Persia, Politics & Prison
A Life In Three Parts

By Hassan Nemazee

Hassan Nemazee’s memoir is a compelling tale of his rise and fall as a Persian American prince of finance. The book has a Dickensian arc, and it’s filled with colorful characters who accompanied him up and down the ladder.

The young Nemazee grows up in a home of power and privilege. His wealthy shipowner father’s chum is CIA Director Richard Helms, known as “Uncle Dick.” He attends Harvard, builds a business fortune in Iran and America, and raises money for Democratic pals like Hillary Clinton and other Democrats.

And then the axe falls: As the 2008 financial crunch hits, the FBI discovers the false and fraudulent statements he’s used to keep his money machine running—and he’s convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Nemazee describes a sometimes odious prison world where crossing gangs like the Aryan Brotherhood can be a death sentence, but many of his fellow inmates seem like remarkably decent people.

Like every good Dickens novel, this one has a happy ending—a new life beyond prison earned through suffering and redemption. Readers will surely come away with one visceral lesson: Don’t cook the books. — David Ignatius, columnist, The Washington Post

Fully illustrated.

Learn more about Hassan at HassanNemazee.com

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