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NO OTHER COUNTRY SO DOMINATES THE HEADLINES: Iran is portrayed as a nuclear threat, a terrorist nation, a charter member of the Axis of Evil bent on the destruction of Israel. But behind those headlines—and the fierce rhetoric of Iran’s most hard-line leaders—is a proud nation with a 2,500-year history of Persian poetry, art, and passion.

Based on more than thirty extended reporting trips to Iran, including the turbulent aftermath of the disputed June 2009 election, Scott Peterson’s portrait is the definitive guide to this enigmatic nation, from the roots of its incendiary internal struggles to the rise and slide of Iran’s earthshaking 1979 Islamic Revolution.

This prize-winning American journalist with unparalleled experience in Iran takes us there, inside a country where an educated and young population is restlessly eager to take its place in the world; where martyrs of the "sacred" Iran-Iraq War are still mourned with tears of devotion; where the cultural and religious forces of light and darkness are locked in battle. Peterson brings stunningly alive the diversity within Iran—from the hard-liners who shout "Death to America" to the majority who comprise the most pro-American population in the Middle East.

Let the Swords Encircle Me gives voice to Iranians themselves—the clerics and the reformers, the filmmakers and the journalists, the True Believers and their Westernized and profane brethren—to understand the complexities of Iran today. Through dedicated and in-depth reporting, Peterson shows how every word, image, and sensibility in Iran is often deliciously unexpected and counterintuitive. Ideology matters. So does "resistance." And azadi: freedom.

Peterson deftly holds a mirror up to both sides of the U.S.-Iran conflict. Americans and Iranians, he writes, share a belief in their own exceptionalism and "manifest destiny" (which for Iran includes its nuclear ambitions) and frequent need of an "enemy" in political discourse. The same elements that have locked the United States and Iran in the most vicious of struggles—stretching back to the 1953 CIA coup in Tehran and the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage saga—are the same ones that could one day make Iran and the United States the most "natural" allies in the region.

In this critical and personal account, Peterson illumines the latest episodes of Iran’s century-old quest for democracy and freedom. He explains how the Islamic Revolution—launched as a beacon of justice and resistance for Iranians and all the world’s Muslims—has not lived up to its ambitious promise. He shows how the violence of 2009 damaged the regime’s legitimacy and marks the start of an irreversible decline.

Let the Swords Encircle Me takes us into the minds and hearts of Iranians today, and will be a crucial guide as Americans and Iranians attempt to overcome their bitter estrangement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A must-read to understand contemporary Iran
I just finished reading Scott Peterson's exquisite book.It is a must-read for anyone who wants to gain an understanding of contemporary Iran - and also wants to enjoy the process of edification.This is a lively and enthralling account full of anecdotes and interviews and impressions that together bring out the rich diversity and, yes, openness of Iranian society as well as its politics.This may sound surprising, given dominant perceptions of an autocratic and repressive regime.But as Peterson persuasively shows, there is a lot more to Iran than meets the eye.In the face of repeated regime efforts to suppress dissent, the opposition remains fearless and indomitable, and it is not limited to the so-called reformers but comprises elements deeply ensconced within the state apparatus.

Indeed one of the book's most interesting revelations is the extent to which the regime itself is riven by discord and dissent, reaching back to the Islamic Revolution's early years, from Khomeini's arrival in Tehran to the US embassy hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq war, the Khamenei succession, and onward.Defections occurred from day one.Several of today's prominent reformers and regime critics took part in the embassy takeover.A number of hard-line militia members have joined the ranks of the opposition, disaffected with the turn the revolution has taken toward a repression that stands in clear defiance of the revolution's religious principles - a point made most forcefully by senior religious leaders who exceed the supreme guide in credentials and rank.

The book's leitmotif is the transformative importance of the Iran-Iraq war to a generation that has reached the highest rungs of leadership today, be it in government or opposition.The war has been mythologized by all who fought in it, but they all extract their own meaning.The war's legacy is now deeply contested, and this battle forms the backdrop to many of the disputes that divide the political class.Peterson shows that you cannot fully understand contemporary Iran if you don't also have a grasp of its roots in this war.

It's a big book but every page is justified.I highly recommend it.

Fabulous!
This is an excellent book - very timely and insightful. I'd recommend it highly to anyone who wants a complete picture of Iran and its people. Peterson's writing flows beautifully, and the book also has wonderful photographs that speak volumes. Don't miss this book! ... Read more

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Ten Months in Iranisatruestoryabout Americans working inIranandtheir troubles,challenges andstress of working in anIslamic countrywhereyoucanbe jailed for urinating on a wall or in the directionofMecca.Italso pointsoutthemoralabandonmentofafew while away from friends and family.Theauthorescapedfrom Iran just prior to theAyatollah’s return During the author’s last night in Isfahan he stood on the roof of his house near theUniversityofIsfahan and watched the gun fights between soldiersand rioters. Afterhereturnedhome to Ohiohefound outthatafew oftheIranian Armyand Air Force officersandmenhe became friends with were executed when the Ayatollah seized power. This is also a love story becausetheauthor fell inlove with a beautiful,youngIranian woman who he had to leave behind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A window into pre-Khomeini Iran
Once in a great while I come across a work that illuminates history, explains many things that I only partially understood, provides insight into an opaque culture, and shines a light into the real nature of the "peaceful" Islamic religion. TEN MONTHS IN IRAN is such a work. That it is also captivating read is a delightful bonus.

John Simpson, the author, is a widely traveled man with an unbelievable breath of experience. He arrived in Isfahan, Iran as a test pilot for Bell Helicopter in 1978. Isfahan was the center of Islamic studies, and today contains major portions of Iran's nuclear and conventional weapons industry. Simpson's story is confine to the area around Isfahan, and begins in the last year of the Shah.

Simpson begins his narrative of events with his arrival at the Isfahan airport, where he first encounters Iranian "efficiency." Passengers, men women and crying children, were held in the aircraft for almost an hour with no air conditioning or toilets. The outside temperature was over one hundred degrees. As he describes the event, "It was the most miserable experience I have ever had on a commercial plane, and what I didn't know was that the situation was only going to get worse . . . As I stepped off the plane, I knew I was someplace unlike any place I'd ever been before." Simpson's comments match those of others who have recounted similar Iranian experiences to me.

The book consists of the author's personal experiences with other Americans, Iranians, and other nationalities; and his observations on the culture and Islamic religion are enlightening.

Above all, TEN MONTHS IN IRAN is a cameo of the Iranian revolution. A revolution that set lose the dogs of Islamic terrorism which we are fighting today.

There is a love story, and I will leave it at that.

Highly recommended. It helps us understand how we arrived at the place in history we find ourselves.

Another novel that deals with the Iranian revolution is Whirlwind. The books complement each other.

Ten months in Iran tells the truth
This is a very interesting book, and reads like a diary with commentary on the side.Simpson gives a true glimpse into the culture in Iran.It's pretty scary, especially for women. ... Read more

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A boom in the production and export of cotton made Iran the richest region of the Islamic caliphate in the ninth and tenth centuries. Yet in the eleventh century, Iran's impressive agricultural economy entered a steep decline, bringing the country's primacy to an end.

Richard W. Bulliet advances several provocative theses to explain these hitherto unrecognized historical events. According to Bulliet, the boom in cotton production directly paralleled the spread of Islam, and Iran's agricultural decline stemmed from a significant cooling of the climate that lasted for over a century. The latter phenomenon also prompted Turkish nomadic tribes to enter Iran for the first time, establishing a political dominance that would last for centuries.

Substantiating his argument with innovative quantitative research and recent scientific discoveries, Bulliet first establishes the relationship between Iran's cotton industry and Islam and then outlines the evidence for what he terms the "Big Chill." Turning to the story of the Turks, he focuses on the lucrative but temperature-sensitive industry of cross-breeding one-humped and two-humped camels. He concludes that this unusual concatenation of events had a profound and long-lasting impact not just on the history of Iran but on the development of world affairs in general.

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Emerging in the early 1970s, the Organization of Iranian People's Fadai Guerrillas (OIPFG) become one of the most important secular leftist political organizations in Iran. Despite their lasting influence and the way in which their efforts helped shape the history of Iran for decades to come, little is known about the group. "A Guerrilla Odyssey" presents the first comprehensive examination of the rise and fall of the Fadai urban guerrilla movement in Iran. Drawing on exhaustive analyses of the published and unpublished works of the Fadai Guerrillas, as well as of archival material and interviews with activists, the author demonstrates historically and sociologically the conditions that surrounded the debut and demise of the urban guerrilla warfare that defined Iranian political life in the 1970s Vahabzdeh offers a critique of various aspects of the Fadai's theories of national liberation in an attempt to reconsider the painful relationship among modernization, secularism, and democracy in contemporary Iran. In addition, the author makes a compelling case explaining why older revolutionary social movements of the 1960s and 1970s have transformed into the new democratic social movements that emerged from the 1980s onward in the form of today's women's, student, and youth movements in Iran. "A Guerilla Odyssey" is a meticulously researched and engrossing narrative that promises to be a major contribution to the field of Iranian history. ... Read more

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The importance of the Safavid period (1501-1736) in Iranian history has been increasingly recognised. Iran Under the Safavids aims at providing the student and general reader, in non-technical language, with a comprehensive history of the Safavid dynasty. Professor Savory considers the origins of the Safavid family, the course of the revolutionary movement which brought it to power and the problems facing Shāh Ismā'il I after the establishment of the Safavid state in 1501. He describes the development of a multi-racial society in Iran during the sixteenth century, the policies of Shāh 'Abbās I which brought the Safavid state to the height of its power and prosperity, and the reasons for its decline during the latter part of the seventeenth century and its eventual fall. As well as covering the political history of the period, the book includes chapters on the economic and social structure of the state, on intellectual and artistic life under the Safavids and on relations with Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A good introduction to the Safavid era
From the sixteenth until the early eighteenth centuries, the Safavid dynasty ruled lands stretching from modern day Afghanistan to Baghdad, and the Persian Gulf to central Asia.Yet despite its size and longevity, it has received far less attention from Western-language historians than its Ottoman contemporaries.While the Ottoman Empire is well-addressed by dozens of monographs, surveys and biographies of its central figures, the Safavids languish in comparative obscurity, enjoying a much thinner historiography.

This is just one reason why Roger Savory's book is to be appreciated.Whereas readers interested in Ottoman history have dozens of works to turn to if they wish to learn about its history, Savory's history stands almost along in providing an overview of the Safavid period.It is fortunate that it is as good as it is.In the space of ten chapters he covers the range of Safavid history, from its rise in central Asia to the growing frontier challenges that ultimately extinguished the dynasty.Though his focus is on the political history of the period, he addresses everything from the intellectual life of the empire to the role of international trade in its economy.

For this reason, Savory's book stands out as the indispensable starting point for readers seeking to learn about the Safavid period.Though it the majesty and splendor of its existence shine again, detailed and explained for everyone to understand.In this respect the author has done a service in taking this unjustly obscure period and illuminating it for English-language readers.It is hoped that more historians build upon this work and open up this era further for a curious audience.

Dr. Savory's Iran Under The Safavids
This study by Professor Savory of the University of Toronto is the best one volume study in English of the Safavid Shahs in their era,1500 to 1736. ... Read more

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When Naser al-Din Shah, who ruled Iran from 1848 to 1896, claimed the title Shadow of God on Earth, his authority rested on pre-modern conceptions of sacred kingship. By 1941, when Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi came to power, his claim to authority as the Shah of Iran was infused with the language of modern nationalism. In short, between roughly 1870 and 1940, Iran's traditional monarchy was forged into a modern nation-state. In "Nationalizing Iran", Afshin Marashi explores the changes that made possible this transformation of Iran into a social abstraction in which notions of state, society, and culture converged. He follows Naser al-Din Shah on a tour of Europe in 1873 that led to his importing a new public image of monarchy - an image based on the European late imperial model - relying heavily on the use of public ceremonies, rituals, and festivals to promote loyalty to the monarch.Meanwhile, Iranian intellectuals were reimagining ethnic history to reconcile "authentic" Iranian culture with the demands of modernity.From the reform of public education to the symbolism surrounding grand public ceremonies in honour of long-dead poets, Marashi shows how the state invented and promoted key features of the common culture binding state and society. The ideological thrust of that century would become the source of dramatic contestation in the late twentieth century. Marashi's study of the formative era of Iranian nationalism will be valuable to scholars and students of history, political science, and anthropology, as well as journalists, photographers, and other close observers of contemporary Iran. Afshin Marashi is assistant professor of history at California State University at Sacramento. ... Read more

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Ibn al-Athir, who died in the 13th century, is one of the most important historians of Islam. His major chronicle, "the Kamil fi'l-Ta'rikh", is one of the greatest achievements of Muslim historiography for the range and comprehensiveness of the sources it assembled and for its narrative, covering the whole sweep of Islamic history up to his own lifetime. This volume of D.S. Richards' translation covers the early years of conquest and the period of the 'great sultanate'. With its copious annotations, the translation will open a direct window into this period of history for non-Arabic readers and will be an invaluable aid and resource for students and scholars. ... Read more

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"Iran is a key case in the social scientific literature on pre-capitalist societies and this book is informed by a detailed knowledge of its state and agrarian relations."
—Paul Hirst, University of London

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No country in the Islamic Middle East presents as unique and distinguished a history and culture as Iran, which has managed to maintain its inherent characteristics--some of them from pre-Islamic times--over the course of centuries of changing dynasties and rulers. The Shiite faith, the official religion of Persia/Iran since 1501, stands in contrast to the Sunni Arabs who dominate the greater region. Although in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,Iran endured ongoing political, military and economic pressure from European powers, Shiism and Persian culture remained intact and it escaped colonialism. And, following the revolution of 1979, Iran became the first Islamic Republic.

Monika Gronke presents the history of this country from the Islamization of the 7th century to the present in a clear and lively style, and describes the cultural, social, and religious developments that shaped Iran and the Iranian self-image. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A top pick for history collections
Persia, the Mongol Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Iran has been under many banners. "Iran: A Short History From Islamization to the Present" draws the long line of Iranian history from when Islam was introduced a millennia and a half ago to how Iran became the nation that it is today. An intellectual read that does well in outlining the deep cultural problems that Iran has had and how it has impacted the modern time, Monika Gronke does well in enlightening readers of Iran and its culture that will give people a greater understanding. Originally written in German, Steven Rendall does well in translating, making "Iran: A Short History" a top pick for history collections and any collection that promotes a greater understanding of Iran. ... Read more

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This work deals with aspects of Zoroastrianism in Iran during the Sasanian period, including the important distinction made between notions of menog and getig, or the spiritual and material modes of existence, and the idea that Ahreman, the Evil Spirit, does not belong in the material world. ... Read more

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The Tarikhnamah is a history of the world and the oldest surviving work of Persian prose. This book examines it as a political and cultural document and why it became such an influential work in the Islamic world. ... Read more

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The Iran-Iraq War was one of the longest and most destructive wars of the twentieth century. Global interest in the Middle East and dependence upon oil supplies from the Persian Gulf led to widespread and intense international interest in the war, which coincided with a rise in Islamic militancy and political instability in the region. (20030501) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very informative look at the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s
The fact that the Iran-Iraq War was the longest continuous war between two countries in the 20th century certainly was a surprise to me.If I had been asked the question I probably would have talked about the war between the Vietcong and the French that predated American involvement in the Vietnam War, but that would not have been tossed out there with a high degree of confidence.In this volume for the World History Series author David Schaffer looks at "The Iran-Iraq War" and tells young readers about the history of the conflict that was waged from 1980 until 1988 in the global hot spot of the Persian Gulf and its far-reaching repercussions.Schaffer underscores the idea that the Iran-Iraq War marked a fundamental shift in thee way foreign powers related to the nations of the Middle East.

"The Iran-Iraq War" is covered in seven chapters: (1) Conflict Evolves and Emerges looks at the centuries of confrontation that reemerged as a territorial conflict during the late 1970s; (2) Militants Take Power: War Breaks Out covers Iran's radical new course once the Shah was replaced by the Ayatollah Khomeini while Saddam Hussein rose to power in Iraq; (3) Settling into Stalemate saw Iraq's early battlefield gains reversed by Iran; (4) Boldness and Backlash: The World Takes Sides looks at who around the world supported each side, with some countries supporting both and others neither; (5) War Frontiers Expand looks at the Iranian Fao Offensive from February 1986 to April 1987; (6) Iran and the United States Face-to-Face covers ground that would be familiar to teachers but not young students, with the Iran-Contra Scandal of the Reagan Administration and the shooting down of Iranian Air Flight 655 by the USS "Vincennes;" and (7) War's Last Gasps and an Uneasy Peace deals with the involvement of the United Nations and the death of Khomeini, that saw the end of the Iran-Iraq War, which was the point where Saddam Hussein turned his attention to Kuwait, which was invaded and occupied by Iraq in August 1990.

This book is supposedly intended for grades 5-8, although I have to say my reaction is that it skews higher in terms of the amount of information and the level of sophistication Schaffer is providing for his readers.Given that most of those readers will have some understanding of the American invasion of Iraq in the Second Gulf War, Schaffer does a nice job of showing how the impact of personalities such as Hussein and Kohmeini were mainly responsible for a lot of what happens, using lots of quotes to show the war rhetoric of each.Looking at the animosity between Hussein and both of the presidents Bush, teachers and readers will see strong parallels and have an appreciation for the impact of a leader on world events.However, I have to say that most readers are going to find a lot of information here (perhaps too much).

The volume is illustrated with black & white photographs of most of the major players and some of the events involved and throughout the book there are sidebars on interesting details, such as the verse of the Koran justifying jihad and the freedom movement in Iran.The back of the volume has detailed notes, a decent Glossary, Works Consulted as well as thsoe For Further Reading, and an Index.Other titles in this series look at long periods like "The Age of Feudalism," large topics like "The History of Slavery," ancient civilizations like "The Byzantine Empire," and specific events like "The Battle of the Little Bighorn."I will be interested to see how many have as much information as this volume. ... Read more

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Based on three decades of ethnographic fieldwork and documentary research, this book traces the political and social history of the Shahsevan, one of the major nomadic peoples of Iran. It is a dramatic story, recounting the mythical origins of the tribes, their unification as a confederacy and their eventual decline. In its synthesis of anthropology and history, the book will make a major contribution to the study of the Middle East and Central Asia, and also to current debates on tribe-state relations and the relationship between identity and history. ... Read more

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This book is the first to use Persian Documents as the sources of social history in Early Modern Iran and Central Asia. ... Read more