Understanding Iran: 2011 Polk, William R

Understanding Iran: Everything You Need to Know, from Persia to the Islamic Republic, from Cyrus to Ahmadinejad : Polk, William R.: 2011








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Understanding Iran: Everything You Need to Know, from Persia to the Islamic Republic, from Cyrus to Ahmadinejad
by William R. Polk (Author) Format: Paperback
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (163)






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William R. Polk provides an informative, readable history of a country which is moving quickly toward becoming the dominant power and culture of the Middle East. A former member of the State Department's Policy Planning Council, Polk describes a country and a history misunderstood by many in the West. While Iranians chafe under the yolk of their current leaders, they also have bitter memories of generations of British, Russian and American espionage, invasion, and dominance. There are important lessons to be learned from the past, and Polk teases them out of a long and rich history and shows that it is not just now, but for decades to come that an understanding of Iran will be essential to American safety and well-being.


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Review


"...A great guide if you want to understand Iran." --Fareed Zakaria

"William Polk has written a superb and insightful historical account of Iran and the evolution of the Persian culture. This should be required reading not just for all those involved in Iranian policy making but for all those interested in understanding this critical nation and society." --General Anthony C. Zinni USMC (Retired), co-author of Leading the Charge and The Battle for Peace

"A great scholar's brilliant appreciation of Iranian culture and history." --Dr. Khodadad Farmanfarmaian, former Deputy Prime Minister of Iran

"Essential reading...a study of depth and clarity." --Terrell Arnold, former chairman of the Department of International Studies at the U.S. National War College

"This is an easy read with a very big payoff -- a nuanced understanding of Iran as a complex society whose perceptions and politics are shaped by readily comprehensible history, religious traditions, and recent experience. Polk's writing is erudite but not academic; his prose is lucid and his policy experience shows. If you know someone in the United States government dealing with Iran or the Middle East, give that person this book; the prospects of American policy success vis-à-vis both could go up considerably." --Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.), former assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs

"The great value of Bill Polk's books is that they take a thoughtful, clear-eyed look at America's entanglement in the Middle East. Understanding Iran is the latest addition to the library of Polk's sharp, smart analysis of a region that America doesn't understand well enough. There are scoops in this book about how close the United States has come to war with the Islamic Republic. But more, there is a deep understanding of Iran, its history and its culture. He tells a story that anyone who cares about America and Iran should read." --David Ignatius, columnnst for the Washington Post and author of "The Increment."

"Engrossing and penetrating. A beautifully written vision of the other which we desperately need." --William H. McNeill, former president of the American Historical Association and chairman of the History Department of the University of Chicago.

"Understanding Iran fully lives up to the promise of its title, giving us a thorough yet lively survey of a society that is moving quickly toward becoming the dominant power in the region. He reminds us that as much as Iranians chafe under the yoke of their current leaders, they still have bitter memories of generations of British, Russian and American espionage, invasion and dominance. There are important lessons to be learned from the mistakes of the past, and Polk teases them out of Iran's long, rich history. In the process, he makes a strong case that it is not just now, but for decades to come that a true understanding of Iran will be essential." --Former ambassador Robert V. Keeley, Five and Ten Press

"Understanding Iran fully lives up to the promise of its title" --Robert V. Keeley, Foreign Service Journal

"A digestible history of this tortured land is something Americans sorely need....And Polk carefully constructs one." --USA Today on Understanding Iraq

"This book will be informative to two groups scarcely on speaking terms: the supporters of President Bush's invasion of Iraq and those implacably opposed to it....William Polk presents the reader with the full sweep of Iraq's history....He gives us a comprehensive tour." --Washington Times on Understanding Iraq

"Haunting....One of the clearest prescriptions for success in Iraq yet to emerge." --Publishers Weekly on Understanding Iraq
About the Author
William R. Polk established the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago, was president of the Adlai Stevenson Institute of International Affairs, and helped to organize the "Table Ronde" meeting that laid the groundwork for the European Union. He is the author of Understanding Iran. He was called back to the White House briefly during the 1967 Middle Eastern War to write a draft Peace Treaty and to act as advisor to U.S. National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy.

TopAbout this itemSimilarFrom the AuthorQuestionsReviewsUnderstanding Iran: Everything You Need to Know, from Persia to the Islamic Republic, from Cyrus to Ahmadinejad

Product details
Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martins Press-3PL
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 4 January 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English

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From other countries

taji kurji

5.0 out of 5 stars Intrigue and power politics

Reviewed in Canada on 2 July 2016

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Very difficult and complex to understand and comprehend the dirty politics of the western and middle eastern countries.but fun to read

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Billi Baloo

4.0 out of 5 stars Sehr informativ, aber teilweise zu detailliert

Reviewed in Germany on 19 September 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Keine Frage: Da schreibt ein Kenner! Das Buch ist sehr informativ und mit wenigen Ausnahmen auch sehr gut lesbar. Manchmal nerven die Hinweise, bei welcher Gelegenheit der Autor welchen wichtigen Menschen getroffen hat, aber ich unterstelle ihm mal, dass er es nicht getan hat, um seine eigene Wichtigkeit hervorzuheben, sondern darzustellen, dass er den Iran sehr gut kennt. Gut fand ich die Hinweise bzgl. der persischen bzw. arabischen Sprache. Manches war zu detailliert beschrieben, aber das ist ja Geschmackssache. Wer sich intensiv mit dem Iran und seiner Geschichte befassen will/muss, sollte dieses Buch lesen!

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alex123

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing read, gave me a better grasp and understanding ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Amazing read , gave me a better grasp and understanding of this country's amazing culture and history which is so full and rich . Loved it.

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Geoffrey W. Dennis

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful. It's about 7 years out from current events

Reviewed in the United States on 25 May 2015

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Wonderful. It's about 7 years out from current events, but it is a quick, sweeping introduction to Iranian culture, history, and the frames of reference the past gives to modern Iranians. You can more effectively deal with your enemies if you understand how and why they think the way they do. Perfect for anyone who like to write in the comment lines of news stories but doesn't want to embarress themselves.

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Brandon Kyle

4.0 out of 5 stars Organizationally Challenged but Fascinating in its Concise Summary of Iranian History

Reviewed in the United States on 28 November 2012

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I'll have to agree with New Yorker. While Mr. Polk is clearly brilliant and has a vocabulary that is beyond reproach, the organization of the book is fairly poor. It proceeds in a somewhat chronological order but tends to jump around without warning. I like to think I have a decent short-term memory. But honestly, by the end of the book it is difficult to recall with any substantial detail the temporal order of the Shahs and the significance of their reins. Polk kind of jumps in and out of modern Iran and ancient Iran and there is a real stream-of-consciousness feel to the book. I wouldn't say it approaches the level of say, Albert Camus, but it is a pretty jumpy narrative. I'm about a quarter of the way through Stephen Kinzer's All the Shah's Men and it has been a much more straightforward summary of the Shahs and their reins as well as the origins and significance of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. However, it's difficult to say how much my impression of All the Shah's Men is informed by Mr. Polk's book, which I read first.

That said, there is much to love about Understanding Iran (and really, Iran in general). There are some fascinating details relative to the many, many events and conquests that ravaged Iran throughout history. If you went into the book relatively cold on Iranian history, like me, you would likely walk away from Understanding Iran with a significantly more informed comprehension of Iran's perception of the West and its race to become a nuclear country. Mr. Polk posits in his conclusion (and in his afterward) that the international community tends to avoid acts and threats of hostility or "preemption" toward countries that have acquired nuclear weapons. While this notion has a real Kenneth Waltz feel to it, Mr. Polk paints the deterrent effects of nuclearized countries in a way that may hold promise for U.S.-Iranian relations if Iran ever does acquire nukes.

The bottom line is that people truly concerned about the state of U.S.-Iranian relations - and especially those who have simply supported the neoconservative notion of preemptively attacking Iran without really taking a look at it's place in history - should read Understanding Iran to engender at least a cursory basis from which to inform their views.

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Patrick Fuller

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on 3 September 2015

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Excellent historic perspective on Iran's long history and explains why it is as it is today vis-a-ivs the West.

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Amazon Customer

3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2014

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Too expensive!

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Z. A. Nusseibeh

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2017

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Excellent

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Heidar

5.0 out of 5 stars A hisory book about Persia and Iran like no other

Reviewed in the United States on 27 October 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Not a usual history book made up of dry rundowns of events. Reading it, it felt as if the author took me to the rooms, palaces, minds of the persons he was writing about. The book is obviously written by someone extremely knowledgeable about Persia from the time of inception and personally involved as an unbiased observer in the events that made today's Iran what it is. Dr. Polk's writing reminded me of a political documentary aimed at exploring the Persian psyche and how to best understand its reactions to going from the mighty Persia ruling the whole world with its great culture and military might to its new and historically unfamiliar subservient position to modern, powerful adversaries like England, Russia, America, and others, each trying to steal from it and humiliate it to submission. I would bet that Obama's unyielding attempts at peaceful approach to Iran's recent nuclear weapons issues were directly influenced by what Obama must have learned about Iran and Iranians from reading this book.

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Daune Robinson

3.0 out of 5 stars Good historical summary but highly suspect for current "understanding" of the country.

Reviewed in the United States on 7 October 2015

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Much of this book was fascinating and informative. Given the author's stated goal of basing current perspectives of Iran on its historical and cultural history I found the breadth of historical discussion well worth reading. I was raised in the Middle East, but as an american child in an american community so my understanding of the cultural issues of that part of the world needed some "filling in". This book helped with that. For most of the book I was impressed with the even handed approach the author took to the various leaders, and the development of the country we know today as Iran. And then I reached the last 20 pages. Suddenly the even handed, historically based book turned into a treatise on the awesomeness of Obama. Everything Obama did was good - everything Bush did was bad. Obama took action based on high, worthy principles - Bush acted on evil advice from neo-conservatives and right wing Israeli war mongers. I can't begin to describe my disappointment. Suddenly everything I read before the last few pages comes into question and I'm left wondering how much of this book was politically motivated and how much was accurately portrayed.

Please understand that I'm not a starry eyed worshipper of all things Bush, or neo-conservative, or only the US is great. But when any one aspect of our foreign relations is thoroughly demonized i have to wonder about the legitimacy of the writer. I found it interesting that in the end the author was touting the idea that rather than using either a "war games" or "fact based" approach to diplomacy (the only two methods currently used according to him) he felt that a thorough appreciation of the culture of a country should be the method used to determine how we engage with other countries. That sounds wonderful - although I would argue that that method alone is probably as flawed as either of the other two approaches he condemned as inadequate - but even as I was nodding my head I reached the point where he dismisses any concern over the religious influence over Iranian foreign policy. According to the author although Iran is a theocracy we don't need to worry about that too much because Shia Islam is eschatological. not messianic. At that point the book lost almost all credibility.

i would still recommend this book for the historical perspective. But if you are truly looking for a foreign policy approach that might help in current affairs - I'd look for a less obviously biased author.

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Eric C. Petersen

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Understanding U.S.-Iranian Relations

Reviewed in the United States on 18 August 2015

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Comprehensive, compact, and accurate. Prior to reading this book, I'd spent a fair amount of time mucking about on the Internet trying to get a picture of Iranian history since about 1900 and how (and why) U.S.-Iranian relations managed to descend to the abysmal depths seen today. I managed to get scattered answers to some of these questions, but Polk puts the story together in a complete and understandable package, allowing one to appreciate the fact the country is not run by a bunch of mad Mullahs, rather Iran has its own set of political dynamics as it works its way toward a more participatory democracy. Perhaps the most interesting part of the story is how the USA managed to turn itself from a country widely respected and admired by Iranians into the Great Satan after the CIA overthrow of the Iranian government in 1953 and the installation of the Shah who was, as Polk develops, quite an unstable individual who wasted the country's resources to build up his military to a ridiculous level - one sufficient to single-handedly defeat the USSR. Dissent was brutally smashed by the SAVAK, economic policies benefited only a few, rebellion festered, and finally broke out in 1979. When the nuclear weapons issue raised its head in 2002 with the "discovery" of Natanz the Neacons had taken over U.S. foreign policy under Bush and any semblance of "negotiations" ceased - the U.S. demanded total surrender of Iranian rights under the NPT, not something they were about to do. Had it not been for the publication of the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate that said Iran had abandoned its weaponizing program in 2003, it seems it was more than possible Bush would have bombed Iran. As Bush admitted in his memoir, the NIE "tied his hands." In sum, a lot of what went on in Iran and what U.S. policy toward the country has been in the last half century has been woefully distorted in the popular media - and continues to this day by many members of Congress - and Polk sets the record straight , something he can do with authority as he was often engaged in the policy-making process.

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Amazon Customer

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterly told

Reviewed in the United States on 10 March 2024

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

The writing style is very engaging. Here a master on the subject speaks. Recommended to all those that closely follow now the Gaza war. The alternative to war games, as presented, makes a lot of sense and the author applies it toward the end of his book. AI will be able to perfect forecasts.

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C. Saunders

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, reasoned and thoughtful

Reviewed in the United States on 5 March 2011

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If you'd like a perspective on Iran and Iranians that isn't shaped by the "Axis of Evil" lens then this book is worth the money and effort of reading it. While not apologizing for the barbarism of either the Shahs or the current Islamic Republic, this book does put current issues (like Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology) into a context that the news media and some powerful governments willingly ignore. I was especially interested to read how the US was once Iran's chief protector and its go-to for unbiased advice and assistance. That all changed when a firm called British Petroleum didn't like that Iranians wanted more than a pitance in royalties for their oil. An Anglo-American coup later, and a country that was well on its way to becoming a "European state" instead began a steady Anglo-American induced slide toward the Islamic Revolution. My only issue with this well-written book is that it has the feel of something put out in a hurry and that its discussion of Iranian / Persian history before the 20th century is fairly circumspect. It also would have been nice to see a bit of prognostication about where the reform movement might take Iran or who Ayatollah Khatemi's successor might be.

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Whomever

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-informed and clear

Reviewed in the United States on 7 May 2015

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This is the book I would (and do) recommend to anyone looking for the single historical and political book they should read about Iran. The author brings his government and academic research background and experience to the topic. But, best of all for the more casual reader, the gentleman can write clearly. I have visited Iran twice in the past decade and what he writes appears to me to be spot on.

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lawrence kittiver

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much ancient history that does not connect to today's story and does not lead to understanding Iran

Reviewed in the United States on 23 August 2015

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Too much time (first 100 pages out of 200 page book) on early Persian/Iranian history that is not presented well or clearly. Characters are introduced with grand hopes and do nothing of importance nor are memorable and vanish in the next page. This is done over and over again. I don't remember a single name except Cyrus who I was familiar with before. The constant invasions and victories and defeats add nothing to the narrative and story or an understanding of Iran as promised by title.

Then finally we get to the real story and the CIA overthrow of the democratically elected president Muhammad Mossadegh who in the insanity of the anti- communistic feeling of the time the CIA saw communists everywhere. Then the terrible Shah is put back in power to torture his people. 30,000 or more are killed. No wonder the Iranians still remember how we made this happen. No Iranian family is left untouched. This is followed by our support of Iraq in its deadly 8 year war against Iran. Another 250,000 dead. And then we shoot done an Iranian civilian airliner with 250 people aboard. Is it any wonder that Iranian officials don't trust us?

All this is known by anyone who cares about US foreign policy and where it comes from. A book like this would be useful if it started on page 125 with a brief summary of Persian/ Iranian history of 25 pages. Leave out many of the characters who add nothing to the story. Then give lots of details of the CIA/MI5 conspiracy and its consequences on how the Iranian sees the US and its ally Israel. How this all lead to the Ayatollah and his private army the Revolutionary Guard and empowered the students to seize the US embassy and why it is in the Revolutionary Guards best interest to keep the controversy going. This would explain much of the terrible statements made by the last president Ahmadinejad ( brought up in Revolutionary Guard).

Our hands are not clean and the Iranians remember. Maybe this is why they feel a nuclear weapon would make them feel safer. Just the same reason India, Pakistan, Israel has for developing nuclear weapons. The Iranians don't trust us based on our past performance. This includes what the Russians and British have also been guilty of.

This is the narrative that the author should develop over most of his pages. Forget too much of very old history that is too hard to connect to today's story and does not add to the reader's comprehension/

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Amateur Reader

3.0 out of 5 stars Strong for the modern era of Iran and US Iran policy, weak on pre-Islamic period.

Reviewed in the United States on 15 October 2017

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The book lacks significantly on the early history of Iran. Instead it focuses more on the post-Islamic period up to modern Iran. The recount of the post Islamic history of Iran becomes increasingly better after you reach the 19th-21st century which provides a rather excellent historic explanation of how Iran ended being an Islamic Republic. At the same time, it reads like a defense of the author himself in regards to the disastrous US policy over Iran until his departure from the US government. Eventually, his predictions for how the Iran and the North Korean deals on nuclear deals will develop are horribly wrong.

If you are looking for a book to understand how Iran became radicalized in the modern era (19-21 centuries) because of the failed US American policy it's a rather good book. If you are history buff like me, you might be a bit disappointed. This book does provide an excellent insight in modern Iran but I would suggest that you combine it with some other book focused on the pre-modern era of Iran.

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Stephan Varga

4.0 out of 5 stars Provides invaluable insight.

Reviewed in the United States on 23 July 2016

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Excellent book from a highly credible author. Polk delivers on his central thesis: Iranian history is the key to understanding Iran. Only drawback of Polk's book is that he often focuses too much on the historical minutia. If you're in a time crunch, you can essentially scan the first four chapters - you will get the gist. I also wish he included more on the Iran/Israel topic. This is the only issue which Polk insufficiently addresses. Other than those two shortcomings, this is an amazing book which provides the reader with much-needed insight into a complicated nation.

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nc2716

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed

Reviewed in the United States on 9 March 2017

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I was disappointed with this book. I very much wanted to learn the history of Iran, it's people and culture. And this book did provide this history. But the author tended to jump around a bit chronologically, which made following the history more difficult, and more work for me to have to figure out the chronology of events and their relationship to each other. Also, I was put off by the left-leaning bias of the author. I would prefer the facts without bias so that I could make my own analysis of relevancy, if needed. The author seemed to want me to reach left-leaning conclusions, which just annoyed me and distracted me from the facts, and left me wondering where else his listing of "facts" may have been spun.

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Bob Hannan

3.0 out of 5 stars He is clearly more comfortable with Iran's modern history but even then alludes to ...

Reviewed in the United States on 24 June 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Disappointing book. Author treats first several millennia of Persian history in a few brief chapters that provide little insight into the development of the Iranian culture or psyche. He is clearly more comfortable with Iran's modern history but even then alludes to incidents while providing no context or details. The only useful part of the book deals with the fall of the shah and the development of the Islamic republic - he should have limited himself to what he knew.

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Harry Allan

4.0 out of 5 stars I found this book interesting and I'm glad I read it, but....

Reviewed in the United States on 2 August 2015

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I found this book interesting and I'm glad I read it. . But if like me you don't have the depth of knowledge to judge it critically, a word of caution: A recurring theme is "but alas, they didn't listen to me!" It left me wondering how objectively events are described.

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Kindle Customer

2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly structured

Reviewed in the United States on 19 September 2011

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In books of this sort, I prefer histories that tell the story in chronological order. In this book Polk skips around in the 20th Century -- for example, he mentions the Shah's departure and return by coup to Iran in the 1950's with very little explanation before he moves to the Revolution of 1979. Then, in the final chapter, he retraces his steps and starts to fill in some of the blanks concerning the Shah. I found it a frustrating and fairly superficial read. He also holds a very cartoonish view of the Bush administration and Leo Strauss, which a good editor would have counseled him against sharing with the reader -- it undercut his reliability as a narrator.

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bobbym

5.0 out of 5 stars IMPORTANT BOOK TO READ

Reviewed in the United States on 17 May 2020

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OUTSTANDING. A must read for anyone who wants to understand Iran. Special thanks for the short history of the Neo-Cons and their dominance of US politics, government, universities, and the press (NY Times, Washington Post, Fox News, etc). Shows how a small well financed group allied with a foreign governmbeent can be so influential.

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Stephen G. Franks

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great!

Reviewed in the United States on 10 September 2015

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Interesting book. I read it because I saw it on Fareed Zakaris's GPS show. However, I think there are better books on Iran, such as "The Ayatollah Begs to Differ" and "The Ayatollah's Democracy".

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K. Orloff

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating

Reviewed in the United States on 7 August 2012

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

As a student of 'all things Iran' I found this book to be truly helpful in my research. Both informative and easy to read, I was able to understand many of the subtle details--especially concerning Shah. This book was frequently referred to as I completed my nonfiction narrative of an Iranian wrestler. When I finished Understanding Iran, I felt like I had actually visited the country.

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margaret Ackerman

4.0 out of 5 stars A must read about Iran

Reviewed in the United States on 21 January 2014

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Excel ant book I lived in Iran for 2 years and worked. There. I have read several books on Iran and found this book to be the best on the subject yet.

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N Don Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars Best little primer on Iran thinking

Reviewed in the United States on 18 August 2015

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Maybe more than you want or needed to know and more than a little academic but a good analysis of why the western world of claimed Christians will never understand the complicated world of Muslim sects. We in the US cannot begin to comprehend the thousands of years of corruption and brutality of the middle eastern mind.

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Pam&Larry Wilt

5.0 out of 5 stars This is very useful and informative as a general introduction to Iran

Reviewed in the United States on 11 November 2016

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This is very useful and informative as a general introduction to Iran, with considerable depth and detail on the history and politics of the country. I read it while traveling in Iran and it greatly enhanced my appreciation of the places I visited and the interactions with people I met there.

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Cynthia

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written

Reviewed in the United States on 25 January 2016

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Good read- need to find something that carries on with the story thru the Obama regime & up to the recent Nuclear agreement

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Fariborz D. Rouchi

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on 9 January 2010

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

The best book that clearly identifies the reason we have such big problems in the Middle East, lack of understanding. Everyone who wants to understand America's current domestic & International problems should read this book. If politicians who cared had read this book earlier, most likely so many American and Iraqie lives would not have been wasted in the war over oil.

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John Wythe White

5.0 out of 5 stars Iran and its relationship with the U.S. explained

Reviewed in the United States on 9 April 2015

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A former diplomat with an understanding of Iran that puts our current (and past) leaders to shame writes a fascinating (and somewhat depressing) history of U.S. (bungled) relations with Iran. Everyone who thinks he/she knows anything about what's going on there now should read this book.

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David Hoedemaker

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative and explains why the Iran government is so ...

Reviewed in the United States on 19 September 2015

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Very informative and explains why the Iran government is so against the US.

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RMB

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, read during my travels in Iran recently ...

Reviewed in the United States on 25 July 2017

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Excellent book, read during my travels in Iran recently and found it to be a very interesting insight into the history of the country and provided me with a greater understanding of the dynamics of this wonderful place

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June Wilson

3.0 out of 5 stars but it gets better in the second half of the book as there ...

Reviewed in the United States on 12 March 2016

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Too many dates and names in the first hundred pages, but it gets better in the second half of the book as there is more explanation of the significance of events.

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Gizmo

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and worthwhile.

Reviewed in the United States on 8 May 2015

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I found this to be a useful overview and recommend it.

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Phillipwh

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Read

Reviewed in the United States on 29 April 2014

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

A useful review of recent Iran history. rI suppose I would have liked to know more of the history and better understanding of why people are taking to board to get away from Iran

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Bryan A. Lane

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read

Reviewed in the United States on 9 August 2015

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A must read for anyone interested in the geopolitical dynamics that have led up to the nuclear agreement with Iran. Polk has it right and we should not be so dismissive of the chance for rapprochement.

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Irish Mary

3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars

Reviewed in the United States on 25 September 2015

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It wasn't what I thought it was going to be

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R. Kochman

3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars

Reviewed in the United States on 18 August 2015

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Excellent up to 2009- good background for current issues

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Mary J

5.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse into the minds of Iran's post WW11 leaders.

Reviewed in the United States on 14 September 2015

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Read this and you can form your own opinion about President Obama's proposed deal with Iran regarding lifting sanctions in return for a moratorium on uranium enrichment for nuclear weapons.

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GearMouse

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read for policy buffs and anyone who wants to understand the us Iran relationship

Reviewed in the United States on 7 December 2013

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Good read. Gives voice to irans rich history and provides a good background to the Iran us relationship. Before reading this knew nothing about the involvement of Britain in Iran during twentieth century.

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Sonja

2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars

Reviewed in the United States on 23 July 2015

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maybe too dated

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Juan Manuel Salamanca

5.0 out of 5 stars Good historic background

Reviewed in the United States on 26 February 2015

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Good historic background for anyone who wants to know more about Iran and it's people, with focus on the XX century and Iranian-American relations.

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James Collins

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Iran is awesome!!!

Reviewed in the United States on 5 October 2012

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book is incredibly informative not only about the current situation in Iran but how the entire history of Persia has contributed to the current day situation. Extremely interesting!!!!!

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os

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read book for a lot of people

Reviewed in the United States on 20 August 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I think it was very informative to cover all these years in that many pages' we lived through the revolution.

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vbm

5.0 out of 5 stars Good service

Reviewed in the United States on 6 April 2014

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

I bought a Kindle's edition of this book and this make life of any person much easier. I recommend it for other customers.

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Warsawlady

1.0 out of 5 stars Microscopic light print!

Reviewed in the United States on 8 July 2020

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Microscopic light print.

Horrible.

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Thomas F. Roe

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on 11 September 2015

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Very interesting and easy to read, full of details from a first hand source.

Tom R

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Jack

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative

Reviewed in the United States on 25 October 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Background on Iran was eye opening

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Hercule

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!

Reviewed in the United States on 1 February 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

A comprehensive and thorough work of the Iranian history from the early Persia to the contemporary (and disappointing) Iran of today.

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Michael J. Schoenberg

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Iran

Reviewed in the United States on 1 February 2010

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

As with most of William Polk's books, the author who has spent half a century studying the area brings his exstensive knowledge of the past to us.

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