Product Description

This book provides a broad history of the Seljuq Turks from their origins and early conquests in the 10^th century, through the rise of empire, until its dissolution at the end of the 12^th. Where the history of the Seljuqs is usually studied in the context of medieval Persian, Arabic or Islamic history, this book considers the topic from the perspective of Turkish history.

Examining the corpus of academic work on the period and how Turkish historiography has interpreted and understood the Seljuqs, the author demonstrates how the Great Seljuq Empire can be considered not only in a historical context, but as the instigator of Turko-Islamic civilization. Rejecting traditional Turkish scholarship, which places Iranian culture and Islam as the civilising elements in the Great Seljuq Empire, the author shows how the nature of nomadic pastoral empires have come under fresh scrutiny, reassessing Seljuq history and the framework within which it has been treated.

This book provides a unique insight into the adoption to an urban environment of Turkic expectations that were forged on the Eurasian steppes, showing how the outcome put its stamp on the second millennium throughout the Middle East and Balkans. It will be an important addition to the literature on Medieval Islamic, Turkish and Middle Eastern history.

Product Description
The Cambridge History of Iran is an eight-volume survey of Iranian history and culture, and its contribution to the civilisation of the world. All aspects of the religious, philosophical, political, economic, scientific and artistic elements in Iranian civilisation are studied, with some emphasis on the geographical and ecological factors which have contributed to that civilisation's special character. The aim is to provide a collection of readable essays rather than a catalogue of information. The volumes offer scope for the publication of new ideas as well as providing summaries of established facts. They should act as a stimulus to specialists, but are primarily concerned to answer the sort of questions about the past and present of Iran that are asked by the non-specialist. This volume covers the history of Iran from the collapse of the Il-Khanid empire (c. 1335) to the second quarter of the 18th century. The period id of special interest as one which, in the traditional view, witnessed the emergence of Iran as a 'national state'. It is in the latter half of this era that moderate Shi'ism acquired the definitive hold on the country which has been maintained to the present day, and which helps to differentiate Iran from the other Islamic states of south-west Asia. In addition to chapters on commercial and diplomatic contacts with Europe - contacts usually fortified by a common hostility to the Ottoman Turks - which became prominent from the 16th century, the volume contains chapters on social and economic history, the arts and architecture, the exact sciences, religion, philosophy and literature. ... Read more

Product Description
Combining detailed historical narrative with comprehensive analysis and explanation, Ali Ansari presents a new interpretation of the complex cultural polity that is modern Iran. Straddled between the world's two major energy basins, the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, and possessing a rich reservoir of hydrocarbon resources as well as diverse minerals, Iran has always been economically significant. The Islamic Revolution thrust the country back onto the political centre-stage, and dramatically altered relations between Iran and the West. This book looks at these developments within an historical context. It charts how Iran sought to respond to the challenge of the West through reform and revolution, and to reverse the decline of the previous century with an ambitious program of development.This text offers a new interpretation of key events including the 1979 Revolution and the origins of the Iran-Iraq war. The author uses wide range of foreign and Persian sources including interviews with key players and shows how domestic and international events combined to produce certain outcomes. For readers interested in the Middle East. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A mediocre history
The main comment I have on this book is to agree with the other reviewers: this book is primarily analysis, not historical narrative.That's neither a good nor a bad thing, it just depends on what you're looking for.If you're looking for an intro to Iranian history, this probably isn't the best place to start.

Some things about the book really are bad, however, no matter what kind of book you're looking for.The introduction of the book--which is supposed to bring the reader up to speed on Iranian history up until 1921--reads like a graduate History thesis in the way it constantly drops only semi-relevant references to "Imagined Communities" and "Weapons of the Weak".Is Ansari trying to relate Iranian history before 1921 to a general readership, or demonstrate to his professors that he has done his reading of all the major postmodern texts?

Ansari's treatment of Mossadeq's time as Prime Minister was terrible.All in all, he spends just 18 pages on this entire era of Iranian political history.Bear in mind: this period includes a tremendous amount of important events, such as Mossadeq's reforms, his overshadowing of the Shah in the popular consciousness, the attempt at nationalizing Iran's oil, and the British-American coup.Considering how large Mossadeq's shadow, or the shadow of Mossadeq's myth, has loomed over all of subsequent Iranian history, it is shocking how scant Ansari's treatment of this period actually is.His treatment of the British-American coup was also SO bad--not only was it extremely brief, but Ansari also was determined to exculpate the British by snide remarks dismissing Iranian popular beliefs about British actions as irrational scapegoating of a foreign power, when in fact history has shown the British and Americans really *were* behind the coup--that he left me seeking out further reading to learn about this part of Iranian history.Right now I'm reading All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer to fill the gap in my knowledge left by Ansari.

The best thing I can really say about this book was that its analysis of the conflicting trends embodied in the rule of the two Pahlavi kings--Reza Shah, and his son Mohammed Reza Shah--was very interesting.These monarchs seemed to survive without a clear social base, and were constantly trying to change their image.Modernisation, nationalism, traditionalism, military greatness, even social justice: all of these are different things with which the two Shahs, father and son, tried to cloak themselves at some point in time, and tried to draw legitimacy from.However, at any given time, most of the population was not convinced, and still believed that the Shah was (to quote one Iranian whom Ansari quotes in the book), "an enemy of the people".It seems to me that profound skepticism about the institution of monarchy gave rise easily to profound resentment against the person currently seated on the throne, and that because of this there was almost nothing an Iranian Shah in this time period could do to be liked, no matter how hard he may have tried.I found it easy to sympathize with the Iranian people: if you were living in the 1920s-1970s, would you really want your country to still be ruled by a king?

I can't say how good or bad Ansari's description of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Islamic regime are, because I really haven't read enough other material on this period of Iranian history to be able to judge.I can only say that is was, like the rest of the book, more analysis than a simple telling of events.

All in all, if you're deeply knowledgeable about Iranian history then I'd say this book might be worth reading for its interesting analysis of the years of the short-lived Pahlavi dynasty, but if you're searching for a good intro book on modern Iranian history, keep looking.There are certainly plenty of choices out there.As for me, I'll probably try A History of Modern Iran by Ervand Abrahamian.

Not based on facts.
Poorly written book and not based on historical facts.Clearly a biast point of view written by one of the supporters of the regime.It was written/designed as part of the propaganda to promote current regime in Iran and make all accomplishments of the Pahlavi dynasty insignificant.Not worth the time spent reading it.

Iran in 20th Centuty
The book is a brave, if concise attempt to provide a history of Iran during the twentieth century and beyond.It is base on mostly secondary sources but also includes some archival and other primary research.The author's starting point is 1921, when a military coup put Cossack Colonel Reza Khan (Pahlavi) on his path to become king and attempt to modernize the Iranian society from above.

The book's strong point is the author's methodical attempt to dispel pro-monarchy myths, put forward by some Iranians (including the shah himself), to portray the revolution as an attempt by the US and Britain to undermine the shah.By going through the shah's reign step by step, the author once more shows how the shah's own mismanagement and the nature of his despotic rule, and not any plot by foreigners, were the cause of his regime's demise.Another strong point of the book is the author's ability to provide a context, chronology, and analysis for the thirteen months of revolutionary upheaval leading to toppling of the shah's regime.

However, Ali M. Ansari's book should not be considered an in-depth analytical study of Iran in the twentieth century but an overview of a turbulent century in Iran's long history.

Iran the crucible
The shah was committed to `modernize' Iran (whatever the word `modernize' could mean).
Perhaps his mistake was that he tried to do that in quick strides and bounds. (Emulating the Russian Peter the great by using force to get things done)
The grass roots of the Iranian population could not assimilate, in a short time, the Shah's stoutheartedness, but his actual decline began when three events occurred at the same time.
1) When he wanted to enforce the institution of Land Reforms to distribute excess tracts of barren land to the resident villagers without due consideration, and in defiance, to the Mullahs who actually claimed they're the real owners of the land.
2) When he began to play a wider role in OPEC and, at times, became the `ought to be heard' mouthpiece of the Oil Countries, relegating to second place Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Against USA counsel the Shah was the key player in influencing the price of petrol across the board.
3) The Big Powers, USA in particular, were afraid that his oratory and self poised determination might weaken resistance among the waverers in the Arabian (Persian) gulf emirates and so they failed to persuade him that it would not be wise to allow his Savak units - his intelligence units founded with the assistance of the Israeli Mossad and the CIA, to gain too much insight into Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq (in particular) internal affairs

The Shah was actually the archenemy of Communism and Marxism and the news of his `give in' seemed to infuse them with a perverse sense of pleasure, short lived though, because in this tangled story whereby the `elite' were at loggerheads until the Islamic Revolution took it over and they all sank into oblivion.

analysis vs. history.
This is a good book for readers who are already familiar with the history of the period. The author offers a more or less cogent analysis of the period while assuming that the reader is familiar with the facts, and omitting a thorough description of them. As such, it makes for a rather dry reading. This is a great book if you would like to know what Dr. Anasari thinks of the history of Iran since 1921, but not a great book if you would like to form your own opinions on the subject. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

A balanced approach
What I really appreciated from this work was the approach the author took.With so many books on Iran it seems that the approach seems to get loaded to one perspective or the other whether it takes a U.S. or Iranian centric approach it seems that the work will lose focus of the relationship as a whole, and how each nation affects the strategic rationale of the other.Mr. Takeyh does a good job keeping the whole picture in perspective and explaining how the failures of each side's policies create cycles of failure that are self perpetuating.This is best illustrated by the U.S.'s failed containment policy which ends up actually enhancing the very conservatives it is designed to hurt.It also shows how the Iranian hardliners have isolated Iran to the point where its most important allies are interstate terror groups to allies strictly of convenience that have no real affinity for Iran beyond or their idealogy beyond what they can do for their strategic needs.

The author has no illusions either about how easy it would be for either country to reverse course as each sides strategy has become ingrained to the point of ideology or to even adjust their course.One of the things that makes it very difficult is the fact that both sides have used each other as political punching bags inflating the trangressions and the danger posed by each.While this may make for good stumping to rile up your base it doesn't do much for pragmatic policy.

The main problem with this book is that it is somewhat dated, and as such he makes some mistakes when projecting the future.One major mistake is his assessment of the Israeli war against Hezbollah in 2006, and his view of it being a major setback for Hezbollah.While it showed a gross miscalculation on Hezbollah's part, in a lot of ways it enhanced their image enormously, while it proved disasterous for Israel and the Lebanese people.While very much a Pyrrhic fight for both sides, it certainly was not a defeat as seems to be suggested in this work. The other miss is the author's mistaken belief that Iran's reformist movement was much more institutionalized than it was.Of course many missed this as well but it still has the affect of dating the work.

This is a very good book that will enlighten readers.It is well written and does a service to the topic.I recommend this book

Good overview, but not enough detail
Good book. A little to broad-brush, I was hoping for a bit more detail on the inner workings of Iranian goverment. Overall, a good one volume introduction to Iran's modern history, domestic politics, and foreign policy. A rather balanced discussion, but Takeyh needs to flesh out his recommendations in the conclusion a bit more.

Good Primer
This book would be good for someone who wants to start from scratch and get a relatively objective, non-judgmental overview of the socio-political status of Iran.The author is not a great writer but he is very good at conveying facts cleanly and efficiently.I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain a basic understanding ofIran and its relationship with its neighbors and the west.

Takeyh's "Hidden Iran" provides important insights on a complex subject
Ray Takeyh's "Hidden Iran" is a wonderful book that will help everyone understand the many forces shaping Iran's internal cultural and political situation and world facing relations. In particular, I have better understanding of Iran's nuclear intentions as well as its perspectives on the U.S. and Israel, which gives me hope that over time Iran will takes its place as one of the leading nations on a regional and international stage.

Very good book.
This was a little slow going for me at first, but as I went on I found it quite compelling. Takeyh does a great job of enumerating the several policy issues effecting both the United States and Iran with historical and cultural perspective, and void of the vitriolic rhetoric that is common on both sides of this discussion. ... Read more

Product Description
Nishapuri flourished in the 12th century and wrote a succinct history in "Persian of the Saljuq Turks", a tribal group from Central Asia who in the 11th century established a vast empire, enduring for some century and a half and bringing about lasting changes to the ethnic composition and the patterns of land utilisation in the northern tier of the Middle East. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Minute Documentation
A penetrating and detailed analysis of the chronology of one of the world's least known cultures.The story of the Seljuk Turks offers an insight into the Turkic migrations from Central Asia, their strengths and beliefs, and their lasting impact on the people, like the Persians, Arabs and Ottomans, who were their contemporaries.This book is a monument to minutiae and is recommended only for people with a specific interest in this subject. ... Read more

Product Description

The Saljuq period of the eleventh and twelfth centuries saw the arrival in Iran of Türkmen nomads from Central Asia and the beginning of Turkish rule. Through the example of the city of Isfahan, the book analyses the internal evolution of Iranian society in this period and the interaction of the Iranian elites and Turkish rulers.

Drawing on an analysis of a wide range of sources, including poetic and epistolary material, this study fills an historiographical gap and casts new light on the two centuries prior to the Mongol invasion. This comprehensive analytical study provides a new contribution to the understanding of many crucial issues: the cultural divide between Western and Eastern Iran; the military potential of city-dwellers; the attitude of the Turkish rulers toward cities and city life; the action of the famous vizier Nizam al-Mulk; the meaning of the Ismaili uprising; and above all the structure of the local elite, organized into rival networks and largely autonomous vis-à-vis state powers. 

The study is enhanced by a variety of additional features, including extensive genealogical tables, Arabic script and maps. Providing a new understanding of the cultural identity of Iran, this book is an important contribution to the study of the history of Iran and the Medieval period.

Product Description
In order to understand Iran's religious revolution of 1978-1979, it is important to look closely at an earlier revolution in the country, the constitutional revolution of 1905-1909.This revolution, which resulted in the establishment of Iran's first parliamentary democracy, was a seminal event in the country's history. The most thorough and comprehensive history of the revolution to date, Bayat's book examines the uneasy alliance of clerical, bureaucratic, landowning, and mercantile elements that won the support of the masses for a more democratic government, especially the clerical dissidents that gave the revolution an aura of religious legitimacy.Bayat argues that the recent religious revival in Iran is much less surprising when one sees how constitutionalists at the beginning of the century had to couch their calls for reform in the language of the Koran, claiming that political reforms constituted a return to Islam. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Interesting way of looking at the 1905 revolution.
As a student, when we've learned about the Iraninan constitutional revolution of 1906 things were very simple: an alliance between the Ulamaa, the Bazaar and other people of interest, that created a united front against the shah, in order to create a constitution, a parliament and so on.

In this book, Bayat shows that things aren't that simple: She wonderfully paints and intellectual-social-religious profile of Iran before the Revolution. She shows the effect of Western ideas and the different forms it took. She describes the intellectuals and others who had taken part in the leading of the revolution. She writes with detail about the different secret societies that was formed, their tactics and their activities. She shows that the 'United Front' wasn't so united and that things aren't as clear as they may seem in first glance.

The book, not on the writer's fault, is very detailed and therefore somewhat confusing, at least for me. It'll take you some time to arrange all the names and organizations, and yet, because of that you grow curios to see how all those people, although they had different ideas and goals, had all united and managed to get what they wanted.

In conclusion, it is a book that's offering an interesting thesis and a new point of view on the Iranian Constitutional Revolution. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume of al-T'abari's History has a particularly wide sweep and interest. It provides the most complete and detailed historical source for the Persian empire of the Sasanids, whose four centuries of rule were one of the most glorious periods in Persia's long history. It also gives information on the history of pre-Islamic Arabs of the Mesopotamian desert fringes and eastern Arabia (in al-Hira and the Ghassanid kingdom), and on the quite separate civilization of South Arabia, the Yemen, otherwise known mainly by inscriptions. It furnishes details of the centuries'-long warfare of the two great empires of Western Asia, the Sasanids and the Byzantine Greeks, a titanic struggle which paved the way for the subsequent rise of the new faith of Islam. The volume is thus of great value for scholars, from Byzantinists to Semitists and Iranists. It provides the first English translation of this key section of al-T'abari's work, one for which non-Arabists have hitherto relied on a partial German translation, meritorious for its time but now 120 years old. This new translation is enriched by a detailed commentary which takes into account up-to-date scholarship. ... Read more

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Product Description
The Cambridge History of Iran is an eight-volume survey of Iranian history and culture, and its contribution to the civilisation of the world. All aspect of the religious, philosophical, political, economic, scientific and artistic elements in Iranian civilisation are studies, with some emphasis on geographical and ecological factors which have contributed to that civilisation's special character. The aim is to provide a collection of readable essays rather than a catalogue of information. The volumes offer scope for the publication of new ideas as well as providing summaries of established facts. They should acts as a stimulus to specialists, but are primarily concerned to answer the sort of questions about the past and present of Iran that are asked by the non-specialist. Volume I sets the physical stage for the human events which follow. In a sense it is a companion volume to the rest of the series. The whole volume is devoted to geography, geology, anthropology, economic life, and flora and fauna. The physical environment of Iran is seen not as an unmoving backcloth against which the human drama is played; rather it is seen as a natural element which shapes in distinct and recognisable ways the whole course of human activity in the country. Iran offers a picture of sharp identity as a geographical unit. In spite of highly varies and often harsh natural conditions at local level, a consistent and recognisable pattern of physiographical and climatic features emerges at the national level. Because of these features the Iranians as a people suffered many vicissitudes. The complex character of the relationship between terrain and people is the major theme of this volume. ... Read more

Product Description

Towards the end of the fifth century BC Ctesias of Cnidus wrote his 23 book History of Persia. Ctesias is a remarkable figure: he lived and worked in the Persian court and, as a doctor, tended to the world’s most powerful kings and queens. His position gave him special insight into the workings of Persian court life and access to the gossip and scandal surrounding Persian history and court politics, past and present. His History of Persia was completed at a time when the Greeks were fascinated by Persia and seems very much to cater to contemporary interest in Persian wealth and opulence, powerful Persian women, the institution of the harem, kings and queens, eunuchs and secret plots.

Presented here in English translation for the first time with commentaries, Ctesias offers a fascinating insight into Persia in the fifth century BC.

Product Description
Revolutionary guards chanting against the Great Satan, Bush fulminating against the Axis of Evil, Iranian support for Hezbollah, and President Ahmadinejad blaming the U.S. for the world's ills--the unending war of words suggests an intractable divide between Iran and the West.But as Ray Takeyh shows in this accessible and authoritative history of Iran's relations with the world since the revolution, behind the famous personalities and extremist slogans is a nation that is far more pragmatic--and complex--than many in the West have been led to believe. Takeyh explodes many of our simplistic myths of Iran as an intransigently Islamist foe of the West.He shows that three powerful forces--Islamism, pragmatism, and great power pretensions--war against one another in Iran, and that Iran's often paradoxical policies are in reality a series of compromises between the hardliners and the moderates, often with wild oscillations between pragmatism and ideological dogmatism. The U.S.'s task, Takeyh argues, is to find strategies that address Iran's objectionable behavior without demonizing this key player in an increasingly vital and volatile region. Updated with an afterword that covers the momentous protests following the 2009 Iranian elections, Guardians of the Revolution will stand as the standard work on this controversial--and central--actor in world politics for years to come.

Praise for the hardcover:

"Superb...anyone wishing to understand why restored American-Iranian ties are so elusive, but also so critical, should turn to this important work, a riveting and consistently insightful study of revolutionary Iran and its still troubled place in the world."
--New York Times

"[An] excellent history of Iran's foreign and security policies in the three decades since the revolution.... A highly successful balancing act between breadth and depth.... A first-class book."
--Middle East Journal

"An excellent way to take the measure of revolutionary Iran today is to read this up-to-date, well-researched, and perceptive history of its foreign policy since 1979."
--Foreign Affairs ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Useful analysis of Iranian regime
"Guardians of the Revolution" provides useful analysis of the Iranian regime since the founding of the Islamic Republic.Takeyh does a good job describing the various factions within Iran's government and the challenges that moderates faced when trying to normalize relations with the West.I have not read any other books on Iran, so I can't really judge the accuracy of Takeyh's portrait of Iran.But my impression is that he does know Iran very well.

My main complaint about the book is that Takeyh fails to properly set the stage for the benefit of readers who don't already know the history of Iran prior to the revolution.While he does provide some background on the father of the revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, he says very little about the regime of the Shah which the United States supported.Doing this would have helped readers better understand the antagonism that many in Iran feel toward the United States.While the policy makers in the West who this book is targeted to might already know the full history of Iran, the average reader probably does not.

Important, timely book
This book provides a strong history of Iran since the revolution of 1979. Takeyh tracks political developments through the last thirtyyears, providing a textured look at the country's political and clerical leadership. He also explains the Iranian regime's complex blend of revolutionary idealism and pragmatism. Understanding the various decision-makers adds context to the recent Iranian election controversy and Iran's nuclear aspirations. Worth a read for anyone who want to understand U.S. relations with Iran.

Much better than earlier reviews suggest.
Iran seems to be a topic that provokes strong, if not extreme, responses in readers.Hence the terse, highly unfavourable reviews already posted here on Amazon.I have given this book 5 stars because I strongly disagree with the abuse contained in those reviews, although if they had been more reasonable and considered, instead of hysterical, I would probably give the book 4 stars: very good but not ground-breaking.

Dr Takeyh has written a book with the policymakers in Washington very much in mind, focussing as he does on post-revolutionary Iran's foreign relations and its relations with the US in particular. I'm not interested in whether the author is an adviser to Obama, Sarkozy or Putin: what interests me is what he has written.If I were an American policymaker, or American Iran wonk, I might have different views on the book, but the book's great value to me is its succinct account of the development of Ayatollah Khomeini's thinking on the role of the clergy in an Islamic state, his role in forging the 1979 revolution, and the force of his personality that created a powerful legacy that resonates today, in the Iran of the 2009 presidential elections and their aftermath. Unlike Con Coughlin's recent "Khomeini's Ghost", which is written in a free-flowing, somewhat journalistic style (which is not to criticise it), Takeyh's approach is measured, considered, bordering on the prescriptive. Concurrently with the foreign policy considerations, he examines Iran post-1979 as falling into four distinct periods, more or less coinciding with the period up until Khomeini's death, the the three presidencies that followed: Rafsanjani, Khatami, and Ahmadinejad, each showing different approaches to the world and to the internal business of government in a revolutionary society. I found his explication of the origins of Khomeini's political "philosophy" (if one can call it that) to be more persuasive and realistic than that of Ervand Abrahamian in "Khomeinism", who seems to be at pains to depict the ayatollah not as a fanatic but as a "populist", almost as though to de-demonize him. Takeyh adverts to the populist elements in Khomeini's vision, but doesn't downplay the ruthlessness and, at times, duplicity, of the old man to achieve his single-minded aim of toppling the Persian monarchy. Certainly the creation of any sort of republican democracy was the last thing in Khomeini's mind. It seems that the revolutionaries, and Khomeini among them, had no ideas about governing the country other than getting rid of the Shah, and then ridding themselves of inconvenient rival revolutionary or liberal rivals. Of economics, diplomacy, military strategy, civil governance and all the other appurtenances of the modern state, Khomeini and his closest supporters, many of whom remain at or near the top of the Iranian government/theocracy today, seem to have been completely ignorant, even not interested. Dr Takeyh is good on the Iran-Iraq war. He also reassesses the significance of President Khatami's two terms as a "reformist" president, and shows clearly how the aspirations of Khatami and his millions of supporters were progressively thwarted and reversed by the conservative elements in the theocratic side of the complex matrix that Khomeini handed down as the constitution of Iran. What would be interesting would be to read Dr Takeyh's take on the 2009 presidential elections.

"Guardians of the Revolution" is no easy read, but repays the effort of reading carefully. What I did find irritating, however, is that Takeyh insists, almost petulantly, in transliterating fairly well-known Arabic or Persian names into unfamiliar forms, e.g., Saddam Huseyn (who he, you may ask?), Ayatollah Bihishti (Beheshti), Ayatollah Muntaziri (Montazeri). It's only a small criticism, however.

Superficial and sensational
I bought the book because I had read that the author is an advisor to President Barack Obama on Iran. I was disappointed by the superficial and sensational character of this work. Clearly, Takeyh knows very little about Iran, outside the usual stuff that one finds in Western publications. I hope Obama has other advisors on this sensitive issue.

Imbalanced
I agree with the previous reviewer.In addition, the author once again does not pay serious attention to Iran's offer to negotiate all issues in 2003 and the Bush administration's rejection of that offer.I found recent books on Iran by William O. Beeman, Trita Parsi, and Thomas R. Mattair more valuable. ... Read more

Product Description
Out of a lifetime of study of the ancient Near East, Professor Olmstead has gathered previously unknown material into the story of the life, times, and thought of the Persians, told for the first time from the Persian rather than the traditional Greek point of view.

"The fullest and most reliable presentation of the history of the Persian Empire in existence."--M. Rostovtzeff ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Good Old Fashion Racial Profiling
One of Olmstead's favorite tools - and what makes this book difficult for me to read - is his near constant use of racial profiling to fill in information about peoples migrating into and inhabiting the Iranian plateau. Olmstead, in my opinion, has a strong bias in favor of northern European "races" over the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian "races." For example, the "early and inferior Eurafrican" (Olmstead, 3) lived in the Mediterranean region. This isn't a statement of political correctness, but more a critique of a lazy kind of thinking. Explanations of behavior and culture based on race really fall short of reality, in my mind.

Olmstead also did not seem to feel it was needed to included the dates of much of anything he wrote about. I constantly have to look at other sources or jump onto Wikipedia to find the date of something. This is a nuisance, because Olmstead jumps around quite a bit, so one cannot presume to be reading things in a chronological order. A good example in particular, his summary of ancient history in the books opening chapter jumprs around within 10 or so millenia, making it hard to understand what is happening at what time. While my history is better than your average person on the street, I don't know all dates of all events. That's why I'm reading the book!

Olmstead has a lively style, but wrote more than 70 years ago. It's hard to know if this work is reliable, especially because science has changed so much in 70 years and because shenanigans in Iran and around that region prevent new knowledge from emerging. I wouldn't recommend this book.

A classic account of Persian History
The encyclical accounting of the Persian Empire.Olmstead was the first author to give an account of the Persians from their perspective.He begins well before Cyrus the Great and runs through the entire Achaemenid period recounting the conquest and administration of the empire until its demise by Alexander's onslaught.Olmstead goes into exceptional detail in giving accounts of the inscriptions and palace mural carvings at the ruins of Persepolis and other locales.His account of Zoroaster is also noteworthy from a liturgical perspective, though the dating of Zoroaster's life has changed since Olmstead passed away in 1945.Overall, a fantastic exposure to the Persian Empire.Best read in conjunction with one or two later works to optimally digest newer discoveries and conclusions.

Rare History
Most have heard and studied the Greek and the Romans, but before Europe ruled the wrold, there were the Persians.The Medes and Persians survived the Empires of the Assyrians and the Babylonians, before granted their time in history.One of the most structured and orgainized empires of the ancient world, it had an impact on world history, Juduaism, and later Christdom.Alexander the Greek went to Hellenize the world and ended up being influenced by the Persian culture he conquered.Tremendous book of an interesting time of history.

Impressive.Worth the Time to Read.
This book is utterly remarkable.Well written and incredibly comprehensive iteration of the scope, flow and detail of the empire that was Persia, from early pre-Empire times to the Alexandrian conquest (and a bit beyond).It discusses legal, social, military, architectural, religious and business practices, inter-familial rivalries, conquests,etc., in remarkable detail, and it even puts Biblical history of the Jews in exile in context. It captures aspects of the ruling style and methods of the Mede and Persian rulers.It is simply a great and literally huge book, by a Professor whose depth of knowledge and love of his subject is inspiring, even several decades after his death.

Suggestion a good surce
This is a good book on this subject. But, I'd like to suggest a very good source of Persian (Farsi) books on the net: www.iranibook.com & www.iranibookshop.com You will find any Farsi books in this feild ... Read more

Product Description
In this fully revised and expanded second edition, Dr. Milani offers new insights into the causes and profound consequences of Iran's Islamic Revolution. Drawing on dozens of personal interviews with the officials of the Islamic Republic and on recently released documents, he presents a provocative analysis of the dynamics and characteristics of factional politics in Islamic Iran. Among the new issues covered are the events leading up to the Teheran hostage crisis, Ayatollah Khomeini's life and writings, President Rafsanjani's activities against the Shah, Rafsanjani's recent reforms, Iran's involvement in the Kuwaiti crisis, and the domestic and foreign policy challenges facing Iran in the post-Cold War era. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Methodical. Analytical. Many Sources Uncited Elsewhere.
Dr. Milani's treatment is methodical, deeply analytical and cites many sources which have not been referenced in other books in English. While Keddie's 'Roots of Revolution' reaches similar conclusions wrt 1977-79, and Kamrava's 'Revolution In Iran' stands as a distinct analysis, neither dissects the events of this period and documents it to the extent done in this book. I am yet to find a more informative book.

A Valiant Effort
I had Dr Milani two semesters ago for an International Politics class.I found him to be a rather open minded professor, but in this book he presents a rather one sided argument.Still, for those not familiar with the Islamic Revolution this book may be helpful.I would recommend reading other sources for further information and formulating your own opinions.

A MODEST ATTEMPT
The book was somewhat dry, yet it was informative.Although on the surface the author tried to remain unbiased, it was evident that he was pro-khomeini.There was no mention of the 1000's of people murdered under his authority, especially that of the Bahai's who lived in Iran.Yet theShah was portrayed as an oppressive ruler who had no regard for his people. Without knowing the actual history of Iran and that of the revolution,this book would be hard to follow. ... Read more

Product Description
Since its revolution in 1979, Iran has been viewed as the bastion of radical Islam and a sponsor of terrorism. The focus on its volatile internal politics and its foreign relations has, according to Kamrava, distracted attention from more subtle transformations which have been taking place there in the intervening years. With the death of Ayatollah Khomeini a more relaxed political environment opened up in Iran, which encouraged intellectual and political debate between learned elites and religious reformers. What emerged from these interactions were three competing ideologies which Kamrava categorises as conservative, reformist and secular. As the book aptly demonstrates, these developments, which amount to an intellectual revolution, will have profound and far-reaching consequences for the future of the Islamic republic, its people and very probably for countries beyond its borders. This thought-provoking account of the Iranian intellectual and cultural scene will confound stereotypical views of Iran and its mullahs. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is the first description of Iranian freemasonry by an actual mason. He defends and explains the various accusations that have been made against Persian masons.

The book is in Persian (Farsi). ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Have seen it yet
The author apparently likes the Iranians since he travels a lot in the country and suffers to learn Farsi well enough that he can communicate in it. He is keen on meeting all sorts of people which is astonishingly not difficult in Iran which I found myself. The depictions of the author are absolutely authentic, especially marking the Iranian soul of people which is hard not to develop a liking in. Iranians are surprising friendly and hospitable as much as interested people.This is unfortunately not known abroad and the author takes efforts to change it as far as he is concerned. There is also some mathematics about the patterns of art and architecture and historic relations which can hardly been ignored when travelling through Iran. There is an outstanding heritage Iranian culture exposed in cities and sites. There is in deed not much about politics, although Iranians talk a lot about politics, even young student women confront you with it. And they are critical:
"The young were turning to drugs; worse, the government itself was making drugs more available and cheaper than ever, in the hope of stupefying an entire generation.. These, one sensed, were ills of a new and entirely crueller order than those of the past." That is to say, the Iranians did not like the Shah, but they d not like the mullahs either.And the government? "Thieves and plunderers, the lot of them!"
There are a few occurrences when the author tries to sense the atmosphere of places and get an inspiration. So when he describes the monuments of Isfahan:
"They shelter the embers of a creative magma which has surfaced time and again through periods of upheaval and devastation, producing masterpieces to the world in nearly all branches of art and under all of the nation`s most famous rulers...On the shock waves of conquest, the creative flame was borne far beyond its territorial origins and transmitted its energy to the arts of architecture of the last great empires of the world..."
Perhaps he would have made a good historian, with not much care about political correctness.
Interesting is also the attitude of many Iranians towards the Jews, which I could confirm. He lets one say: "People say the Israelis are the problem, but that is just politics. Of all the people of the Middle East, I have always thought the ones most like us are the Jews. I expect we`d get along with them if it wasn`t for that business with Palestine."
Iranians are also self-critical. "Where is Iranian culture? Not in Iran! It`s in New York, Paris , London... that`s where you should look for Iranian culture. Look outside at the street: what do you see? Poverty, misery, drugs - and everyone lying and cheating for a scrap of bread. That`s the only culture you`ll find here!" and "Europeans are ahead of Iranians because they do not lie". Not quite right, right?
The author also finds the Iranians keen on the opinions of foreigners about their country. "But behind all those questions loomed a single overreaching issue: that of personal liberty. " That is quite right!
To read this book means to get a broad view of Iran and its people. Nevertheless it has its lengths and I wonder how it is possible that after three years of travel and taking tremendous efforts to be able to write this book, so little could be achieved. The author is a good and talented writer. But too often, it seems, he has not much to say.

Now THIS is a travelogue!
No cosmopolitan musings about the relative merits of multiple swank laden hotels and resorts. No pointless stereotypical dwellings on the geo-politics of Saddam Hussein vs Khomeini. No histrionic rubbish about Thermopylae. Not a dull moment in the whole book.

This book truly made me re-think the way I view my heritage as a kid of Iranian descent. All the dull crud my parents and grandparents mentioned suddenly emerged from the pages of Mr Elliot's book, burnished anew to a dazzling sheen. I cannot recommend this book more highly for its insight into Iranian culture and the Persian civilisation(s) on which it's built.

Truly a timely and poetic read:)

Seeing clearly
Excellent, interesting hearing from someone who actually put their foot on the ground and reported the good & the bad. From our news publications we obviously hear only one side of the story. It's this type of book that draws humanity together rather than expanding on the differences.

Detailed, Factual and Poetic
This book is a very detailed account of a British journalist's travels across Iran. It is packed with tons of details even if you really don't like them when reading diaries of a traveler. I am not sure if those detailed stuff were necessary at all. Any how, this book is fun to read. Takes you back and forth and give you a pretty good brief of the contemporary and ancient Iranian history and politics. Highly recommended if you want to learn about the Iranian ethnic minorities, Persian culture and language and food.

An interesting read for all ages!

A Deeper Understanding of Iran
When I picked up Mirrors of the Unseen, I was very excited since I had so enjoyed Jason Elliot's An Unexpected Light.At first, I was disappointed.In An Unexpected Light, Elliot concentrates on the people he met and the social structures he encountered.This was essential for understanding Afghanistan.Mirrors of Light is Elliot's impression of Iran.He sees the key to understanding Iran in the history of its people, as shown through the people themselves, the geography, and the art and architecture.Each of these provides important keys to understanding the Iranian psyche.In Elliot's view, these are much more important than the current fundamentalist regime.Once I grasped this emphasis, the book was much more interesting as well as enlightening.

Elliot sees the ancient Persian history, dating back three millennia, as the key to modern Iran.The deep understanding of faith, the past glories of Persia, and the representations of these glories in art and architecture are all interrelated.In Elliot's view, the current hot button of fundamentalist faith has only minimal effect on the values and lives of average people, much as many Americans and v ery spiritual, faithful people even if they don't buy into the fundamentalism that is espoused by many in the government.

Unfortunately the fundamentalism on both sides of the American - Iranian divide is what is reported in the press.Elliot gives us a view of Iran that can hopefully lead to peace rather than war.

By the way, IMHO I highly recommend that you IGNORE Elliot's Caveat Lector on page 319 and continue reading.If you skip these pages, you may miss the key to the entire book.
... Read more

Product Description
Drawn from the first-hand accounts of eyewitnesses, Roy Mottahedeh's absorbing tale of Islam and Politics in revolutionary Iran is widely regarded as one of the best records of that turbulent time ever written. This revised edition includes a new chronology detailing events in Iran from the revolution right up to the present day and Ahmadinejad's controversial regime. There is simply no better resource for understanding Iran's past, present, and future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Schizophrenic
While there is some very good aspects of this book, the problems far out weigh the positive parts of the work.The book focuses on individuals which gives the work a micro feel to it.It follows some of the intellectuals in Iranian society throughout history which gives the reader an idea of the varied intellectual milieu, and also shows how these differing strains culminated in the Iranian Revolution.The problem is the book loses the big picture, and the author doesn't do an adequate job tying everything together.The book just jumps around too much without giving the reader a clear picture of how all these different narratives work together which leaves one feeling as if they wondering aimlessly.

The other large problem is that the book has a narrow audience.The work is a great starter to get a reader introduced to the many currents of intellectual thought in Iran, but these are not the people who are going to be drawn to this work, instead those with a deep interest in Iran will come to this work.The problem is that there are better books that cover the same subject with better focus.Books by Mehrzad Boroujerdi and Ali M. Ansari treat the same subject more adaptly.If one is already pretty familiar with Iranian history and its intellectual history then much of this work will be somewhat redundant.

In the end there are just better works out there that are better reads.This book left me feeling empty and often I was simply disinterested in the author's story.While the individuals were always interesting, the author doesn't bring the story together so that the reader is just reading the individual stories as isolated islands unto themselves.In the end I just can't recommend this book.

The "STORY" in "hiSTORY"!!
As a self-taught student of Persian and Iranian history, I could not turn the pages of Roy Mottahedeh's "Mantle of the Prophet" fast enough.Not your average work of historical writing, "Mantle" reads more like a first-class piece of literary fiction.The reason I majored in history as an undergraduate was because I enjoyed the "stories" that came with every class.If you want to learn, I mean really learn, something from a book or a class, you have to enjoy what you are reading/studying.Roy Mottahedeh makes you enjoy what you are reading.The insider perspective, told by a narrator you can truly connect with puts "Mantle of the Prophet" at the top of my list...and in a prominent place in my library.Well done!

M. M. Frick
Author of Open Source

Understanding the Ayatollahs' Iran
I began reading this book while on a tour in Iran.
Of all the books I've read on Iran, I consider this one
the best explanation of what the Islamic Republic
is all about, from the perspective of the history of
Shiah Islam.This is solid history, well worth reading
for anyone who wants an important "background story"
to go with today's and tomorrow's headlines.

Iran from the inside
This book interweaves aspects of the life of a contemporary mullah with sketches of the lives and works of a number of celebrated historical mullahs. As such I suspect that it accurately reflects the views of today's educated middle class Iranian.Since much of the material on historical figures comes from their respective autobiographic writings,it is not clear the larger-than-life profiles are what we would call historically objective.

What seems to be clearly presented is a picture of Shiah culture and theology; and theirantipathy to western notions of individual liberty and democracy.Here are some cogent points:

- Since Allah laid down his final laws for human life in the Koran, it is a sacrilege for men to make more laws.
- As a consequence of the above, man's noblest (or perhaps only noble) pursuit is the study of God's law.Students of God's law are mullahs.
- The most accomplished mullahs are "models" or Ayatollahs.God in his mercy will always supply such infallible individuals to guide the common man.
- Such "models" are chosen by the acclaim of the recognized mullah population.

It follows that the only form of government consistent with Shiah thought is an oligarchy of a self-selected and perpetuated theocratic elite.

An Unfocused Mess
This book had no focus, was choppy, and really doesn't help you to understand Iran - if anything, it confuses you even more.The first half of the chapters is the story of Ali Hashemi, a young Iranian boy who studies at a madreseh and eventually becomes a prominent mullah in the town of Qom.Not fantastic, but that part's okay.What kills the book is the secondhalf of the chapters: a sloppy, unfocused, confusing, rambling account of Iranian history.The book goes into such detail on some aspects of Iranian history (for example, providing detailed biographies of historical figures) that you can't grasp the overlying structure.This detail would be fine in a purely nonfiction book on the history of Iran, but coming in a book with such a jumbled format, a general synopsis would have been more appropriate. The history portion attempts to relate to the previous "fictional" portion of the chapter, but in doing so the history isn't presented in a clear chronological order, leaving you befuddled as to what's happening when.I had to read this book for a class and it was very painful.Don't read it if you don't have to - stay far away! ... Read more