Understanding Iran: Everything You Need to Know, From Persia to the Islamic Republic, From Cyrus to Ahmadinejad [Hardcover]

William R. Polk (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 023061678X | ISBN-13: 978-0230616783 | Publication Date: October 27, 2009

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

 

 

Praise for Understanding Iraq:

 

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

 

"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

 

"Haunting....One of the clearest prescriptions for success in Iraq yet to emerge."--Publishers Weekly

 

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 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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 023061678X
• ISBN-13: 978-0230616783
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #713,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, reasoned and thoughtful, March 5, 2011

By 

C. Saunders (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Understanding Iran (Kindle Edition)

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.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly structured, September 19, 2011

By 

New Yorker (PELHAM, NY, US) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Understanding Iran: Everything You Need to Know, from Persia to the Islamic Republic, from Cyrus to Ahmadinejad (Paperback)

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.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Format, November 1, 2011

By 

BigNutz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Iran: Everything You Need to Know, from Persia to the Islamic Republic, from Cyrus to Ahmadinejad (Paperback)

I have never been a fan of the linear chronological format of most history books. This book is great in the way the author references an occurrence, and states that it would have an impact X years later this way. I also love the comparisons the author uses for people or organizations in today's Iranian culture. For me, this allows me to much more easily grasp the story and concepts.