MEMOIRS OF AGA KHAN

Extending through two eras, the Victorian and the present day, three continents, and a life of varied activities, the autobiography of the Imam of the Ismaili Muslims is going to have its appeal to all kinds of readers. Though it is a chronological account from boyhood in Bombay to the life the Aga Khan now lives surrounded by his entourage-travelling- or in residence at one of his many houses, the length of his day and the breadth of his intense life are impressive- to politician, historian, sportsman and scalmonger alike. At an early age, he inherited the Imamat from his father. Availing himself of the responsibilities as well as the fortunes that went with it , he took on the leadership of the Ismailis which he has continued to regard as the center of his life. From there, it was a natural step to enter international politics and influence top level policy in Persia in World War I, in Egypt, in Turkey, and in an increasingly independent India and Pakistan. These aspects, the religious and political, are by far the Aga Khan's major concerns, but the figure the world knows (or thinks it knows) best- a horse racer and international high life habitue-is not neglected nor out of perspective. Rather, it is told for what it is- the horses as an exciting hobby of a man of means, his son's marriage to Rita Hayworth for the regrettable thing it was.... An important man's honest look at his own fabulous life, this sheds its light on world history too. Note for sales potential.