
America and Iran
A History, 1720 to the Present
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Narrated by:
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Fred Sanders
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By:
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John Ghazvinian
About this listen
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A hugely ambitious, “delightfully readable, genuinely informative” portrait (The New York Times) of the two-centuries-long entwined histories of Iran and America - two powers who were once allies and now adversaries - by an admired historian and former journalist.
In this rich, fascinating history, John Ghazvinian traces the complex story of the relations between these two nations back to the Persian Empire of the 18th century - the subject of great admiration by Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams - and an America seen by Iranians as an ideal to emulate for their own government.
Drawing on years of archival research both in the United States and Iran - including access to Iranian government archives rarely available to Western scholars - the Iranian-born, Oxford-educated historian leads us through the four seasons of US-Iran relations: the spring of mutual fascination; the summer of early interactions; the autumn of close strategic ties; and the long, dark winter of mutual hatred. Ghazvinian makes clear where, how, and when it all went wrong. America and Iran shows why two countries that once had such heartfelt admiration for each other became such committed enemies - and why it didn’t have to turn out this way.
©2020 John Ghazvinian (P)2020 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"An expert on Iran delineates the massive rift between the erstwhile 'closest of allies' ... relevant, highly elucidating ... an evenhanded, revelatory narrative in which the author avoids muddying the waters with an overtly political agenda. An excellent single-volume history of a fraught international relationship." (Kirkus starred review)
"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 don't want to put down ... Ghazvinian deftly shows us when, where, and why things went (and still do go) wrong. If ever the question 'why do they hate us' arises in the Iranian context, just read this book." (Hooman Majd, author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ)
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The Oil Kings
- How the U.S., Iran, and Saudi Arabia Changed the Balance of Power in the Middle East
- By: Andrew Scott Cooper
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 19 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Struggling with a recession... European nations at risk of defaulting on their loans... A possible global financial crisis. It happened before, in the 1970s. The Oil Kings is the story of how oil came to dominate U.S. domestic and international affairs. Brilliantly reported and filled with astonishing details about some of the key figures of the time, this is the history of an era that we thought we knew, an era whose momentous reverberations still influence events at home and abroad today.
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Great story, but ignores the economic side
- By Walter on 04-15-12
Insightful, unbiased and perspective shifting
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fantastic
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Enlightening
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Great balance to the traditionally American perspective of Iran.
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The last chapters were more like NIAC publications
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Excellent history
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The US missed many opportunities to resolve the standoff with Iran over the years as the book makes clear. Many of these opportunities over the last few decades are the result of American foreign policy being scripted in Israel rather than in Washington. It is an unfortunate fact that our Congress is merely a lap dog to the Israeli lobby.
This book is worth the time to read and contemplate. The author did a great job and presents a viewpoint that is seldom acknowledged in the general press.
Comprehensive analysis of US Iranian history
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amazing, a MUST read!
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Truly a detailed analysis of complex subject.
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The narrator of the book also did an excellent job.
Outstanding telling of a complex history
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