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Christian Dittus
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English

UNDERSTANDING IRAN

William R. Polk

Everything You Need to Know, From Persia to the Islamic Republic, From Cyrus to Khamenei

2016 reissue, with new introduction and afterword

William R. Polk provides an informative, readable history of a country which is moving quickly toward becoming the dominant power and culture of the Middle East. A former member of the State Department's Policy Planning Council, Polk describes a country and a history misunderstood by many in the West. While Iranians chafe under the yolk of their current leaders, they also have bitter memories of generations of British, Russian and American espionage, invasion, and dominance. There are important lessons to be learned from the past, and Polk teases them out of a long and rich history and shows that it is not just now, but for decades to come that an understanding of Iran will be essential to American safety and well-being.

William R. Polk established the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago, was president of the Adlai Stevenson Institute of International Affairs, and helped to organize the "Table Ronde" meeting that laid the groundwork for the European Union. He was called back to the White House briefly during the 1967 Middle Eastern War to write a draft Peace Treaty and to act as advisor to U.S. National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy.
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Published 2023-05-11 by Palgrave Macmillan

Comments

...A great guide if you want to understand Iran. ?Fareed Zakaria

William Polk has written a superb and insightful historical account of Iran and the evolution of the Persian culture. This should be required reading not just for all those involved in Iranian policy making but for all those interested in understanding this critical nation and society. ?General Anthony C. Zinni USMC (Retired), co-author of Leading the Charge and The Battle for Peace

Essential reading...a study of depth and clarity. ?Terrell Arnold, former chairman of the Department of International Studies at the U.S. National War College

A great scholar's brilliant appreciation of Iranian culture and history ?Dr. Khodadad Farmanfarmaian, former Deputy Prime Minister of Iran