Book excerpt: This is a record of life at the Shah's court by the Sha's friend and political confidant, Asadollah Alam. As Prime Minister in 1962, Alam defeated Khomeini's first religious revolt, and was then made Minister of Court, a position of immense power and influence. His diaries record his daily meetings with the Shah, and show that while he never wavered in his loyalty, he was nevertheless critical of the Shah's autocratic rule.