Shah Abbas : the ruthless king who became an Iranian legend

Shah Abbas's inheritance : the birth of a Shi'i state

A turbulent childhood and the seizure of power

Abbas takes control

The recovery of Khurasan from the Uzbeks

English adventurers at the service of Shah Abbas

Maintaining the offensive : Khurasan, the Persian Gulf, and a challenge to the Ottomans

Abbas expels the Ottomans

The search for European allies

Pressure on the Gulf, mass deportations, and the murder of a son

An Anglo-Iranian victory : the capture of Hormuz

Final triumphs : the capture of Qandahar and Baghdad

A conflict of envoys

The English envoys and the death of Abbas

Abbas, the man and the king

The court of Shah Abbas

The throne and mosque alliance

The city that was half the world

The merchant king

Shah Abbas and the arts

The later Safavids

Conclusion