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The Eagle and the Lion: The Tragedy of American-Iranian Relations

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"The Eagle and the Lion: The Tragedy of American-Iran Relations", is an excellent book by James Bill, who explores the files of history in an effort to assess the series of events that culminated in the worsening and then breaking of U.S. -Iranian links. The author looks at the manner in which the American policy makers handled relations between the two countries. He highlights the uneasy diplomatic contacts between the two countries that date back to 1883 while searching for the causes of the artificiality of the "healthy" relationship between the two countries.

The main emphasis of Professor Bill is on the fact that American policy makers misunderstood those societal dimensions of Iran which play an important part in its foreign policy behavior. For example, the perceptions of the Iranians towards the Europeans or Americans; the sensitivity of the people of Iran towards their religion and culture and the respect that was given to the religious leadership. The writer emphasizes the modes adopted by the American foreign policy makers, especially in the context of delicate situations when ever they arose.

In order to reach a logical conclusion for the "mismanagement," the author is concerned with the deteriorating relations between the two countries, - and for that the book traces out the initial heavy contacts between the Iranians and the Americans.

One must give credit to the Professor for his understanding of Iranian society and his compassionate analysis. This study is a must for the students of U.S.-Iran relations. It is a welcome contribution, not only to the literature on the subject but also to the study of Iranian as well as American decision makers. This is the best book of its genre written by an American author.

Prof.Dr. S. Farooq Hasnat
Former Chairman,
Department of Political Science
Punjab University, Lahore
Pakistan

When I first had Professor Bill at the College of William and Mary, I rolled my eyes at the fact that one of the books for my Middle Eastern Politics class was written by him. I always question the motives of a professor that teaches his own book. As the class progressed and he divulged more stories of his amazing life (which unfortunatly could not be reproduced in a book like this one) I started to wonder if his book could possibly be half as interesting as the class

I opened The Eagle and the Lion with high hopes and they were exceeded. The writing style flowed nicely and while some scholarly books get weighed down in the jargon of the field and an uptight writing style that permiates academia, Bill's book can be read by the scholar and the layman alike. It was a view I had never heard before, the view that we had to take a lot of the blame for the Iranian Revolution and the taking of hostages in Iran. Not popular views for even today. Yet each assertion made is meticulously documented, each bias or jump in conclusion prefaced by a warning. In these times particularly, when we are faced with more troubles in the middle east, it is worth reading.

Far and away the most balanced, well-researched, accurate and thoughtful book on US-Iran relations. Excellent psychographical backgrounds of the key players.

After reading this book, I am amazed that James Bill is not the most sought-after Middle East commentator in America. His analysis of 20th century Iran leading up to the revolution of 1979 is a clear and concise explanation of part of the puzzle that led to the tragedies of 9/11. This is a MUST-READ for anyone who wants to become truly familiar with Iran's tumultuous history and its rocky relationship with the West. As the Bush administration continues to evolve its policy towards this area of the world, it would be wise for officials at the State Department and at the Pentagon to read and absorb the lessons contained in this crucial analysis of US-Iran relations. Again, this is a must-read.

The only comment I would like to add is that the book only briefly touches on the zionist terror state's part in American foreign policy and its disasterous outcome that is obvious to this day. The world needs to shine the light of the sun on the malignant cancer known as zionism and examine its destructive influence on America and the world.

I was glued to this book. This book must be taught as a textbook to political scientists and US diplomats. This book also documents 30 years of Iranian and US history, which is not talked about or taught in both USA and Iran. 1940's to 1970's events in Iran are explained with amazing clarity.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the modern middle east, political Islam, the Iranian revolution, or the Iran hostage crisis.

This is worth reading if the problems in Iran, Iraq and the Middle East concern you. It is a tragic tale that shows American foreign policy as the immature outgrowth of US intervention in world affairs during the 1940's. No administration is spared. The author we involved in these events while in the US State Department.