Iran: A Modern History by Abbas Amanat is a massive historical compedium, which resumes 20 years of work and a time span which covers five centuries. Iran is very often mentioned nowadays in purely political context but few are those - including among journalists and especially politicians - with at least a basic knowledge about this country.

The reason is not only because they might not want to but there is a relative scarcity of general, well-structured information about Iran. One can find snapshots of various kinds of information, but rarely a big picture which covers important data such as historical context, geographical delimitations, economic background, political evolution and cultural developments.

Abbas Amanat, director of Yale Program in Iranian Studies, was able to introduce to the reader all those details in over 1000 pages of history. It starts with the 16th century with the Safavid Empire, but it offers an overview of the previous historical sequencies by placing the Persians in the world tempo of the previous centuries. The book relies on a multiplicity of sources, double checked and neutraly introduced into the narrative. The research ends with the Green Movement - the protests following the fraudulent presidential elections from 2009.

The book combines chronological details while following mentality patterns and structures which helps to better understand the religious and political developments and the conflicts and interferences of the two, as well as the positioning of Iran in modern times in various geopolitical contexts. From the conceptual point of view it is an excellent way to offer a basic timeline while filling it with information that helps to understand not only the moment when the events are taking place, but also the bigger picture of the time, what F. Braudel and Ecole des Annales labelled as the long durée.

Personally, I reserved a couple of months to go through the information and most probably will need at least one year to get into more details of various historical time frames and events mentioned more or less in detail. Besides translating in a simple but not simplistic way the realities of six centuries of dense Iranian history, Iran: A Modern History is also a noteworthy example of how to write histories nowadays. Recommended to anyone curious to find more about Iran than what is usually featured in the media but also to historians patient enough to learn not only about a country, but also searching for their writing style.

Rating: 5 stars

I have always loved history and Persia holds a special place in my heart, so I was very excited to see this book offered on NetGalley. When I initially requested this book, I did not realize that it was some 1000 pages long. I was momentarily intimidated and thought it would take me months to get through it. Most history books tend to be somewhat and tedious to read and I was unsure of what to expect. I needn't have worried, however. Mr. Amanat writes in an engaging style and I was pulled in quite easily.

The book cover 500 hundred years of Persian and modern Iranian history and the author’s knowledge and authority on the subject is apparent throughout. The Persian empire’s history is among the most fascinating in the world. This book does not disappoint. It is detailed and the reader is fortunate to get a comprehensive picture of a complex and intriguing country with rich traditions and a unique culture.

I would definitely recommend this book to readers interested in history and expanding their knowledge on the region. I will also be buying a copy for my personal library so that I can go back to certain periods and reread them at a slower pace. My 13-year old son is also a history buff and while he may not be ready for this book yet, he will be one day.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of the book.

This is a great look at the building of Iran from its history until today.

Iran: A Modern History by Abbas Amanat is a detailed five hundred year history of Iran. Amanat received his B.A. from Tehran University in Social Sciences in 1971 and his D.Phil. from the Faculty of Oriental Studies, Oxford University in 1981. He is a Professor of History and International Studies and Director of the Yale Program in Iranian Studies. Amanat is a historian of Iran and Shia Islam, and the modern Middle East. He specializes in Qajar Iran as well as the history of messianic and apocalyptic movements in the Islamic world.

For many, Iran became a fixture in American politics 1979 with the revolution and the taking of American hostages by college students. Iran was in the news again with talk of Reagan and the hostage release and later arms for hostages. Today Iran is the news as the US and others work to stop their nuclear weapons development. For those with a sense of history, President Hassan Rouhaniseemed to mimic Woodrow Wilson with his statement that "Death to America" is not directed to American people but to the actions of the American government.

Iran (or Persia) has a long a history and a deep culture that is detailed in Amanat's book. Culture in arts and life adds greatly to a country's history, changing it from a detailed listing of events and adding a human factor. This is, unfortunately, missing from many histories that are not typically Western. Culture adds to the reader's understanding.

That being said, the revealing of the history is done with great detail and clarity. Perhaps the best thing about a well-written history is it explains how a country became what it is today. Why is Iran anti- American (government)? Why is Iran so concerned about its security? Are nuclear weapons a power grab or just a deterrent? Why do so many allies of the US have full diplomatic relations with Iran? How can one Muslim state be at odds with nearly all other Muslim states?

I found the period between World War and World War II the most interesting and, for my part, the most unexpected.  This is the birth of modern Iran and its regional and international struggles.  Here too is where the internal struggle between conservative Islam and Western culture seem to clash and continue to struggle even today.  

Iran has a rich history that is a struggle.  That history also explains why present-day Iran evolved into what it is.  For many Americans, it seems more like a Cold War situation, a representation of worldwide terrorism.  To Iran, it sees a world ready to exploit any weakness and remembers every betrayal on the world stage.  This is a book that will bring a broader understanding of a country that only preconceptions exist.  The first step in better relations is understanding. Amanat does a tremendous job of educating the reader, even a reader with a background in history.