Abbas Amanat. Iran: A Modern History. New York, Yale University Press, 2019.

“The defiant spirit of [Iran] is brought to life in this monumental history of the past 500 years.”- Richard Spencer, Times (UK) “A majestic work that goes a long way in unraveling. the country’s enigmas and apparent contradictions.”―Ervand Abrahamian, New York Review of Books This history of modern Iran is not a survey in the conventional sense but an ambitious exploration of the story of a nation. It offers a revealing look at how events, people, and institutions are shaped by currents that sometimes reach back hundreds of years. The book covers the complex history of the diverse societies and economies of Iran against the background of dynastic changes, revolutions, civil wars, foreign occupation, and the rise of the Islamic Republic.