Review by Sabrina Pecorelli

The short:

Iran has always been an important actor, from the creation of Zoroastrianism in ancient Persia to the modern geopolitical relations of the Islamic Republic. Although most people still associate Iran to its adversarial relationship with the United States and Israel, in this book Michael Axworthy shows the different unexplored sides of the nation’s domestic and foreign policies.

The long:

With the use of maps and subheadings, the book advances through Iranian history pinpointing the most significant events that shaped the nation. Michael Axworthy begins the first chapter with an in-depth account of ancient Persia with the creation of Zoroastrianism and the Islamic conquest of the 7th century. He explains the sectarian issues between Sunnis and Shias, mainly the question of succession after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and how the power vacuum has continued to shaped Islam even today.  

The second chapter spans from the 1500s until 1921, exploring Iran’s shift toward a Shia majority and its extended period of dynasties until the fall of the Qajars. The third chapter focuses solely on the Pahlavis from 1921 until their demise in 1979, giving a detailed account of Reza Shah’s ascent to power and the events that led to the Revolution, including the coup that overthrew Prime Minister Mossadegh and the White Revolution. 

Next, the book analyzes the Iranian Revolution of 1979, shining light on the life of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini before he seized power, as well as examining the west’s role in the overthrow of the monarchy. The fifth chapter looks at the post-revolution period, emphasizing Iran’s global alienation during the Iran-Iraq war started by Saddam Hussein and the domestic elections of Rafsanjani and Khatami. Lastly, in the final chapter the book observes  the more recent dynamics of the Islamic Republic in its connections with Israel, the Assad regime in Syria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States with the signing of the JCPOA.

The read or not to read:

Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about Iranian history from a more positive perspective that presents the Islamic Republic as a rational actor. I personally enjoyed reading about Iran’s current policies, as well as the people and culture that inhabit it, from an author who doesn’t dismiss the country as an adversary but instead understand its complexity.