The Iranians explores Iran in the context of its old and complex culture, for throughout its history Iran has struggled with two warring identities-one evolving from the values, social organization, and arts of ancient Persia, the other from Islam. By examining the relationship between these two identities, The Iranians explains how the revolution of 1979 came about, why the Islamic Republic has failed, and how Iran today is on the brink of chaos. In this defining portrait of a troubled nation and the forces that shape it, Iranian history and religion become accessible to the nonspecialist. Combining impeccable scholarship with the human insight of firsthand observations, The Iranians provides vital understanding of this unique and pivotal nation.
Author's Note
Preface
Introduction
Part I
1. The Glory of Persia
2. The Invasion of Islam
3. God and State
Part II
4. The Faces of Authority: Father, King and Cleric
Part III
5. King and Nation: Iran's First Revolution
6. Reza Shah: To the Glory of the Nation
7. The Shah and the Prime Minister: Iran's Second Revolution
8. The Shah and the Ayatollah: Persia and Islam
9. The Persian Empire of Muhammad Reza Shah
Part IV
10. The Double Revolution
11. The Internal and External: Wars for the Iranian Nation
12. Islamic Government: Religion, Culture and Power
13. The Islamic Republic of Iran: The Failed Quest for Justice
Epilogue
Afterword to the Plume Edition
Endnotes
Selected Bibliography
Index
