A History of Modern Iran

In a reappraisal of Iran's modern history, Ervand Abrahamiantraces its traumatic journey across the twentieth century, throughthe discovery of oil, imperial interventions, the rule of thePahlavis and, in 1979, revolution and the birth of the IslamicRepublic. In the intervening years, the country has experienced abitter war with Iraq, the transformation of society under theclergy and, more recently, the expansion of the state and thestruggle for power between the old elites, the intelligentsia andthe commercial middle class. The author is a compassionateexpositor. While he adroitly negotiates the twists and turns of thecountry's regional and international politics, at the heart of hisbook are the people of Iran. It is to them and their resiliencethat this book is dedicated, as Iran emerges at the beginning ofthe twenty-first century as one of the most powerful states in theMiddle East.