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Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy Kindle Edition
by Trita Parsi (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (52)
The definitive book on President Obama's historic nuclear deal with Iran from the U.S. foreign policy expert and acclaimed author of Treacherous Alliance.
In Losing an Enemy, Middle East policy expert Trita Parsi examines President Obama's strategy toward Iran's nuclear program and reveals how the historic agreement of 2015 broke the persistent stalemate in negotiations that had blocked earlier efforts. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, accomplished two major feats in one stroke: it averted the threat of war with Iran and prevented the possibility of an Iranian nuclear bomb.
Parsi advised the Obama White House throughout the talks and had access to decision-makers and diplomats on the U.S. and Iranian sides alike. With his unique insight, he examines every facet of a triumph that could become as important and consequential as Nixon's rapprochement with China. Drawing from more than seventy-five in-depth interviews with key decision-makers, including Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, this is the first authoritative account of President Obama's signature foreign policy achievement.
"A detailed and gripping account of the 22 months of negotiations over Iran's nuclear program that resulted in the 2015 deal."—John Waterbury, Foreign Affairs
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Print length 471 pages
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Review
"An astute and generous portrayal of both sides of the negotiating table."--Kirkus Reviews
"[An] exceptionally well-written piece of reportage . . . The book's strength derives from Parsi's high level of access to key players on both sides. Parsi brings his unique vantage point to what will undoubtedly be the definitive account of Obama's signature foreign policy achievement."--Publishers Weekly
"Trita Parsi has written a great book about what remains the most outstanding diplomatic feat of the 21st century. . . . The book reads like a thriller, so high are the tensions that built up as obstacles to an agreement repeatedly arose. . . . An important book for anyone who wants to penetrate the intricacies of Middle East diplomacy and diplomacy in general."--Francois Nicoullaud, LobeLog
"The story of how dogged diplomacy and some good luck took us from that low point to a deal that few could have imagined is one worth telling. Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, who had the advantage of access to high-level participants on both sides, tells it well in his new book, Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy. Crucial events and decisions are traced in great detail, supported by an unusual wealth of on-the-record interviews."--Jessica T. Mathews, New York Review of Books
"A detailed and gripping account of the 22 months of negotiations over Iran's nuclear program that resulted in the 2015 deal."--John Waterbury, Foreign Affairs
"Powerful . . . Parsi has produced an exceptionally valuable if somewhat worrisome analysis on international efforts to reach [the Iran nuclear deal]."--W. Andrew Terrill, Middle East Journal
"Trita Parsi has written a spectacularly illuminating book, recounting in dazzling detail the complex events--both onstage and off--leading to the 'Iran nuclear deal.' Among its many virtues, Losing an Enemy emphasizes that the issues at stake extended far, far beyond the question of Iran's nuclear weapons program. This is and will remain for the foreseeable future the authoritative account of one of this century's pivotal developments."--Andrew J. Bacevich, author of America's War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History
"Trita Parsi has written a superb book on how the Iran nuclear deal was crafted. It is really an inside story, since he had amazing access throughout the process to the key actors in Iran, Israel, and the United States. It is clear from Losing an Enemy not only that it took a Herculean effort to reach a deal, but also that there are still powerful forces around in all three of those countries who want to undermine it as well as any prospect of improved relations between Tehran and Washington."--John J. Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
"Parsi, a Persian speaker and fine author in English, has done superb research, assembling fascinating accounts of the key events in the diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear crisis. His book is insightful, readable and spellbinding--a must-read for anyone interested in this seminal subject."--Thomas R. Pickering, former US Under Secretary of State and Ambassador to Russia, the UN, India and Israel
"Losing an Enemy is a riveting account of the diplomacy behind Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, an issue that will continue to be at the forefront of American foreign policy as we enter the Trump era."--Francis Fukuyama, Senior Fellow, Stanford University
"Losing an Enemy is an inside look at one of President Obama's greatest legacies: his historic nuclear deal that transformed the United States and Iran from lethal enemies to paltry rivals. In this eloquently written book, Trita Parsi draws upon his exclusive access as an advisor to the Obama White House, his retelling of the events made all the more riveting by the high stakes that placed the United States dangerously close to yet another disastrous war. What emerges is an eye-opening analysis of one of the most pivotal victories of American foreign policy."--Reza Aslan, best-selling author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
About the Author
Paul Boehmer is a seasoned actor who has appeared on Broadway, film, and television, including The Thomas Crown Affair and All My Children. Coinciding with another of his passions, sci-fi, Paul has been cast in various roles in many episodes of Star Trek.
Trita Parsi is president of the National Iranian American Council. He teaches at Johns Hopkins University and at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He lives in Reston, Virginia.
Product details
ASIN : B072QKY77Q
Publisher : Yale University Press
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : 1 August 2017
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From other countries
Peter Brodie
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent account, much fuller than his others
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 October 2017
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Excellent account, much fuller than his others, and absolutely topical. The author lays much of the blame on Bibi Netanyahu and the Republicans controlled by two well-funded Israel lobbies in the US. What is disgraceful is the hypocrisy of the US position - in 1975 Kissinger, aided by Rumsfeld and Wolfawitz were selling nuclear equipment to Iran and making $6billion from the business. That is only the start of a shoddy history in which Iran and the US emerge as equally to blame, but the US possibly more so.
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Rea Keech
5.0 out of 5 stars the characterizations of the better known negotiators reflect popular perceptions
Reviewed in the United States on 23 February 2018
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Trita Parsi, fluent in English and Farsi and acquainted with all the major players in the diplomacy that took three years to produce the Iran nuclear deal, is uniquely qualified to write this account. He has an intimate knowledge of both US and Iranian politics. It is his step-by-step focus on the evolution of the “deal” that helps make the book so informative, and it is the inclusion of human details that makes it so interesting.
Parsi takes us into the minds of the negotiators for Obama as well as Rouhani. Both sides of the story are presented with equal understanding. The book explains disputes over low-enriched and high-enriched uranium, kilograms of stockpiles, nuclear bomb “breakout” capability, “snapback sanctions,” and, most importantly, explains why the US and Europe allowed Iran to enrich uranium at all.
Since Parsi knows and had contact with US, Iranian, Russian, and other diplomats and negotiators, he can humanize the discussions. For example, he says Saeed Jalili, an early negotiator who later ran unsuccessfully against Rouhani, was known for “his tendency to hold long monologues addressing the many injustices Iran had suffered at the hand of Western powers.” Of the US negotiator Talwar Puneet, the only White House staffer who had actually visited Iran, he says, “the respect Iranians showed Puneet was noticeable.” The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, we’re told, after a last minute objection by the French foreign minister threatened to scuttle the talks, got so angry he “was spotted entering the hotel bar ordering a full bottle of vodka.”
For the most part, the characterizations of the better known negotiators reflect popular perceptions. Javad Zarif, currently Iran’s foreign minister, “had a likability that’s off the charts,” yet we’re told he’s also known for his temper. And John Kerry, with a “reputation for being unflappable,” is also described as once losing his temper and slamming “his fist so hard on the table that his pen flew across it and hit one of the Iranian negotiators.” Not that the negotiations often reached points like this. Parsi says that “even at the height of their tense exchanges, the negotiators could at the same time only be moments away from laughter. In fact, laughter was often what saved them from diplomatic dead ends.”
I had presumed the nuclear negotiations were based on the countries’ desire for strength and safety, and to a large extent this was true. But Parsi’s narrative views countries, especially Iran, as people who are susceptible to slights and having their feelings hurt and taking offense. Countries, his thesis goes, see each other as “rivals” for prestige and the world’s attention. They want to “take center stage” and assert their “right to play the role of a regional power.” According to Parsi, it was the Obama administration’s understanding that Iran wanted to be respected, recognized as an important country, and included among legitimate nations that enabled reaching this agreement that stands as one of the greatest diplomatic achievements of modern times.
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RBB
5.0 out of 5 stars Authoritative. Informative. Required reading.
Reviewed in Canada on 11 September 2025
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I have read all of Trita Parsi’s books- Treacherous Alliances, Single Roll of the Dice and now, Losing An Enemy. Amazing detail. He covers Obama’s persistent pursuit for diplomacy with Iran but explains all of the many challenges to get to this point. Fraudulent elections in Iran 2009, surprise election results in Iran…Israel Lobby pressure, outright lies by Netanyahu and Congressional pressures.
Many details were either never or under reported in the media. Mossad rejecting Netanyahu’s demands for war plans Obama’s secret dealings in Oman. The book continues where Single Roll of the Dice ends.
Magnificent.
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Mickael Jokar
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute must read!
Reviewed in France on 17 September 2017
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Absolute must read for anyone interested in geopolitics, diplomacy and how foreign policy is shaped. Trita Parsi has put together an impressive work in which he takes us inside the nuclear talks. With over 70 interviews with top government officials and actual negotiators from all sides, Parsi's book offers a unique perspective to understand how diplomacy triumphed. The fascinating behind-the-scenes accounts offers keys to understanding each side's national security interests, concerns and domestic constraints on foreign policy maneuverability. Brilliant!
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Mazi
5.0 out of 5 stars A book for history lovers and who want to read about what actually happened and not what the author is trying to proof.
Reviewed in the United States on 26 August 2017
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This book could have only be written by a person like Parsi who had access to all the participants in this negotiation and all other major players. The author successfully managed to showcase each side's point of view, hopes, and concerns. Each side's successes and failures. The book is not written to justify or proof the author's point of view like many current books about Iran and actually about history in general. The author has written a true account of what transpired, what each player hoped to achieve, and what each player hope to prevent the other side to gain.
The book is very insightful about how and why things transpired they way they did. It is a amazing voyage through he world of politics.
I had followed the negotiations almost daily but still this book was very informative and presented to me why things happened they way did. I really enjoyed reading this book. The book is not your traditional dry historical narrative that puts you to sleep. It is written so to keep your interest going and creating a want to continue to read.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read what actually happened and what each player was really thinking. You will not only gain an understanding of what happened but also an understanding of how world politics work.
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Pouya
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, the introduction will hook you in all ...
Reviewed in Canada on 18 January 2018
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Great book, the introduction will hook you in all the way, It is also noted that the book is written by someone who understands Iran, and has stood the test of time of not changing his views for ulterior motives on this very controversial subject (unlike many others)
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Peter
4.0 out of 5 stars Nuclear diplomacy up front
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 September 2017
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Even though I have read only first five chapters, this book is worth its weight in gold rich in opening chapters on probably most important international agreements in recent years.
Mr Paris has certainly used all sources available to him in getting to heart of the nuclear deal between America, countries on the UN Security Council and Iran.
He used the first chapters to lay down the background towards the historic accord in 2015 charting relationship between the US and Iran under the Bush Administration and then Obama presidency.
I believe in the deal reached, and from early reading of this fine volume of work I am reassured that it will prove to me the value of this critical agreement built on the skill of diplomacy employed both sides in reaching final deal in 2015.
This is a book that be reference, even if events overtake it under the presidency of Donald Trump.
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Masoud Sharifi
4.0 out of 5 stars Must read for Politics interested persons
Reviewed in the United States on 13 August 2017
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Great insight and details showing all aspects of diplomacy where prejudice for an specific outcome forbade limiting other side capabilities.
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Eric C. Petersen
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book about a very important event
Reviewed in the United States on 22 July 2017
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First rate - continuously interesting and very well written by one of the real experts on U.S.-Iranian relations. For the ten years preceding Obama's second term, negotiations on Iran's nuclear program had gone nowhere and positions had hardened: Iran, as a member of the NPT, claimed it had the sovereign right to enrich, the EU and the U.S. demanded a halt to all enrichment, and the key political players on both sides were not personalities subject to compromise; Ahmadinejad for this two four year terms, and the "my way or the highway" cast of neocon characters in the Bush administrations plus Rumsfeld and Cheney who even refused Iran's extended hand in fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, and later, how best to deal with the various sectarian groups in Iraq, experience Iran had gained in its eight-year war with Saddam. The playing field changed with the election of Rouhani as president, long an advocate of improved relations with the West, and, somewhat behind the scenes, the support of Ayatollah Khamenei. Obama's appointment of John Kerry as Secretary of State and chief negotiator was an excellent choice as he had prior experience with this subject when in the Senate. In addition, both sides brought along very capable key staff people, all with one goal - progress, not rhetoric. Generally unknown and certainly underappreciated was the role of the Sultan of Oman in opening up a dialogue between the two counties with much behind-the-scenes intrigue. Parsi points out one factor that had delayed progress for so long; the Iranians (understandably) didn't like being yelled at and dictated to with abusive language, the "either you are with us or against us" lingo used by Bush II, use of the term "Mad Mullahs," etc. America may have been vastly more powerful, but when it came down to the rights of sovereign states both should be on equal footing, i.e., someone like John Bolton instead of Kerry would not have carried the day.
Even with the right players in place and conciliation in the air, the road forward was not smooth - what makes the book a real page turner, what's next? Netanyahu, even against the advice of a bevy of retired members of the Mossad, IDF Intelligence, and the Shin Bet, remained adamantly and vocally against any deal that wouldn't totally shut down Iran's civilian nuclear program, as he continues to do to this day. A whole host of other potential derailments came up, some totally unexpected. The subject matter of the book might seem dry - diplomatic negotiations - but the cast of characters is lively and both sides had to consider and work around the rejectionists in their camp, tricky business. Some side topics are covered in addition, like sanctions - do they work as intended or have unanticipated blowback consequences? Some items in the book are relevant to today's events: When Mitt was running for president in 2012 he visited with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv where Sheldon Adelson threw a million dollar fund raiser for the candidate. One wonders what the reaction would be if it were discovered the Koch brothers did the same for Trump last year in Moscow?
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Thomas M. Ricks
5.0 out of 5 stars The Background to one of the most historic UN Accords negotiated in the Middle East - An Awesome Peace of 2015
Reviewed in the United States on 6 February 2018
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Trita Parsi, an Iranian-American journalist and researcher, is a tireless supporter of a progressive America and Iran. His exhaustive study of US-Iran relations in this the third volume of his triology is a landmark and seminal work of great importance as he patiently unfolds the story of the past 38 years of on agian, off again relations and diplomatic ties between his native and adopted countries. Quick to point out the foibles of Iranian and American shortcomings, his work is a solid statement of the importance of diplomacy and trust in internaitonal relations and the preference for diplomacy over military actions in the long run. His work needs to read by every American to understand the historic nature of the UN Accord by the six nations plus Iran referred irreverently to as "the deal." Beginning with the 1990-91 Gulf War and the Senior george bush presidency and ending with Barak Obama's terms in office, Parsi takes the reader painstakingly through the background to that historical event in June 2015 and why the
American people need to embrace the years of negotiation and the final result at all costs. The alternative is nuclear war and chaos. How it all happened is masterly examined by the young Iranian-American writer. Outstanding reporting and details for all to read.
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Antal Halmos
5.0 out of 5 stars * I recommend an important book for everyone
Reviewed in the United States on 26 November 2017
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I comment with my blog that was posted today in ahalmos.wordpress.com:
"Fontos könyvet ajánlok mindenki figyelmébe. A szerző neve is sugallja: Iráni születésű, kisgyermekként a zoroasztrianizmus (és nem az iszlám) emlőin nevelkedett. Később azonban svéd és amerikai egyetemeken tanult, és ért el tudományos fokozatot. Azért emelem ki mindezt, mert a könyv az iráni nukleáris programról folytatott – nagyrészt titkos – tárgyalásokkal foglalkozik.
Mint a National Iranian American Council megalapítója, magánjellegű beszélgetéseken keresztül figyelemmel tudta kísérni a tárgyalások menetét. Teljesen egyetértek vele abban, hogy a diplomáciai megoldás megmentette a világot egy katasztrofális háborútól, az USA pedig “elvesztett” egy ellenséget. A kalandregénybe illő tárgyalásokat az azokról rendszeres tájékoztatást kapó Netanjahu aljasságig menő beavatkozásokra használta fel, Obama ellen uszítva a Kongresszust, az ott aktív szerepet játszó zsidó (lobbi) szervezeteket. Tette ezt az izraeli biztonsági szervezetek ellenvéleményének semmibe vételével. Itt az ideje, hogy Izrael népe eltávolítsa a hatalomból.
*
I recommend an important book for everyone. The author’s name suggests: He was born in Iran, and was raised as a young child on the breast of Zoroastrianism (and not of Islam). Later, however, he studied at Swedish and American universities and gained scientific degrees. I stress all these because the book deals with – largely secret – negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program.
As the founder of the National Iranian American Council, he was able to follow the course of negotiations through private conversations. I fully agree with him that the diplomatic solution has saved the world from a catastrophic war, and the United States has “eluded” an enemy. The adventurous talks were used by Netanyahu – who was regularly informed – to foully intervene, instigating against Obama the Congress and the Jewish (lobby) organizations that played an active part in it. He did this neglecting the contrary opinion of Israeli security organizations. It is time for the people of Israel to remove him from power.
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Edward Brynes
3.0 out of 5 stars Why We have not Lost an Enemy
Reviewed in the United States on 20 February 2018
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This is a history of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) written from an pro-Iranian point of view, so that certain issues are left out. 'The Iran Wars' by Jay Solomon is a book that could be read alongside as a corrective.
There have been many issues of concealment and evasion in Iran's atomic program. The historical record contains numerous citations by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). A list of IAEA citations contains numerous phrases like "undeclared nuclear activities", "noncompliance with NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] obligations", "deception", and so on. A May 2009 U.S. Congressional Report suggested the United States, and later the Europeans, argued that Iran's deception meant it should forfeit its right to enrich uranium.
This is when the narrative of 'Losing an Enemy' begins. The author, who is the president of the National Iranian-American Council, sees the JCPOA as a vindication of diplomacy and Iran's "right to enrich". But the close supervision of the right suggests that even for defenders of the JCPOA enrichment is not really a right but a privilege which has been granted to Iran because to deny it would be just too dangerous. Unfortunately, this is exactly the impression I received from the narrative.
No other nuclear nation in the world has needed anything like a JCPOA to govern its enrichment of uranium, but the author does not ask "Why?" Iran could just as well purchase enriched material in the world market, but for many years has mined uranium and performed its own enrichment (the operation of separating the fissionable uranium from the rest). It is an expensive industrial process requiring large numbers of high-speed centrifuges, and has been going on without interruption since 2005 when an earlier European attempt to get Iran to pause enrichment had failed.
The author admits that to justify the right, "The Iranians had tied themselves into a narrative that contended that the nuclear issue was ultimately a pretext the West used to pressure Iran, to deprive it of access to science, and to deny it the ability to live up to its full potential. An Iran that would actualize its full potential would be the most powerful state in the Middle East . ... This was a historic reality, the Iranian narrative maintained, and not just a recent phenomenon. For the past two centuries, Western colonialist designs for the region had necessitated balancing Iran by undercutting it while building up Iran's Arab neighbors. " (p.183)
"For the past two centuries" Iran has in fact been independent. Its problems have mostly come from its ruling dynasties. Even the last shah showed considerable assertiveness toward the West in his oil pricing policy and progressive social engineering projects. The various evils mentioned, even the 1953 coup that forced out Mossadegh, were not added up to any formal case that might be brought before an international court. To the author and apparently to the negotiator Javad Zarif, they are only a basis for demanding a written acknowledgment of the "right to enrich". Of course if one country can enrich uranium then other countries can; perhaps too many countries are already enabled. Kerry and Obama appear to have been ready to allow enrichment even before negotiations started, which they saw as one more card that could be played in dealing. The only problem for them was whether it should be played first in the process of looking for possible concessions, or last as a bonus for compliance, and at last chose the second alternative.
To obtain compliance, various nonmilitary methods were available to the West. They were known as 'sanctions'. These are ways of blocking Iran's financial transactions with various programs of the UN, the US, the European nations, and the SWIFT international financial network. To avoid sanctions, Iran was asked to limit the degree of enrichment of its uranium, the number and size of centrifuges to perform the enrichment, and the total amount of enriched material allowed to accumulate. As previously stated, Iran had been noncompliant since 2005. Many sanctions were already in effect and were clearly working, as can be seen from a graph of Iranian GDP. But the author feels sanctions were a divisive issue among the Western powers, sometimes caused hardship in Europe, and were ineffective. Besides, so many sanctions had been enacted that there was little room to expand them; he does not provide much evidence for this assertion. (Actually the US Congress was considering new sanctions right up to the signing of the JCPOA.) Iran's trump card was simply to continue enrichment, guaranteeing an ever larger stock of bomb-making material if it felt the restrictions proposed by the West were excessive.
During the negotiations, proposals from the West were constantly modified and re-submitted. "Tehran was paralyzed. ... Almost all political factions within Iran criticized the deal and deliberately increased the political cost for Ahmedinejad to pursue it." (p. 97) At one point diplomacy had apparently failed. According to Obama's "dual-track" system, now was the time for either military action or new and intensified sanctions. The consensus was that the military option would fail because Israel would not be able to destroy enough of Iran's nuclear complex in sufficient time, so Iran could rebuild it in secret (this time, outside of the Non-Proliferation Treaty). The only way out were renewed sanctions. "Once the sanctions track was activated, it became the only track, despite the Obama White House's argument that sanctions could work only when combined with diplomacy." (p. 101). After a major hiccup in the negotiations caused by a proposal devised by Turkey and Brazil which the West considered unsatisfactory, new sanctions devised by the US Congress went into effect. Obama himself was exasperated but finally got back to negotiation. Lack of space makes it impossible to cover even a fraction of the intricacies.
In terms of ideas this book is dominated by the opposition of 'coercion' (military force and sanctions, considered to be the US way of doing business) vs 'diplomacy' (Kerry and Obama). Of course nonstop enrichment, even while discussions were being held, was Iran's form of coercion, based on the fear of a future war. The fear was so strong that in the media, war was not envisioned as a possibility. The West had envisioned a possible nuclear war with the Soviet Union for forty years, but under Obama, now was not the time to bring up the idea. Apparently sanctions were felt to be the only allowable form of coercion. Perhaps Iran, fortified with deep-down visions of the Army of the Mahdi, was not as afraid of war as the West.
In fact, coercion and diplomacy are not really opposites. On some issues, we can resort to negotiation, but on others like terrorism we must be coercive or militarist. This is an obvious thing to say but the author should at least consider it in his obsessive condemnations of Israel and Netanyahu. At one rough part in negotiations, Zarif threatened to take the entire P5+1 group to the International Criminal Court in the Hague for their support of Saddam in the 1980s. "If we are talking about regional security, I should take every one of you to international courts for supporting Saddam."
Of course Iran might be taken to court for other incidents. But for non-lawyers it might be more useful to think pragmatically. Since July 2015 the West's relations with Iran have grown more troubled. According to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, Iran has launched as many as 23 ballistic missiles. There has apparently been compliance on the JCPOA provisions itself, but even while negotiations were going on, Iran was supplying its proxy army Hezbollah, entrenched in Lebanon, with weaponry of all sorts. Recently General H. R. McMaster commented about the increasingly powerful network of proxy armies in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq." See Reuters World News, February17, 2018 "U. S. Calls for Action to Halt Iran's Growing Network of Proxies" .
There is a lot of detailed information in this book. I'd say perhaps we have avoided an enrichment arms race, but we have not lost an enemy.
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NYCBookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful and intelligent analysis of the Iran deal
Reviewed in the United States on 31 October 2017
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Parsi is a thoughtful and intelligent voice on Iranian-American relations and his new book, "Losing an Enemy," only further proves that. In addition to offer helpful context, Parsi offers original observations and rich details regarding the negotiations and diplomacy that went into the Iran deal. At a time when Donald Trump and others seek to minimize the Iran deal to a few soundbites, Parsi's book shows us why Trump's comments are no only ill-informed, but his comments are also irresponsible. "Losing an Enemy" is also written so well that it reads like a novel. In short, "Losing an Enemy" is a superb and informative read that should be required reading in Washington, D.C.—it's a text that should be read by all students of American diplomacy to understand why the Iran deal provides a blueprint for future diplomatic situations.
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lon crow
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and entertaining. If I knew they would read it, I gladly buy every congressperson and statesman a copy.
Reviewed in the United States on 24 September 2017
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On my coffee table I currently count thirty three books on Iran/US relations. I bookmark important parts of these books for future reference. I do this by placing post it notes on important passages. For this book, I needed to run to the Dollar Store to increase my supply of notes. It was one of the few books I could not put down (except for that run to the store). Barbara Slavin of the Atlantic Council stated "there are no experts on Iran, there are only students". I have never found truer words spoken about Iran. I have read far too many books and musings written by self proclaimed "Iranian experts" only to find them to be gradeschoolers with a few kindergarten students mixed in. I agree with Barbara but I can honestly say Dr Trita Parsi, when it comes to Iran, is doctoral student. I fear he may be the only one. We could surely use a few more.
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Trita Parsi
5.0 out of 5 stars I expected a book on international relations, instead I received a thriller!
Reviewed in the United States on 19 September 2017
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I expected a book on international relations, instead I received a thriller! If all international relations books written with the storytelling skills of Parsi, then perhaps Americans wouldn't be as clueless about the world as they are today. Parsi also does a masterful job at describing the interest and calculations of all sides in this thriller, treating all sides very fairly. This really is an insider's account of what went down, since Parsi appears to have interviewed everyone on every side that matters to piece together this amazing story!
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Shahanshah11
5.0 out of 5 stars Important in today's not so diplomatic atmosphere
Reviewed in the United States on 19 September 2017
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Well written, very informative, and a must read. Parsi has written some wonderful pieces in the past, but the relevance of this book in today's political atmosphere makes that much more important. Of course, there are many who are against US-Iran diplomacy and do not like Trita Parsi personally for that reason and will rate this book one star without having read it. Ignore those individuals as you go through the reviews. If you are interested in the Iran Deal this is the book to read.
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S. Nasiri
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read book to understand mideleast tendions
Reviewed in the United States on 21 August 2017
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This has been one of the most informative books about US - Iran relationship and the role on Isreal and Saudis is trying to jeperdis it. It provides a convincing argument as why diplomacy rather than coercion should be perused. Whit tensions raising with Iran thanks to Trumps election and his desire to appease to Isreal and Saudis this is an eye opening book.
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david sorenson
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading on the Iranian nuclear bargaining
Reviewed in the United States on 30 July 2018
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If you read only one book on the Iranian nuclear deal, this should be the one. Parsi is a noted scholar who interviewed participants on all sides of the negotiations, and has crafted an essential book. Those who support Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement should read this VERY CAREFULLY.
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J. Moon
5.0 out of 5 stars A thorough history and understanding of the Iran Nuclear Arms ...
Reviewed in the United States on 21 October 2017
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A thorough history and understanding of the Iran Nuclear Arms Agreement. Well written, thorough and insightful. Must reading for all who want or intend to opine on the rightful position that the U.S should maintain on this accord.
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Reza Amin
5.0 out of 5 stars The most insight into US-Iran relations available from any source.
Reviewed in the United States on 17 September 2017
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Trita has the most insight into US-Iran relations than practically any one in the US.
If the US foreign policy establishment consulted him when formulating Iran policy, US would have a much more successful policy in the Mid-East.
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Timothy
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
Reviewed in the United States on 18 May 2018
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Enlightening beyond measure...superb writing and analysis! Dr. Trita Parsi, thank you.
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Douglas Norton
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 2 September 2017
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Comprehensive review of the tortured process leading to this important agreement
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P. jay
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 14 March 2018
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
very well written and informative
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M B
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 10 May 2018
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
great book
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