The relationship of the West with Iran has been one plagued by blunders, resulting from the lack of understanding of a country rife with contrasts. Indeed. The slow demise of the 2009 'Green Revolution' shows that Revolutionary Iran's institutions are still formidable. I felt like the author really showed an understanding of the country and the various geopolitical games that were being played in the background between the USA, Israel and Iran. I'm very glad I did! Be the first to ask a question about Revolutionary Iran. Start by marking “Revolutionary Iran: Civil Society and State in the Modernization Process” as Want to Read: Want to Read saving… Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Revolutionary Iran: A History of the Islamic Republic by Senior Lecturer and Director of Center for Persian and Iranian Studies Michael Axworthy (Hardback, 2013) at the best online prices at eBay! It plays down the inherent evil of Iran’s regime by noting the obvious truth that other countries have done bad things too. It might be the first time that I've actually been happy about a book being very densely written, with a lot of text on each page - since all of it is wonderful to read through. I felt like the author really showed an understanding of the country and the various geopolitical games that were being played in the background between the USA, Israel and Iran. Anyone interested in this most complex of revolutions would do well to read [this book]' Economist 'An impressive exploration of Iran's development since 1979 into an unpredictable pseudo-democracy ... [a] calm and literate portrait of the Islamic Republic' Guardian 'If you were to read only one book on present-day Iran you could not do better than this ... Axworthy revokes the sound and fury of the revolution itself' Ervand Abrahamian, Times Higher Education 'Packed with gobbets of information and policy advice on how to deal with Iran' Telegraph '[A] meticulously fair and scholarly work ... passages from Iranian authors little known in the west as well as references to both popular and arthouse cinema bring depth [and] richness ... moving and vivid ... a very fine work that deserves to be read by anyone interested in the Middle East' Jason Burke, Observer 'Axworthy is a true Iranophile, learned in history and literature ancient and modern ... [A] subtle, lucid, and well-proportioned history ... his method casts theocracy in a refreshingly cold light, and embosses the Islamic Republic's well-established subordination of faith to power' Spectator. For over a quarter century, Iran has been one of America's chief nemeses. Indeed. At every point he paints the situation with a fine grasp of detail and context. It’s also a “whataboutist” book. He gives a comprehensive, honest, emotionally powerful account of Iran's revolution up to 2012. We’d love your help. Perhaps a bit more political sociology and political economy would have helped? We’d love your help. This is a good book. However, Ayatollah Khomeini's view of government was that the state does not gain legitimacy from "the people," but from God. Michael Axworthy has written this with both knowledge and great affection. Ultimately, the view that underlies Axworthy's writing is that there is a fundamental tension between Islam and democracy and the past thirty years of Iranian governance has seen the political establishment from one end to the other and back. This is a marvelously level-headed set of assessments on the efforts and difficulties of Iran's women during the first ten years of the Islamic Republic. Start by marking “Revolutionary Iran: A History of the Islamic Republic” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Get a pen and paper ready as there are a lot of names to digest. It’s also a “whataboutist” book. Haunted by nostalgia for a bygone era, he recalled a protected and idyllic childhood in the fabled city of Shiraz and his coming of age during the 1979 Iranian revolution. Its speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is a former brigadier general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. by Allen Lane. He now directs the center for Iranian studies at Exeter University and provides consulting on Iran for government and business interests. Whereas the world's major revolutions of the previous two centuries had been fuelled by Western, secular ideologies, the Iranian Revolution drew its inspiration from Islam. Even when the Pahlavis managed to bring a modicum of stability, prosperity and respect for Iran in western eyes, the extreme economic disparity between a tiny westernized elite and the disenfranchised poor, coupled with the attempts at secularization of society, made the ground fertile for some form of revolution. A thoroughly researched book, I have read Iran before, I have read middle east before and I have read History before, what stands out about this book, it bring best of all those books and even more in terms of insights. Whether this nuance is necessary or valid, I cannot comment, but it is nonetheless fresh. Jacqueline Saper, named after Jacqueline Kennedy, was born in Tehran to Iranian father and a British mother. Joseph Kraft, “Letter from Tehran,” published in The New Yorker, December 18, 1978. Iran's post-revolutionary economy has a significant state-owned or parastatal sector, including businesses owned by the Revolutionary Guards and Bonyad foundations. He revisits, and convincingly reinterprets, defining moments of the Islamic republic ... [with] scholarly rigour and first-class analysis. If your knowledge of Iran, as most of ours is, is based on what you see and read in the Western media, this book will radically challenge your views. A fascinating, detailed study into Iran since the revolution in 1979. For those of us living in the West, it makes sense that Islam and democracy (or really any religion and democracy) should produce tension, as these ideas seem fundamentally contradictory. ), and Pryce handles herself (and her biases) well, ev Back in London, he reflected on what had happened to him and his family … Can be a bit dry at some points. But beneath the unfolding events he also shows the deeper human drama, in a way that connects with our universal struggles over freedom, morality, security, sexuality, justice, and religion. Published in 2013, it is recent enough to include most events leading up to the nuclear deal of 2015 (JCPOA). Whether this nuance is necessary or valid, I cannot comment, but it is nonetheless fresh. For those of us living in the West, it makes sense that Islam and democracy (or really any religion and democracy) should produce tension, as these ideas seem fundamentally contradictory. Hundreds of thousands of pro-government Iranians have been rallying to mark the 31st anniversary of Iran's revolution. "Revolution Iran" succeeds in coming across the complexities of one of the major actors of the middle east and changing the way you see it. Axworthy's staunch anti-essentialism and grounded empiricism make this book a joy to read in comparison to typical media coverage of Iran - the author boldly (and correctly) begins by asserting that “Iranian concerns, values, problems, actions and reactions are wholly explicable and rational when seen in their own proper context” (p. xxii). There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published A large, well-populated and wealthy state suddenly committed itself to a quite new path: a revolution based on the supremacy of Islam and contempt for both superpowers. The author's superb knowledge of the country sheds light onto a topic that most of us know very little of in the West beyond the extremely biased picture painted by American media. A fascinating, detailed study into Iran since the revolution in 1979. How the Iranian Revolution unfolded The nationalism-inspired overthrow of the royal family 40 years ago sparked a major shift in Iran’s relationship with the outside world Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. sorry michael, i dont really care that a british lieutenant who was "just one year out of sandhurst" got blown up by an ied that may or may not have possibly been somewhat linked to iranian funded militias when iraqis were dying in their tens of thousands at the same time. The book does not exactly apologize for the regime’s excesses, but it conveys the sense that the regime can be “saved.” In other words, the book claims, the Iranian Revolution did have decent aims; it just didn’t live up to its potential. Neither the centre of the world, as Iranians like to perceive themselves, nor the "axis of evil", as some perceive them, their history, to put it mildly, is complicated. Can be a bit dry at some points. This is a highly readable and enjoyable account of the modern history of Iran, which covers the period from the 1906 Constitutional Revolution to Rouhani's election in 2013. Thus, reading Mr Axworthy's extensive, but not complete, account of the Iranian Revolution from 1979 up to the current day does seem careful and not ready to make any concrete predictions for the future. Personal rivalries and vendettas can explain a lot. Concentrate on the plight of the Iranian people and the evolving political landscape; the work does provide a nuanced view of Iran in the modern world; one that challenges US-centric ideas promulgated in popular media. See all 5 questions about Revolutionary Iran…. As the best history should, this story entertains, enthralls and astonishes. Sharifirad’s story was also published in Iran in a book called Crash on the Fortieth Mission. Michael Axworthy follows the major political and clerical figures as they increased in power leading up to the 1979 revolution and continued to be in power in the years that followed. A key guide to this most-misunderstood country, covering its history and politics right from the Shah's time, through the 1979 revolution, and well after the aftermath of the disputed 2009 elections. Reading Lolita in Tehran book. Saved by a group of local Kurds, he returned to Iran where he became a national hero. Read 8 746 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Start by marking “Revolutionary Iran: Civil Society and State in the Modernization Process” as Want to Read: Error rating book. The parties that come out of this badly are the US and the UK. Neither the centre of the world, as Iranians like to perceive themselves, nor the "axis of evil", as some perceive them, their history, to put it mildly, is complicated. It avoids delineating the regime’s inherent nature (unique in the world today), because to do this would be to highlight its evil, and the book’s central thrust is that the regime is not beyond redemption. This study addresses a core question - why the clergy did not take political power in the constitutional revolution when Iran was a traditional society and the clergy played a leadership role in the revolution, but they succeeded in a much more modern Iran of 1979. Highly recommended. Welcome back. In a deeply intimate and personal story, Saper recounts her privileged childhood in p. The book does no. A worthy read for. Buy Guardians of the Revolution: Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs Unabridged by Ray Takeyh, Peter Ganim (ISBN: 9781522607953) from Amazon's Book Store. Reading about the movements of F-14 Tomcats in the Iran-Iraq War sections wasn't exactly enthralling, but once I got to the 1990s it really picked up. Two-thirds of the parliament’s presiding board are either former members or … The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was created after the 1979 revolution to enforce Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s concept of an Islamic state ruled by a velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist).The Guards played a crucial role not only in crushing early opposition to Khomeini’s vision, but also in repelling Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Iran in 1980. And talking of Trump, I have to address the, A thoroughly researched book, I have read Iran before, I have read middle east before and I have read History before, what stands out about this book, it bring best of all those books and even more in terms of insights. January 5, 1980 Documents of the Iranian Revolutionary Movement Below we reprint documents from three of the armed revolutionary movements in Iran. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Welcome back. Refresh and try again. Revolutionary Iran: A History of the Islamic Republic Book In Revolutionary Iran, Michael Axworthy guides us through recent Iranian history from shortly before the 1979 Islamic revolution through the summer of 2009, when Iranians poured into the streets of Tehran by the hundreds of thousands, demanding free, democratic government. Free delivery for many products! It's a remarkable journey (I so want to go to Iran now! In Revolutionary Iran, Michael Axworthy guides us through recent Iranian history from shortly before the 1979 Islamic revolution through the summer of 2009, when Iranians poured into the streets of Tehran by the hundreds of thousands, demanding free, democratic government.Axworthy explains how that outpouring of support for an end to tyranny in Iran paused and then moved on to … However, the revolution that swept across Iran proved to be starkly different from past revolutions of the world. Although there are a lot of details, names, and dates the book reads more like an academic text book then material for a general audience. Essential reading as relations between Iran and the West warm and normalise. The author's superb knowledge of the country sheds light onto a topic that most of us know very little of in the West beyond the extremely biased picture painted by American media. It avoids delineating the regime’s inherent nature (unique in the world today), because to do this would be to highlight its evil, and the book’s central thrust is that the regime is not beyond redemption. Axworthy does an excellent job of demolishing many of the myths surrounding Iran, chronicling political developments without resorting to arguments about 'Iranian exceptionalism' in terms of culture or religion. Since 2000 he has been working in Cornwal. Refresh and try again. T he Islamic Republic of Iran that emerged from the revolution of 1979 has lasted quite well. Revolutionary Iran by Rouhollah K. Ramazani, 1986, Johns Hopkins University Press edition, in English But with Iran's continuing commitment to a nuclear programme and its reputation as a trouble-maker in Afghanistan, Lebanon and elsewhere, this is unlikely any time soon. I like Axworthy's style. Revolutionary Ride is an honest and unabashed journey through Iran, from the pov of a white, middle class British woman. sorry michael, i dont really care that a british lieutenant who was "just one year out of sandhurst" got blown up by an ied that may or may not have possibly been somewhat li. Saudi Arabia and the GCC, Russia, the US, the EU, etc.). There are no villains, but plenty of villainous deeds, related with detachment, but also great humanity. Published in 1982, this is a look at the era between the constitutional revolution of 1905-1911 and the Islamic revolution of 1979, each driven by divisions in religion, ethnicity and class. 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