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Iran : Polity Histories - Ali M. Ansari

Iran

By: Ali M. Ansari

Hardcover | 26 January 2024 | Edition Number 1

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Both revolutionary and reactionary, the Islamic Republic of Iran has long been a conundrum for Western observers. A theocracy that aspires to a popular mandate; an anti-colonial state with imperial pretensions of its own: modern Iran is in many ways a reflection of its struggle to reconcile its traditions with the challenges of modernity.
 
In this incisive book, globally renowned scholar of Iran Ali Ansari takes readers on a journey through the country’s turbulent history. Beginning with Iran’s fall from grace as a Great Power in the late 19th century, he explores its repeated attempts to modernise in a series of revolutionary movements from the Constitutional Revolution of 1906 to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the civil unrest that is breaking out today.
 
From staunch ally to implacable foe, this book reveals how the experience of history and Iran’s encounter with ‘modernity’ have come to define it – and set it on an authoritarian path in confrontation with the West and, often, its own people.
Industry Reviews
"Without simplifying or sensationalizing, this book captures the twists and turns of the last two centuries of Iranian history. It is a perfect introduction for anyone wishing to venture beyond the headlines to understand Iran."
Houchang E. Chehabi, Boston University

"An illuminating and erudite history of modern and contemporary Iran. Ansari's original and insightful approach reminds us of the ruptures and continuities that continue to shape Iranian politics today."
Ramin Jahanbegloo, Jindal Global University

"Few countries are so misunderstood as Iran – and in this brilliantly clever and pithy study, Ali Ansari digs beneath the myths to give us a magisterial overview of its modern history."
Dominic Sandbrook

"This fluent primer on modern Iranian history and politics by a distinguished historian provides a valuable briefing on the challenges facing the government in Tehran - and by extension, all the other governments that deal with Iran."
Foreign Affairs

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