Middle East Books

This book is an engaging blend of personal narrative and political instruction, one that's difficult to put down. In the tradition of Diane McWhorter's CARRY ME HOME, Dr. Elliott teaches us things we don't know while at the same time making sure we remember that she is a human being, journeying through territory and time, actually feeling what she is learning. I wish other historians would follow these examples and show us the human face of a very daunting, sometimes abstract, always complicated subject. The Middle East is mysterious to Americans, only because we haven't lived there, visited there, loved and felt there. Once you've visited Elliott's world, you feel you can't return to comfortable complacency in front of the television set. All the right questions are being asked in this little book and thankfully, unlike so many other works on this subject, it never turns into a rant. Dr. Elliott remains confused about what she has learned. It is that state of confusion that leaves the door open to more learning, and more learning is what we all could use. The Middle East is not just a bunch of territorial barbarians, not merely a horde of religious zealots, not just a group of intolerant boundary-holders and conquerors. The Middle East is filled with people who aspire to decent, peaceful lives, if their leaders and our leaders would put all of us first and leave the strutting and sabre-rattling to a previous century. Dr. Elliott and others who have opened their eyes to a new reality have much to teach us.
--Jim Reed, author, DAD'S TWEED COAT Learn more at his website: jimreedbooks.com

Liza Elliott's book is one of the best books on the Middle East crisis out there. After reading this book, you get a sense of what's really happening in Palestine, who the Palestinians are, what their aspirations are, and why do they act the way they do. This book dispels the myths that Palestinians are terroritsts. It puts a human face on them and explains that not only are they NOT the terrorists, but that THEY are the ones being terrorized! Elliott writes about them in such a loving way that we can't help but get to know the Palestinians and sympathize with their struggle to just be left alone to live life. Elliott is a writer with depth and insight and a style of writing that keeps you turning the pages. A must to read for those who are confused about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

This book is about an American woman and her journey of self-discovery. Liza Elliott, a nurse who was on a work trip with the Palestinian Red Crescent, ends up stranded in the area during an un-anticipated Israeli invasion. She is recounting her eye-witness experience of the life of the Palestinian people under opccupation in the refugee camps. During her presence, she witnesses the birth of the Palestinian "Intifadah" or awakening. This intense experience sparks her own personal intifadah. She describes her journey of internal growth and her newly found inner strength. Liza Elliott also touches on the background and history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This book is an inspiring woman's journey of self-discovery. I highly recommend it.

Late Antiquity is still quite controversial. Its application, time boundaries, and geographic limits still a matter of debate. As such, theories about its true nature and its application to historical study is still undetermined and is being revised everyday.

This book, much like the book that landed 'Late Antiquity' as a free-standing period in English historical enquiry (Peter Brown's "The World of Late Antiquity") is a trend-setter. Wickham's excellent scholarship, plus the fact that he dares and explores new waters and concepts, is ground breaking and profound. This book is going to be the "Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World" of its generation and have many volumes written in "response" to it. A must have, no doubt about it, for anyone interested in the Late Antique and Early Medieval history, and a must read for anyone interested in pre-Industrial Revolution economic history, regardless of time and place!

Chris Wickham explores the world of the early Middle Ages in a systematic way. Using literary and archaeological evidence, Wickham describes the changes which took place in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa after the fall of Rome. He maintains that despite the great political upheavals of the time, local continuity was a hallmark of this period. Economic decline and regrowth were connected with changes in the power and wealth of the aristocracy, who also exercised lesser or greater control over the land and the people.

While this massive piece of scholarship does not address cultural or intellectual history, it provides a very clear picture of the political and economic changes that transformed the former Roman Empire during the years 400-800 A.D. The writing is lively and easy to read, and the work is well organized. The full index and large bibliography as well as the broad range of topics covered make this book an indispensible reference tool for anyone studying Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages.

This is a monumental review of the economic and social histories of the former provinces of the Roman Empire between the penetration of the empire by the barbarians and the imperial coronation of Charlemagne. Along with the Origins of the European Economy, this book is likely to be the standard social and economic survey of the dark ages for years to come. The author surveys each of the major territorial regions of the fomer Roman Empire region-by-region, and slowly develops his theses. These include: (1) a "soft-fall" view of the disintegration of the Western Empire, concluding that many of its structures were in place well into the seventh century and gradually were melded into the less sophisticated successor states of Western Europe; (2) a taxation-driven notion of the state, concluding that the major factor distinguishing Rome and Roman power from that of successor states is that Rome had an elaborate and relatively efficient tax system, and that the successor states did not; (3) a regionalist approach to conclusions, finding that things changed in different degrees in different ways throughout the territories of the Roman Empire -- slowly and relatively little in the East, massively in Britain, in odd ways in Spain and Gaul; (4) a picture of transformation from peasant-based society to feudal society, occurring rather later than many historians would allow; (5) a strong de-emphasis on barbarian wars and conquests as an explanation for these transformations; and (5) a peasant's eye view of the transformation from Roman Empire to the Middle Ages.

It is in the latter that the only real problem with the book arises. The author is so pro-peasant in his view that he takes what could be called a "Xena" view of medieval class struggles. In Xena (and Conan, and Red Sonya, and 10,000 B.C., to name but a few sword-and-sorcery potboilers) there is a familiar scene where the peaceful peasants are going about their village business, talking to each other and carrying out their daily tasks, while a band of heavily-armed thugs is approaching the village on horseback, ready to destroy it with fire and sword. In this author's world, heavily-financed aristocrats are about to encroach on an idylic and egalitarian peasant world, forcing the formerly free peasantry to pay rent, work harder, and have more children. In what is perhaps his most radical claim, the author suggests that the serious decline in population from the late empire to about 700 A.D. was due, not to war, pestilence, famine and occupation but -- family planning! He admits that he cannot prove this, but it is clearly an idea which attracts him. I am dubious -- it is difficult to think of any other society between the birth of agriculture and the industrial revolution where the bulk of the population did not breed to its Malthusian limit, and the claim that early medieval Europe was an exception would require a good deal of proof.

That said, this is a wonderful book. Even its bias supplies a point of view which has been the subject of all-too-little factual analysis in the past. And by focusing on social relations above all, the author presents a very different view of the dark ages than that usually presented in our histories. Far from being a time of barbarism and decay, the early Middle Ages (the author balks at the term "dark ages") were a period of relative prosperity, equality, and good relations compared to what was to come.

This pamphlet, although short and somewhat over simplified, is a good study time line that helps the student of Near East History/ Persian History make sense of the Ancient History of one of the gratest contributors to the modern world. Persia discovered and developed a lot of the things we simply take for granted in our "modern world" such as calendars, irrrigation systems, Religeous Monotheism of all modern religions (based on Zoroastrism- both Christianity and Judeism, and(Islam-although they the banned it)), postal systems- we get our slogan from the Persians.. the first highway..and monitary systems...and the first bill of rights! This pamphlet simplifies the time periods of the Persian Historical Eras making it easier for the reader/student to understand and remember a long and fascinatingly rich and elaborate history that then can be filled in with other historical texts. This is not meant to be a stand alone historical treatment but more as an introductory very simplified study time-line for reference when reading the much more indepth history books that can be much harder to understand with out this pamphlets help. It is what I use as a quick reference when I feel I am getting confused and in terms of learning and remembering history it is a valuable tool for students of all ages.

it is a great, quick review of persian history with highlights of the richness of persia. I learned so much that i did not know. It is easy to read and fascinating facts. Anyone interested in the rich persian history must have a copy. I bought many copies and gave it as gifts to my friends.

This booklet narrates the history of Iran (Persia) from a positive perspective -- a good contrast to what the Western mass media have projected over the past two decades. The text is brief and to the point, and the illustrations enhace the richness of the text. Given its modest price, this booklet makes a great gift for friends (young or old) interested in Iran.

This should be the primer for garden coffee-table books.

This book features gorgeous photos, a terrific representation of every area of the Adirondacks, interesting stories, and history on the gardens. I especially appreciated the background given for each garden, and the nice balance between historic gardens, personal gardens, and publics areas. I don't often rave, but this is just about everything I could want in a garden photo book.

Compiled and edited by Horace Randall Williams, Weren't No Good Times is an anthology of 46 of the 125 interviews of former Alabama slaves, conducted from 1936 to 1938, presented with the express purpose of thoroughly documenting and creating a record of life during slavery in the southern state of Alabama. A powerful primary source, presenting individual voices with a loud and clear message of what slavery itself was truly like, Weren't No Good Times has the absolute highest recommendation and is a must for school and community libraries and American History and Black History reference collections and reading lists.

Very beautiful and informative. Photo's are superb. Text is a well researched and fascinating history of gardens old and new. Keen gardener's eye and knowledge is evident throughout.

As the author states in the book, official evil lives in the Middle East and this is the story of those who fought it back. This shocking book reveals the pure, unadultered terror the State of Israel inflicted on this sad land. Both the pictures and the prose hit home the brutality of what Israel did (and is doing) to the Palestinian people. Some of the conclusions, written in 1982/83, hauntingly resonate today with a clarity that only those which have withstood the test of time can. Clifton, an award-winning journalist with Newsweek and photographer Cathrine Leroy (also winner of numerous prestigious prizes) have put together more than a documentary account of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon and the subsequent seige of Beirut and the massacres of Sabra and Shatila. With unquestionable evidence they have produced a scathing commentary on Israel's brutal war of terror waged against an innocent people. After reading this book (which I have done more than 5 times) you can only support the creation of an independent Palestinian state and hope that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (then Defense Minister and architect of the war) finally gets his due in court in Belgium or elsewhere.

Tony Clifton's book "God Cried," represents the main body of published photographic documentation of the Israeli terror-bombing of downtown Beirut, Lebanon in the summer of 1982, when clearly marked schools, hospitals and apartment blocs were deliberately and mercilessly bombed. Tens of thousands of civilians died in this now forgotten holocaust. There is still some discussion of Sabra and Chatila, the September massacre of Palestinians by the Phalange under Israeli direction, but the far more horrid and extensive massacre represented by the indiscriminate aerial bombardment of the civilian sectors of Beirut is almost completely forgotten, seemingly even by many Lebanese, and certainly by the US media. But until the last copy of "God Cried" is stamped out, the truth will out.
--Michael Hoffman, co-author, "The Israeli Holocaust Against the Palestinians."

Peace, to you and to the Palestinian people, whom this book helps by giving it's readers a glimpse into the suffering those people have had to endure, under the merciless hands of the Israeli Army that seams to get away with all it's terror.

That's all, not surprisingly this book is currently out of stock, although, it shouldn't be, since it's the best so far regarding Middle Eastern phsychology. I own a copy, i just logged on to write this review! Toni is a brave man, too bad he wasn't rewarded well for his honest reporting that has not been affected by mainstream anti Palestinian racist rhetoric.

Peace.

While in Israel May of 2006, I was privileged to meet David Rubin in Shiloh. This book embodies his passionate ideologies, his hopes and his heart for exactly what the title states: "God, Israel and Shiloh!"
You will finish it with out the confusion gleaned from the tainted media perspective. Instead, you will be informed concerning many things regarding the history of Israel and the present day settling of Jews from around the world as well as why bombs fall while so-called peace agreements are made. You will understand the geographical names of the places spoken of in the press. Your heart will be touched by the effects on the children in an area riddled with terrorists and their activities. David Rubin is a man to be trusted in all that he writes. He will personally introduce you to his very real world where all of the above is part of his day to day experiences. Next to meeting him and standing with him on the hills of Shiloh, this is the next best thing for he will take you on a journey that will leave you thinking you have been there....or....cause you to want to go!

David Rubin's God, Israel, and Shiloh tells the often painful, yet at times heroic saga of the Jewish People's return to its ancestral land, despite the bullets of Islamic terrorism and Israel's internal struggles. David's personal story of return to his roots was fascinating to read about, as was his breathtaking, frightening description of the terror attack in which he and his young son were wounded. He tells the story of the return to Israel's heartland through the eyes of Shiloh, Israel's ancient capital that has come to life again in our times, but much of his very human and perceptive analysis of that idealistic process of return could very well have been written about the Zionist movement as a whole. I especially enjoyed the sharp political commentary in the last two chapters, which clearly sets before us the challenges for Israel and Western civilization in the age of Islamic terrorism. This book is absolutely required reading for those who want to know the truth behind the headlines and distorted news reports.It's the best book I've ever read about Israel!

"God, Israel and Shiloh" is by far the finest work that I have ever read that encapsulates the story of Israel and her people, from the Biblical to the modern. The author does a phenomenal job of explaining the history without making it "dry", the face of Islamic terrorism, including him and his son being shot yet done without sounding "biased", as well as explaining a great deal about Jewish beliefs and customs. Numerous books have been written on all of these topics and somehow the author has managed to roll them all into one amazing read! A must for anyone that desires to know more about any of the three subjects!

Given that I am a verteran guitarist and a recent student of the oud I was thrilled to see someone put out a book that looked at middle eastern music from a traditional context while applying it to the guitar! This certainly has made it easier to understand some of the techniquest around the music and how they are applied to both instruments. This gendre of music is quite technical and has its challenges when played on the oud, but for the guitar it becomes even more of a task to transcribe! It was a task that was accomplished here! The CD is excellent and the book's notation and coverage of the material is superb! I Highly recommend it!!!!

"At first I was skeptical but after reading the book and playing the examples I must say this is a must have for guitar players looking to get exposure to arabic music."

I couldn't agree more. This book has just the right amount of theory and musical examples to present the flavour of middle eastern music. In fact, it is much more comprehensive than you'd expect from it's slim size (48 pages). I was particularly delighted to find several full musical pieces - I had feared that the book would just be a catalogue of scales, modes and "licks". There's very little to complain about here - though I would have liked to see more examples of the use of microtones (not emphasized because of the difficulties of adapting these to the modern guitar).

Being an oud player as well as a guitar player I was exited to see a book on playing maqam on the guitar. At first I was skeptical but after reading the book and playing the examples I must say this is a must have for guitar players looking to get exposure to arabic music. The cd that comes with it is made up of all the examples in the book but it also is great to listen to for pleasure. I dug Jeff Peretz' other book "Zen and the Art of Guitar". I look forward to his next.

An essential feature of any historical work is the selection ofsources one wishes to present as an argument. The role of memory and access to history, that is public access to 'other' histories, is an area of much contention in the contemporary world. What I most enjoyed about this book is the authors have not shied away from commenting on earlier critiques of the proposed Smithsonian display, involving the restored fuselage of the Enola Gay. What was shameful about the ensuing debacle, I believe, was the attempt to discredit the further development of an alternate memory given 50 years had passed since the atomisation of Hiroshima. After all, was it not possible to show an American and Japanese view of the closing months of the Pacific War, regardless of who the victor was? It is critical to understand that Australians, let alone Japanese, cut a different slant on the way we interpret history, particularly that of Pacific War history. I believe we are richer for the experience.

But, of course, an alternate memory has developed, yet it is often dismissed by the euphemistic expression, 'historical revisionism'. This appears to be some sort of code for 'this sort of history is not acceptable to the conservative elements in contemporary American society, certainly much less to those who actually witnessed combat in the Pacific'. By virtue of fact, it has no legitimate place among orthodox histories. All history is subject to revision, for the simple reason new facts become available and each generation chooses to impose it's own standards. This is certainly the case with Hiroshima. But this shouldn't be construed as 'wrong' or a 'threat', rather it adds to the debate and formation of ideas which underpin the importance of Hiroshima and historiography. Context retains an essential place.

However, for those of you interested in the importance of historicity, of debate, and value the idea of an education as opposed to acccess to information, I cannot recommend this book enough. It has it all. Needless to say Hiroshima touches a raw nerve both in Japan and America. It also has much currency in Australia. So I do not in any way set out to discredit the efforts of those men and women who gave their services to the state during WW2. I do, however, recommend that prospective readers keep an open mind and try avoid getting caught up in the limited rhetoric of the conservative right and the emotional left.

The bombing of Hiroshima was one of many horrific events that occurred in World War II and in human history. World War II was a pivotal time, and only in the present are we able to look back and reflect on the event with a critical eye. Michael J. Hogan's HIROSHIMA IN HISTORY AND MEMORY provides a collection of essays by cultural and diplomatic historians who analyzed the bombing of Hiroshima based on unclassified documents and past commentary that emphasized the how and why the bomb was dropped. Although this historiographical collection is considered revisionist scholarship, it is by all means essential in order to understand the complicated decision that President Truman had to make in dropping the bomb, and the effects it has had decades after.

Several essays reflect on how the bombing has affected commemoration of the event. Without a clear understanding of Hiroshima from both Americans and Japanese, one cannot equally or fully commemorate or represent the bombing of Hiroshima. The essays in HIROSHIMA AND HISTORY AND MEMORY attempts to present the facts within each essay, and each historian, such as J. Samuel Walker, John W. Dower, Barton J. Bernstein, and a host of others emphasize that the decision to drop the bomb and end the war did not only involve justifying saving military casualties, but the fear of an imminent power on the rise -- the Soviet Union (despite their position as an allie at the time, their possible invasion would have helped the Japanese surrender).

HIROSHIMA IN HISTORY AND MEMORY examines basic history as it pertains to the bombing of Hiroshima. The essays are readable and understandable. The events that occurred in August 1945 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are two major historical events that continue to be a discussion of debate.

as far as hiroshima books go. this was the best one i found. i was writting a piece of history coursework on this travesty and this book not only gave me historians views but in the essays they mentioned other historians and their views!! it looked at this event from many different angles and managed to be interesting, factual and collectively unbiased throughout. very thought provoking.

Historical Dictionary of Turkmenistan gives a panoramic view of Turkmenistan's past and kaleidoscopic vista of its present. It provides valuable information on important personalities, dynasties, institutions and events. It also gives a clear perception of the Turkmenistan culture, economy, geography and politics. The introduction, chronology and bibliography of selected publications on Turkmen state and society will definitely help researchers, students and general-public.

While other Central Asian countries opened themselves to the world with the end of the Cold War - and the War on Terror even brought them to the center of international attention - in many respects Turkmenistan still remains the terra incognita. Abazov's Historical Dictionary of Turkmenistan starts unleashing the country's mystery and potential.

Trained as historian in the Soviet universities and with solid exposure to Western scholarly methods, Dr. Abazov brings best of the two worlds to this concise yet comprehensive volume. Beyond the dictionary's 300+ entries is the portrait of vibrant society, which - due to a combination of internal weaknesses and external rivalries - felt victim of tyranny and international neglect. Very informative and equally well written are historical entries covering various (pre-Russian, Russian & Soviet, and present) periods of Turkmenistan's history. It helps that the dictionary is accompanied by detailed chronology of events in the country's history, as well very useful reader's notes.

One could argue about the choice of extensive biographical entries of the appointed officials of today, while omitting or offering scant references about individuals, whose lifetime contributions to Turkmen culture and society are much better known and proven. Among the latter is the preeminent duo of Kayghisiz Atabaev and Nedirbay Aytakov, who have led Turkmenistan's political consolidation, as well as Shaja Batyrov and Balysh Ovezov - the `architects' of the country's industrial modernization. Just as transformative were contributions to the Turkmen culture by such larger than life figures as composer Veli Muhatov, artist Izzat Klychev, film producer Alty Karliev, writer Kerim Kurbannepesov and many others.

Nevertheless, Dr. Abazov deserves full credit for embarking on and successfully completing such challenging scholarly mission. As the West have learned the hard way not to discount strategic importance of even the farthest and most obscure nations, his dictionary is a must-have reference for anyone interested not only in the region, but in the history to come.

I highly recommend this first historical dictionary available in English, on Turkmenistan. This dictionary offers a concise overview of the Turkmen history, including an impressive chronology of its major political, social, historical and cultural events. The book is a must read for students interested in Turkmenistan and Central Asia, researchers and development practitioners that are planning to go to this country. The book also contains a wealth of statistical data on Turkmenistan, and the most comprehensive bibliography available on this country. I highly commend Prof. Abazov's book for his pioneering contribution to development of the Eurasian studies.

Ayatollah Rouhallah Khomeini and Vladimir I. Lenin were on opposite ends of the spectrum regarding religion. Khomeini demanded that the masses live by it and Lenin considered it an opiate for the masses. And yet, these two men had much in common. Both were revolutionaries, dedicated to the overthrow of a monarchy they despised and were successful in doing so. After they rose to power, each tried to export their revolution, causing their country to be diplomatically and economically isolated. Khomeini and Lenin both possessed a single-minded devotion to their cause, and they were ruthless in maneuvering to have anyone who could oppose their leadership eliminated.
The last third of the book is devoted to the revolution in Iran that brought Khomeini to power and the aftermath and I was riveted as I read through the pages. I watched the revolution on television as it unfolded so most of the names and events were familiar to me. Like so many political figures who are reviled outside their nation, Khomeini was a political genius, very much under appreciated for his ability to garner and maintain support, even in the wake of disasters.
The incompetence of almost every other force in the Iranian revolution is also described in great detail. The Carter administration was positively schizophrenic in dealing with the Shah, one section strongly trying to prop him up and others criticizing him for the massive human rights violations under his rule. However, I cannot put all of the blame on Carter. The American intelligence community was a pathetic failure. It appears that no one anywhere in the American government considered the revolution any threat to the Shah until the very end. This same community stated without qualification that Saddam Hussein possessed massive amounts of weapons of mass destruction before the second gulf war and failed to anticipate the collapse of the Soviet Union. At least in those cases they could make a plausible argument that those were closed societies so that it was hard to obtain any information one the ground. However, given the enormous American involvement in Iran under the Shah, their lack of real knowledge about the country is inexcusable. I consider this to be the greatest American intelligence failure of the last half-century.
The Shah himself proved to be very weak, quite likely due to his illness. At the time, he was suffering from the cancer that took his life a few years later. Therefore, as Daniel emphasizes, this illness may have been the root cause of his vacillation when only strong actions could prevent chaos. In the end, he simply could not bring himself to order his army and secret police to kill the tens of thousands of people that would have had to die to put down the revolution.
While Iran/Persia has a history going back thousands of years and the early events are important in learning why Iran is the way it is, the really interesting events occurred in the last one hundred years. Slightly less than half of the book is devoted to the history of Iran before the twentieth century and Daniel does a good job in setting the historical, ethnic, religious and geographical background of Iran and the neighboring countries. The rise of Shah Mohammad Pahlavi from the ashes of his father's being forced by the Soviet Union and Britain to abdicate when they occupied the country in the Second World War are the beginnings of one of the most amazing historical events of the twentieth century.
When he regained the throne after the war, the Shah was faced with enormous problems, the worst of which was a country severely fragmented. There are many different ethnic groups in Iran and at the time, the primary loyalty that most had was to their tribe rather than to the central government. The Soviet Union had occupied the northern regions and as they were active in promoting the Tudeh or Iranian communist party. Therefore, the Shah not only had to assert the authority of the central government, but he also had to deal with the Soviet Union and Britain, convincing them to withdraw their troops and adopt a policy of minimal interference. I was impressed with Daniel's descriptions of these events. In navigating around all of these potential problems, the Shah showed a level of geopolitical acumen that few people give him credit for. At a time when Joseph Stalin was ruthlessly taking control of the Eastern half of Europe, China had fallen under communist control, and North Korea was preparing to invade South Korea it is amazing that the Soviet Union largely left Iran alone. Unlike so many other Islamic areas, the Tudeh was strong in Iran, probably strong enough to have taken power with a small amount of Soviet assistance. Given that access to a warm water port had been a strategic goal of the Russians from the days when they first entered the Caucasus region, and control of Iran would have given them that goal, I will never understand why Stalin didn't orchestrate a communist coup in Iran.
However, the price that the Shah had to pay in order to maintain independence was very high. The British oil concession was one of the most one-sided in the history of the planet; it is unbelievable to read the numbers on how little was actually paid to the Iranians for their oil in 1950. Since the Shah also could not unilaterally keep the Soviets out, he relied heavily on Western help, which allowed the opposition to paint him as a puppet. All this led to the assumption of power by Mohammad Mosaddeq, who reduced the power of the Shah and embarked on a policy of nationalizing the Iranian oil fields. This is another area where Daniel is excellent in his descriptions of the events and their causes. A counter-coup, supported by the American CIA and British agents, overthrew Mosaddeq and restored the Shah to power. In the intervening years, Mosaddeq has been rehabilitated into a man who led a popular coup and was cynically deposed by the CIA. That is false, Mosaddeq did a lot of stupid things while in power, showing none of the Shah's innate understanding of political realities. In the end, the coup that removed him from power was a popular one and the CIA had to do very little to aid the forces that restored the Shah. It was gratifying to read the truth about Mosaddeq.
In closing, this is a book that should be read by anyone who wants to learn about Iran. It has been stated that it is a rogue state and one of the three members of the "Axis of Evil." While that is a debatable point, Iran is one of the most complex countries in the world, and there are no easy answers to any approach to interacting with their leadership. This book does not have all the answers, but it has enough of them to make it a very valuable resource.

Elton Daniel's brief history of Iran may be the most sober, realistic analysis of contemporary Iranian history in print. His sober assessment of the Islamic Republic's present and near future bears close scrutiny, and is far less optimistic than Robin Wright's. Yet it is also a fine introduction to Iranian history from prehistory to the present. Among its finest chapters are those devoted to the ancient Persian Empire of Cyrus and Darius I, the Parthians, medieval Persian history, and the early modern history of Iran through the rise of the Qajar Dynasty. Yet, as I pointed out earlier, it is most noteworthy for its coverage of recent Iranian history. Students of Iranian history and of the Middle East may find this essential reading.

This books excels in its intention: to provide a useful history of Iran. It guides without browbeating, informs the reader without opining the reader with extra epithets, and just generally equips the reader to understand the context of modern developments in Iran. Now I understand what it means when I read that Aminejad is an unknown but conservative backer of the Islamic Revolution, and that is something that I would not have without this book. If you want to understand Iran, this is an excellent tool.