xvi, 299 p. : 25 cm

With almost three thousand years of history, Iran is home to one of the world's richest and most complex cultures. Yet to the average American the name Iran probably conjures up an image of a remote and upstart country inhabited by a people whose religious fanaticism is matched only by the intensity of their disdain for the United States and its values, who speak an obscure tongue called Farsi, and whose identity is not clearly distinguished from that of their Arab neighbors. This work offers a portrait of the Iranian people and their complex history from the perspective of one of the world's foremost experts on the country. Following a timeline of key events in the history of Iran and an overview chapter of the land and its people today, ten chapters trace the history of the country from its roots in prehistory to the many cultures and civilizations that ruled the area before the nation state was forged in the early 20th century. An up-to-date history of Iran, the work covers in detail the era of the Shah, Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution, the Khomeini era, the era of reconstruction, and contemporary Iran at the dawn of the 21st century. It includes short biographical profiles of key historical figures

Includes bibliographical references (p. [275]-281) and index

The land and people of Iran -- Ancient Iran -- From the Parthians to Mongols -- Early modern Iran -- From the Zand to the Qajars -- The forging of the nation-state -- Mohammad-Reza Shah -- Khomeini and the Islamic revolution -- The Khomeini era -- The era of reconstruction -- Contemporary Iran

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