Shah Abbas : the ruthless king who became an Iranian legend - Blow, David (London : I.B. Tauris, 2009)
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.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 259-268) and index.
Keywords: Iran -- Kings and rulers -- Biography; Iran -- History -- Ṣafavid dynasty, 1501-1736.