America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present

(Hardback)

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In the eighteenth century, Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams greatly admired the Persian Empire, while Iranians regarded America as an ideal their own government might emulate. Beginning there, how did they become the enemies they are todayIn this rich, fascinating history, John Ghazvinian traces the complex story of relations between these two powers. Drawing on years of research conducted in both countries including access to Iranian government archives rarely available to Western scholars he leads us through the four seasons of USIranian relations: the spring of mutual fascination; the summer of early interactions; the autumn of close, strategic ties; and the long, dark winter of hate. A revealing account, America and Iranlays bare when, where and how it all went wrong and why it didnt have to be this way

Reviews

Delightfully readable, genuinely informative and impressively literate.

* Abbas Milani, New York Times *

Ghazvinian recounts a tragic story of Iranian overtures spurned by Americans in cahoots with their Israeli and Saudi allies Ghazvinian has a witty style.

* The Economist *

This book presents the long, troubled relationship between the United States and Iran in a breezy and supple narrative, replete with poignant anecdotes, to posit convincingly that antagonism between Iran and America is wholly unnecessary.

* New York Times, 100 Notable Books of 2021 *

a stimulating and well-written study of one of the key relationships in todays world.

* Literary Review *

a magnificent, bold, wide-reaching and potentially significant book on the thorny subject of Iranian-American relations throws fresh historical light on the original exchanges between Americans and Iranians, and shows us fascinating historical characters, brought vividly to life with pen portraits and amusing anecdotes The framing of the book into four seasons, ending with winter, is a stroke of genius as it lends to [Ghazvinians] overall argument a poignant resonance: there are better days ahead This is history as history should be written: accessible, humane, thoughtful, insightful and in places extremely funny someone just has to get a copy of this book to the White House, fast.

* Charlie Gammell, Catholic Herald *

Irans Islamic Revolution is just one small dot on a much wider trajectory of Iranian history this book explores with rigorous analysis, invaluable interviews, and archival evidence from Iran and the United States a compelling and insightful read. It tells a nuanced version of history that is normally presented as a catastrophic eschatological clash of civilisations Ghazvinian eschews these headline-grabbing histrionics and makes a much more convincing argument instead.

* J P O'Malley, Irish Examiner *

An important, urgently needed book a hugely ambitious, illuminating portrait of the entwined histories of Iran and America, and the first book to examine, in all its aspects, the rich and fraught relations between these two powers.

* Kirkus, starred review *

History in the hands of a master.

-- Ambassador John Limbert, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran (200910), and hostage in the US Embassy in Tehran (197981)

Ghazvinian describes in exquisite detail the relationship between Iran and the United States from its inception in the years before the American Revolution to the present day. Beautifully laid out and at time reading like a thriller you dont want to put down.

-- Hooman Majd, author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ

Author Bio

John Ghazvinianis a historian at the University of Pennsylvania. He was born in Iran, raised in London and Los Angeles, and has a doctorate in history from the University of Oxford. He is the author of Untapped: The Scramble for Africas Oiland he has written for the Sunday Times, New Statesman, Slate and The Nation. He lives in Philadelphia.