Modern Iran

Modern Iran

Ali Ansari

"...Ansari has written a straightforward, though skilfully analytical, history of Iran..."     Times Literary Supplement (praise for the first edition)

Todays Iran is rarely out of the headlines. Labelled by George W. Bush as a part of his axis of evil and perceived as a real nuclear threat by some, Iran is increasingly seen as an enemy of the West.

With so much attention paid to this country it is inexplicable that we know so very little about it. Indeed, few countries have proved so persistently incomprehensible to Western analysis as Iran. But an understanding of modern Iran is not impossible with a clear understanding of its history.

Modern Iran fills the gaps in our understanding with a comprehensive analysis and explanation of political, social and economic developments in Iran during the twentieth century. 

Arguing that Iranian history has been significantly shaped by its relations with thegreat powers, Ansari provides an important reassessment of key events such as the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty, the 1979 Revolution and the origins of the Iran-Iraq war in this strategically sensitive country.

Using a wide range of foreign and Iranian sources including interviews with key players, Modern Iran traces the rise of the Reform Movement and the efforts to promote Islamic democracy. The successes and failures of the Khatami Presidency are assessed with skill and clarity and the Iran in the aftermath of 9/11 is comprehensively examined.

Between reform and revolution, authoritarianism and democratisation, the history of modern Iran reflects the struggles of an ancient state as it seeks to define itself in the modern world. It is a history of immediate relevance to any interested in the future of the Middle East.

Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History at the University of St Andrews. His most recent publications include Iran, Islam and Democracy: The Politics of Managing Change (2000) and Confronting Iran: The Failure of American Foreign Policy and the Roots of Mistrust (2006).