Her opinion pieces and essays have appeared in numerous media outlets, including National Public Radio's All Things Considered. Visit her online at: www.royahakakian.com.

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