Share <Embed>

Buy New

$22.65

+ $7.98 shipping

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

This item ships to Finland. Want it Wednesday, Feb. 19? Order within and choose AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping at checkout. Learn more

Deliver to Finland

Buy Used

$9.95

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

Deliver to Finland

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Clean Earth Books

Fulfilled by Amazon

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Author

Barbara Slavin

Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation Paperback – January 6, 2009

by Barbara Slavin (Author)

14 ratings

See all 6 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$7.47

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$19.95

$6.50

$3.00

Paperback

"Please retry"

$22.65

$14.59

$2.44

In Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies, Barbara Slavin untangles the love-hate relationship between Iran and the United States that has brought the two countries to the brink of war. Slavin reveals that relations between Washington and Tehran have been riddled with contradictions for decades and details missed opportunities for reconciliation under both the Clinton and Bush administrations, including diplomatic rebuffs to Iran in Bush’s first term based on the mistaken belief that the U.S. invasion of Iraq would weaken Iran's Islamic government. On e of the few reporters to interview high-profile Iranian officials, including Iran’s current and last two presidents, Slavin describes all the key constituencies in Iran society from the clerics, to the Revolutionary Guards, to reformers and Iranian youth. She unveils Iran and shows it to be a country that both adores and fears the United States. Despite government propaganda that portrays the U.S. as the "Great Satan," many Iranians have come to idolize staples of American pop culture while holding on to their own traditions. The United States, on the other hand, has demonized Iran as a member of an “axis of evil” that supports terrorists and represses its own people who, in the words of U.S. officials, “deserve better.” As Iran moves toward becoming a nuclear power, Slavin believes that the power brokers in Washington may be suffering from the same lack of understanding and foresight that led the U.S. into prolonged warfare in Iraq. Distrustful of each other's intentions yet longing at some level to reconcile, neither Tehran nor Washington knows how this story will end. Anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of this pivotal international relationship will find Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies a crucial and compelling read.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Rarely has a book been more necessary or more timely. Drawing on decades of experience in the Middle East, Barbara Slavin has produced a masterful study of today's Iran. From the dusty streets of Qum to the highest government offices, Slavin has used her finely honed reporter's instinct to gain access to every level of Iranian society. Often surprising, always accessible, it is an indispensible book for anyone concerned with the direction of United States foreign policy.” ―Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of March

About the Author

BARBARA SLAVIN is a former senior diplomatic correspondent f or USA Today and a regular commentator on foreign affairs for C-Span, National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System. She lives in Washington, DC.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product details

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First edition (January 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780312384913
ISBN-13: 978-0312384913
ASIN: 0312384912
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 14 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,262,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #622 in Iran History
- #2401 in Middle Eastern Politics
- #65651 in United States History (Books)

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Customer reviews

14 customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

E. Dibble

I'm reading this now, summer 2017, in conjunction ...

July 9, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I'm reading this now, summer 2017, in conjunction with Joost Hiltermann's "A Poisonous Affair: America, Iraq, and the Gassing of Halbja," and the two meld very well. Slavin's book traces Iranian culture and politics with the kind of familiarity that lets you know its roots and edges, and is compelling. For instance, the history and prospects of the Qods force (economic/political/military; see p. 94), the Shia/Sunni differentiation, seen from a 2007 POV, see page 144; addiction to heroin compared to other Muslim and non-Muslim nations (page 128), as well as the political transit from 1979. I mention the Hiltermann book because it addresses the war with Iraq in the 1980s, with the US on Iraq's side (I don't have to wonder why too much), the clash with the Kurds and the advent of chemical weapons and a Middle East setting up for exactly the kind of conflict we now see in Syria. The no-fly zone is not even in that (2007) index. The combination reveals both the strengths and the unease of the region, and some of our dubious past there. Hiltermann's book is a quiet indictment of our government for what is happening now. Slavin's book, on a more people-to-people level, shows a lot of hope. I haven't read every page, but I'm not eager to finish!

Helpful

Comment

Robert T. Neely

The big barn dance

January 9, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Slavin is an acknowledge expert on Iran and its foreign policy. In this book she attempts to clarify the seemingly mysterious and confusing demarches of a non-monollithic goverrment. Her analogy does in fact help. The giant "barn dance" showing a shfiting of power center from the all-powerful Ayatolla/Supreme Leader, through the prime minister, and other enteties is a valid one.l. One might wish, however to have more up-to-date ideas about the partucular nature of this shifting power, where it is coming from most of the time, and the double checking influence of the Supreme Leader. This, perhaps, goes beyond the stated aim of the study. I can also recommend another author, Trita Farsi, leader of the Iranian-American group

Helpful

Comment

Jon Thomas

Well Balanced and Informative

April 20, 2008

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I first learned about this book during one of the author's fairly frequent C-Span interviews. The book is as well written and presented as her C-Span interviews are thoughtful and eloquent. She packs a great deal of information into a relatively short, 200+ pages, book. The book is well worth the effort to read, whether you are relatively unread on the subject or better informed.

She points out, as others have done, that Iran is a very young and very Westernized country. Although the clerics have the upper hand in the halls of government, they hardly have the upper hand with the predominantly young men and women on the streets. Their eyes, for the most part, look to something other than Shia fundamentalism for excitement and inspiration. This should be good news to Western readers. Although, young Iranians' drug and alcohol problems are truly lamentable, it is somewhat re-assuring that they are more--"like us." Not, for the most part, frothing at the mouth jihadists eager to disembowel and burn Americans. Such caricatures are the stuff of Fox news, neo-con spokesmen, and other various shades of political hucksters on the right.

The author presents a strong case through interviews and corroborative supporting evidence that the Iranian people--the young in particular--do not want war with the US. Instead, they want a better, more modern and prosperous life. Bombing these people will do nothing but play into the hands of the fundamentalist clerics. Intelligent diplomacy with the skilled use of carrots and sticks (preferably of the non-bomb variety) should be the most fruitful approach with this country. An approach which she obviously endorses....

She goes into some detail of describing the complexities of the very idiosyncratic political structure in Iran. For me, it was a very informative presentation of this aspect of Iran. Hopefully, more people will read it in the upcoming months and add their voices in opposition to any Iranian military adventures by Bush and Cheney during the waning months of their administration. Highly recommended.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

lannys9

Reads like the US government.

August 4, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Too one sided and sounds just like the MSM in the United States and like many in the US government.

Helpful

Comment

Julia C. Ford

OPINION SO FAR

June 3, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

ALTHOUGH HAVE READ ONLY A LITTLE OF IT, I'M PLEASED AND EXPECTING TO LEARN A LOT.

Helpful

Comment

5 star		37%
4 star		25%
3 star		13%
2 star		25%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	Amazon Advertising Find, attract, and engage customers	Amazon Drive Cloud storage from Amazon	6pm Score deals on fashion brands	AbeBooks Books, art & collectibles	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy

Alexa Actionable Analytics for the Web	Sell on Amazon Start a Selling Account	Amazon Business Everything For Your Business	AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally	Home Services Handpicked Pros Happiness Guarantee	Amazon Ignite Sell your original Digital Educational Resources

Amazon Rapids Fun stories for kids on the go	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services	Audible Listen to Books & Original Audio Performances	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	Box Office Mojo Find Movie Box Office Data	ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics

CreateSpace Indie Print Publishing Made Easy	DPReview Digital Photography	East Dane Designer Men's Fashion	Fabric Sewing, Quilting & Knitting	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities

IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital Publishing Made Easy	Prime Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands	Woot! Deals and Shenanigans	Zappos Shoes & Clothing

Ring Smart Home Security Systems	eero WiFi Stream 4K Video in Every Room	Neighbors App Real-Time Crime & Safety Alerts	Subscribe with Amazon Discover & try subscription services	PillPack Pharmacy Simplified	Amazon Second Chance Pass it on, trade it in, give it a second life

Buy New

$22.65

Buy Used

$9.95

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation Paperback – January 6, 2009

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related video shorts (0)

Be the first video

Customer reviews

14 customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Buy New $22.65

Buy Used $9.95

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation Paperback – January 6, 2009

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related video shorts (0)

Be the first video

Customer reviews

14 customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Buy New

$22.65

Buy Used

$9.95