This is the tragic story of the short-lived Iraqi monarchy. The first king of Iraq, Faisal I, was installed by the British in 1921. Faisal, who had led the Arab Revolt & fought alongside T.E. Lawrence, was a major player in the politics of the Middle East. He was also, most importantly, pro-British & thus `suitable` to lead an independent Iraq. His son & successor, Ghazi, a strong pan-Arab nationalist, felt very differently. He supported the first military coup in the Arab world & was said to hold German sympathies. Ghazi`s suspicious death in a car accident left his son, also named Faisal, King at the age of four. So Iraq was ruled by his uncle, Abdulillah, as regent until the boy came of age. Iraq`s artificially-imposed monarchy came to an abrupt & bloody end in July 1958 when Faisal II & Abdulillah, along with the Prime Minister, Nuri al Said, & many members of Faisal`s family, were gunned down & the country was declared a republic. ” Three Kings in Baghdad” is a unique & timely account of this portentous moment in Iraq`s history.