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Unthinkable: Iran, the Bomb, and American Strategy Hardcover – September 10, 2013

by Kenneth Pollack (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 46 ratings
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The world’s foremost expert on Middle Eastern relations examines Iran’s current nuclear potential and charts America’s future course of action.

How close are we to a nuclear Iran? What does it mean for American foreign policy? How did we get to this point? And what do we do now?

In Unthinkable, Kenneth Pollack, a former CIA analyst with twenty-five years of experience working on the Middle East, explores America’s intractable problem with Iran, Tehran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability, and the pro­longed clash that led us to this point. Pollack lays out key solutions to the Iran nuclear ques­tion, explaining and assessing the options for American policymakers:

• Redoubling our efforts at a carrot-and-stick approach that combines negotiations and sanctions
• Aiding the Iranian opposition to bring about a popular form of regime change
• An Israeli military strike
• The American military option
• Containing a nuclear Iran

Insightful, powerful, and balanced in its approach, Unthinkable is one of the most thought­ful and important books on foreign policy in the past decade.
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  1. Print length
    560 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster
  4. Publication date
    September 10, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1476733929
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1476733920
  8. See all details
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3.9 out of 5 stars
46 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides well-researched and detailed information on an important issue. They describe it as a good, excellent work by an esteemed author. The writing is accessible and easy to read. However, some readers feel the content is repetitive.

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7 customers mention "Information quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides a comprehensive overview of the consequences of various nuclear options. They appreciate the thorough and objective research, as well as the author's presentation of facts. The book is described as a must-read for thoughtful people.

"...The book provides an incredibly comprehensive overview of the consequences of various actions and policies that could be employed against Iran...." Read more

"...really refreshing to read a book which is so seriously objective, so thorough, and which avoids the polemics and exaggerations which accompany most..." Read more

"While the author certainly has ample facts to present, the book is so highly repetitive that I had trouble finishing it...." Read more

"Thorough, penetratingly detailed, well informed...." Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and well-written. They say it's an excellent work on a hot subject few are familiar with. The author is considered an expert in the field.

"...wo major disagrements, i still think this book is a great read which i recomend to anyone interested in this important debate re our & the mid-east..." Read more

"A very good book though I disagree with the author that containment is the best option...." Read more

"Good, readable. book by an esteemed author in the field. Clearly lays out plusses and minuses for various US courses of action related to Iran." Read more

"SUPER BOOK ON A HOT SUBJECT THAT FEW KNOW ABOUT" Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's writing accessible and easy to read.

"...Pollack's writing is incredibly accessible, by all accounts a quick read, and easy to digest...." Read more

"Good, readable. book by an esteemed author in the field. Clearly lays out plusses and minuses for various US courses of action related to Iran." Read more

"It was well written by an expert on the subject. Even thought he had a position, he gave a fair description of all the options." Read more

4 customers mention "Repetitiveness"0 positive4 negative

Customers dislike the book's repetition.

"While the author certainly has ample facts to present, the book is so highly repetitive that I had trouble finishing it...." Read more

"...some of the chapters and policy he lays out is way to long and way too repetitive...." Read more

"Interesting but very wordy and repetitive. I think the content could be covered in a book half its size...." Read more

"Very informative, but a little repetitive. Book could have been shorter." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Ed Deisley
    5.0 out of 5 stars unthinkable
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    if you are interested in the debate about what to do re iran's pursuit of nukes this is it; pollack is a knowledgeable writer who goes into great, but necessary detail & i agree with his containment strategy despite its risks; i have two major issues with some of his positions; he only mentions once, briefly, that iran helped the US & northern alliance get the taliban out of afganistan after 9/11 but constantly refers to iran backing the taliban & al quieda in their killing of americans in iraq & afganistan; the iraians hate those two bad actors & are not supporters of their military & terroist activities; they did support the shia militia in iraq but the main issue in that country continues to be the sunnis & their al quieda allies; so i believe he is wrong on that score; also he consistantly refers to our allies in the middle east, the saudis, UAE, kuwait, qatar; with allies like that, you need no enemies; the saudis are the biggest exporter of terrorism in the world & i believe are behind the current mess in syria; they care not how many westerners, including americans, their trained terroist kill where ever in the world as long as they are out of their monarchy & do not threaten them; also he refers constantly to our other ally israel; we defend israel constantly to our disadvantage economically & our standing in world opinion & i struggle to find one thing israel has done to improve our image & position in the world economically, politically & militarily; despite those two major disagrements, i still think this book is a great read which i recomend to anyone interested in this important debate re our & the mid-east's future; if you are not interested in that subject forget it but i highly recomend this book to anyone who is (pls forgive my misspellings, it should not detract from my opinions)
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Zach
    4.0 out of 5 stars Laying Out the Options
    Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    In "Unthinkable," Pollack lays out all of the options for dealing with Iran and its nuclear program. The book provides an incredibly comprehensive overview of the consequences of various actions and policies that could be employed against Iran. Pollack's writing is incredibly accessible, by all accounts a quick read, and easy to digest. His argument for containment is somewhat convincing; although it may be hard to digest his staunchly internationalist outlook. Nevertheless, Unthinkable is an excellent source of knowledge for formulating a strategy towards Iran.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Eric Hemel
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Objective, Thorough, Measured Examination of the Nuclear Iran Issue
    Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The bone of contention regarding this book is Pollack's conclusion that the US should strive to "contain" Iran, rather than attack it, even if Iran goes all the way to develop nuclear weapons. While I disagree with Pollack, I still feel quite enthusiastic about recommending his book. The author goes to great lengths to present all sides of an important issue, and he gives the reader every possible argument as to why he (Pollack) may be wrong. It is really refreshing to read a book which is so seriously objective, so thorough, and which avoids the polemics and exaggerations which accompany most other discussions (on both sides of the nuclear argument) of the Iran issue.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Edward Brynes
    3.0 out of 5 stars Now we know better
    Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Published in 2013, about a year and a half before the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the "Iran nuclear deal", this book explains the reasoning behind the agreement, although the author was not part of the negotiations.

    The purpose of the JCPOA was to establish a contractual arrangement with a country that is still not considered trustworthy. What the P5+1 wanted was cooperation from Iran in not conducting activities that could lead to production of nuclear weapons. Cooperation was to be achieved partly by coercion, "sticks" (economic sanctions, assassinations, or cyberwarfare), or favors, "carrots" (lifting the sanctions and other favors). The difficulty was that Iran values its nuclear program highly. An extensive sanctions regime was necessary to get Iran to reduce the program. Years before the start of negotiations, the Bush II and Obama administrations tried various carrots such as proposing an "American interests" section in Tehran, sending personal letters to Ayatollah Khamenei, and muting complaints about the suppression of the Green Movement in 2009. Since these carrots did not produce results, sticks were applied in Obama's second term, culminating in the very severe international sanctions regime in effect up to 2014. The author comments "The Iranian leadership does not seem to believe that it needs a better relationship with the United States and its allies." (p.140)

    Determined to explore every avenue to an end of uranium enrichment, the author devotes a rather tedious chapter to the possibility of "regime change" in Iran by enabling some dissident group like the Greens in 2009. This has never been tried in Iran before; even the famous "Operation Ajax" of 1953 could not have been accomplished without the assistance of the royalists and military. But Iran is not anything like what it was then. The author considers an Israeli strike, but decides, as do his Israeli colleagues, that it is not likely to succeed and the dangers of failure are too high. A US blockade might cause problems with allies; a US airstrike strike would be more likely to succeed, but "There is the constant problem of secret Iranian facilities." (p.234), An air attack might also raise issues of international law and obtaining basing support from other nations. He offers suggestions on how to make the attack succeed; his proposals reverse most of the actions in the invasion of Iraq. In going to war the offer to Iran "needs to be an ultimatum, not a bargaining position." (p.253) If a land invasion becomes necessary, then the costs and risk go much higher. Perhaps the only appropriate time for a war against Iran would be in the event of an attack against a US facility outside of Iran (p.272).

    The author's preference, considered in the final four chapters, is Containment. This includes the possibility of invasion. With Containment,the US has can draw on Cold War experience while benefiting from Iran's much smaller size than the Soviet Union. There is already very substantial American naval power in the Persian Gulf so that Iran cannot plausibly threaten most of its neighbors. If a land invasion becomes necessary, then the costs and risk go much higher. Perhaps the only appropriate time for a war against Iran would be in the event of an attack against a US facility outside of Iran. Aggressive military actions that might cause resentment in other countries would be allowed against an Iran seen as the offender. To prevent situations from going out of control, "red lines" should be drawn. Also it's necessary to consider if the resources devoted to containment are overdone, a natural risk if US thinking draws too much on Cold War experience.

    In an appendix the author discusses a proposed "Plan of Action" similar to the JCPOA. He expects the current regime to collapse eventually, or erode to the point of no longer being a danger.

    My intuitive reaction to Containment results from the fractured nature of Iran. No matter what many of the plain people of the country may think of the US, many among the ruling class are still profoundly hostile. In this connection it is relevant that Iran has enormous reserves of oil and gas and could easily rely on them for all its energy needs. It's hard to believe that the nuclear program is for energy or science alone. If Iran wanted isotopes for medical or research purposes, they could always be obtained through purchase in the international market. There was no need for uranium enrichment at all since material could always be obtained in, a similar way through purchase. Iran's desire for a nuclear weapons capability is profound. If the country becomes dissatisfied with the JCPOA it can leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty. In a civil war, the biggest and strongest part of the country (containing the wealthy and profoundly anti-Western Revolutionary Guard Corps) might likely break from the moderates and re-form as a rogue state on its own, ensuring its hold on nuclear resources.

    To sum up, this book does not deal with the hazards of taking the success of the JCPOA for granted.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Tex2aa
    4.0 out of 5 stars Bomb and invade now.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    A very good book though I disagree with the author that containment is the best option. The British and French tried that with Germany and look what happen. Carter should have attacked Iran long ago. Where would we we be now if Hitler had atomic weapons. How many suicide bombers do you need before you will realize these leaders in Iran don't care if they die Once they start losing the country they will use their atomic weapons against us. We do not need another Chamberland to give in to these crazy Ialamic leaders. Bomb them and invade now while we still have time.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • H. lemcke
    1.0 out of 5 stars totally repetitive
    Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    While the author certainly has ample facts to present, the book is so highly repetitive that I had trouble finishing it. He literally beats the options to death, again and again (and again). The book could have been written in about 50 pages.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • DJ George
    2.0 out of 5 stars Prolisso, lunghissimo, concetti ripetuti 5 volte
    Reviewed in Italy on October 26, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Avrei lasciato una sola stella ma il lavoro di ricerca è notevole. Scritto male, prolisso, un libro riassumibile in meno di 50 pagine in cui i concetti sono ripetuti ed allungati all'inverosimile. Difficile da leggere e da finire.
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