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Customer Reviews (8)

Pardis Mahdavi's PASSIONATE UPRISINGS gives a new view to another culture
Having interviewed Pardis on my radio show, I was excited to share my thoughts about the book and her overall intention of writing it.

PASSIONATE UPRISINGS allows you to see another view of Iran that is not talked about alot, especially in the states. Their views on sex and sexuality are interesting in that in some ways the thoughts of some Iranian people are not that far from some in the states--though the actions might be a stark contrast.

Pardis chronicles the experiences she had in trying to understand what was happening in the country, and the people she talked with were able to share the truth that they lived in a way that was honest and raw.

This is a book you should definitely read and then find a way to learn more on your own. You might be surprised at what you find.

Excellent insider view of Iranian society today.
This book does an excellent job of depicting the level of frustration of a large portion of Iranians today.It goes a long way in helping Westerners understand the anger and protests that erupted after the last elections why so many were willing to risk so much (life & personal freedom) to try to enable change in this very closed and controlled country.

Very Timely book
Given all the unrest in Iran when the Iranians are looking for
modest liberties, this book gives real insight into some of
that scene.

Beneath the Sex
Like the tip of a gigantic iceberg, Ms. Mahdavi's book on Iran's sexual revolution vividly describes the history, frustration, hopes, and fears of Iran's youth which embrace sex as a means of rebellion. Find out the complexities which created and continues to influence Iran's sexual revolution.

I have followed the recent elections in Iran with fascination and I wonder if an implosion or an explosion is building. If it happens it will, no doubt, have repercussion which will reverberate throughout the 21st century.

I recommend this fascinating read even if you are not interested in Iran or sex! This country on the opposite side of the Earth from the US will continue to play an important part in the world community and it behooves all Americans and westerners to understand Iran's culture, mores, and politics--why not start at the top and work down?Healing the Rift: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Spirituality

Amazine
I didn't know much about Iran before meeting Pardis Madhavi, but it is such an interesting and amazing place. After hearing her lecture I immediately bought her book. It is awesome, not too heavy and plenty of stuff to make you laugh. Her experiences are remarkable and her writing seems to do it justice. ... Read more

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This comprehensive electronic book on CD-ROM presents an enormous collection of documents and material on Iran's nuclear programs, nuclear weapons ambition, and ballistic missile programs, with reproductions of hundreds of reports, studies, and documents, material from the U.S. Congress, Department of Defense, CIA, State Department, White House and the Obama and Bush Administration, Centcom, and other federal agencies. The threat that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons poses to America, Israel, and world peace has been emphasized repeatedly by U.S. officials, who have declared that it would be dangerous, intolerable, and unacceptable.

National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) Iran Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities

Iran's Nuclear Program: Status, 9/09

Iran's Nuclear Program: Recent Developments

U.S. Policy Toward Iran

Tehran's Compliance with International Obligations

U.S. Updates on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reviews

Confronting a Nuclear Iran

Checking Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

U.N. Security Council Resolution

Threat of Iran's Nuclear Program

Iran Not Forthcoming on Past, Present Nuclear Efforts

The Diplomatic Challenge

Iranian Background Country Information

Iran, Syria, Hizballah, Hamas

Although Iran claims that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes, it has generated considerable concern that Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Indeed, the UN Security Council has responded to Iran s refusal to suspend work on its uranium enrichment and heavy-water nuclear reactor programs by adopting several resolutions which imposed sanctions on Tehran.

Despite this pressure, Iran continues to enrich uranium, install and operate additional centrifuges, and conduct research on new types of centrifuges. Tehran has also continued to produce centrifuge feedstock, as well as work on its heavy-water reactor and associated facilities. Whether Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program is, however, unknown. A National Intelligence Estimate made public in December 2007 assessed that Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program, defined as Iran s nuclear weapon design and weaponization work and covert uranium conversion-related and uranium enrichment-related work, in 2003. The estimate, however, also assessed that Tehran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons and that any decision to end a nuclear weapons program is inherently reversible. Intelligence community officials have reaffirmed this judgment on several occasions. Iranian efforts to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons by using its known nuclear facilities would almost certainly be detected by the IAEA. There is no public official evidence that Tehran has covert facilities capable of producing fissile material.

Although Iran has cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to an extent, the agency says that Tehran has not gone far enough to alleviate all of the IAEA s concerns about Iran s enrichment and heavy-water reactor programs. The IAEA continues to investigate the program, particularly evidence that Tehran may have conducted procurement activities and research directly applicable to nuclear weapons development.

... Read more

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Iran today is still struggling with the legacy of its own Islamic revolution, and is deeply divided between the moderates who enjoy broad public support and the conservatives who control the levers of power. The mixed policies that result are reflected in Iran's ambivalent military posture. In recent years, Iran has only conducted a limited build-up of its armed forces and has cut defense spending and arms imports. On the other hand, Iran has developed a carefully focused program that threatens shipping in the lower Gulf and the world's oil exports. It has strengthened its capability for unconventional warfare and continues to be a significant proliferator, setting up indigenous military industries and developing a greater ability to import weapons. In this authoritative analysis of interest to Middle Eastern specialists and military affairs experts alike, Anthony Cordesman concludes that the continuation of Iran's current defensive security posture depends as much on economic factors as on the outcome of domestic political rivalries. ... Read more

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The Iranian revolution still baffles most Western observers. Few considered the rise of theocracy in a modernized state possible, and fewer thought it might result from a popular revolution.Said Amir Arjomand's The Turban for the Crown provides a thoughtful, painstakingly researched, and intelligible account of the turmoil in Iran which reveals the importance of this singular event for our understanding of revolutions.

Providing crucial historical background, Arjomand examines both the structure of authority in Shi'ism (one of the two main branches of Islam) and the impact of the modern state on Iranian society, two factors essential to the comprehension of the revolution of 1979.He then describes the emergence of Khomeini;the infusion of petrodollars into the economy;the blatant political corruption;and Khomeini's disposal of Bakhtiar, Bani-Sadr, and Bazargan, consolidation of religious rule, and establishment of a constitution based on a new interpretation of Islamic principles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A good look into the Iranian revolution
The book is a very important look into the Iranian revolution.The author does a good job providing the reader enough background into the history of Iran to provide the context for the revolution without bogging the work down with too much detail. The only problem with this is that those already familiar with this history may feel as if much of the information is rehash, but the author here has put that history within the context of the eventual revolution so that the reader can undrestand the currents that took this nation onto a radical new path for both the state and the Shiite religion.

The author provides a very detailed account of the relationship between the state and the clerical establishment.What is very interesting is the complex and ever changing nature between the clerics and the state whether they be the Pahlavi's or the constitutional government.There was no hard policy but a give and take depending on where each side saw their interests at any given time.The Shah would sometimes court the religious establishment to help bolster their regime only to turn on them once they were firmly entrenched in power.

One of the main things I took away from this book was just how vibrant and fluid Iranian society was.There was so many people pulling in so many different directions that in the end it was this diffusion of power and influence that made it possible for the theocratic revolution to occur.

My main criticism of this book is that when the author hones in on the revolutionary period I feel he sacrifices the macro for the micro.He seems to look at the revolution solely from the perspective of something that happened so it was a foregone conlcusion that it would happen.This causes a loss of perspective that ends up minimizing the very real contributions by a plethora of other groups in the overthrow of the Shah, instead his account makes it seem as if this revolution was simply a clerical affair which it very much was not.In some ways this much more narrow focus can be a good thing as long as the reader already has a pretty in depth understanding of the events because it can provide a better perspective as far as the clerical establishment goes, but without that understanding comng into this book the reader can get a distorted picture.

The other thing this narrow focus does is ignore some real political realities.One of the things the author does is blame the participants for letting Khomeini take over the revolution.The problem I have is that this doesn't take into account two very real factors at play.One of these is Khomeini's very real political acumen, and the second, which plays into the first, is the eupohoria and the momentum of the events.This momentum allowed Khomeini to become a symbol rather than a flesh and blood man with an agenda, and Khomeini the symbol was amorphous and abstract allowing him to be all things to all people.This is why you would see feminists marching in support of the man.By the time the symbol became a hard reality it was already too late.What the auther does do really well, though, is to explain the very real limitations that faced other potential centers of power like the middle class or the Tudeh party.Even had they realized Khomeini's vision early on their potential power was still very new and diffused.

For me the tenth chapter A Comparative Perspective fell flat.It seemed a bit strained and out of place with the rest of the work.I felt it was dense and unnecessary.

With all that said, for me, chapter nine was worth the price of the book alone.I was very pleased to see the author tackle the theory of velayat-e faqih in a serious way.I would have loved to see the author spend more time on this topic, but the author did a wonderful job detailing in a consumer friendly way the huge split that Khomeini caused within the Shiite religion with his implementaion of this theory.He shows where it came from and how this interpretation is so revolutionary.I was thrilled and enthralled reading this section, and it was this section that contributed more to my understanding of all the revolutionary currents that underpinned this historical moment.

There are some real problems with this work, but overall it will go a long way in contributing to the readers overall understanding Iran of today and the past.Also the author's discussion of the religious ramifications is essential reading.This book is definitely recommended despite some real problems, but in the end there is too much value to ignore this important book.

Increases overall understanding
Arjomand's book, Turban for the Crown, is packed full of information on the Islamic Revolution, and the history leading up to the creation of the modern theocracy in Iran.However, Turban for the Crown doesn't present this information in a why that can be penetrated readily.

Arjomand's deep understanding of the intricacy of Islamic society is incredible and his breadth of knowledge into Iran's political environment in relation to the clerical hierarchy give the reader a window into the complex religio-political structure in Iran. Understanding this complexity is not easy for the reader by any means, and it could take multiple readings of certain chapters to discern their meaning and importance.

A solid analysis of the Iranian Revolution.
As the author states in his book, revolutions don't always have to be progressive in nature, they can also be regressive and in some of the revolutions, there are both progressive and regressive trends.As we learn in the Iranian Revolution, the trend was regressive.A second center of power toppled the first center of power because they became worried about their power and resources.The first center of power was the royal dynasty (Pahlavi) where a weak willed dictator did not want to risk the loss of life to save his throne.The American government (under another weak willed leader Carter) chastised the Shah for any loss of life.Meanwhile, a faction of the clergy turned the tables on the Shah and their other competitors and seized power.The result was a more totalitarian government than the Shah ever was.This government encouraged morals police and eliminated any polical opponent (including other clerics).The result was a dictatorial theocracy that exceeded the Shiite traditions on religious control of the government.

The one and only thing I don't like about this book is the sociological precise terminlogy that is used throughout the writings.This is a very difficult book to understand.However, the author does a solid analysis of why the Shah fell and Khomeni rose to the top of the Iranian leadership.

Insightful Perspective of the Revolution
The scholar, Said Amir Arjoumand, attempts to elaborate on the inherent ideological causes of the Iranian Revolution.Various other authors I have come across refer to his work and upon reading his book I find his arguments and theories very well written and supported with extensive research and data.It is an illuminating look at what no doubt at the time must have been perceived as a highly unlikely event...the creation of a modern state subservient to Khomeini's unique vision of Islamic law as embodied in his Velayat-e faqih that ultimately destroyed all borders between politics and religion.It is no doubt a work which will prove challenging and perhaps even distasteful to those who come to it with strongly cemented notions of their own, but the scholarship and prose make it a worthwhile read regardless.

unless you like solid analysis and accurate facts, read.
this book represents the lack of the author's understanding of the social and political realities of a postmodern world.it presents no anylysis, of any depth, of any political thought; nor does it evaluate history, otherthan in a narrow and utterly uncomprehensive way.this book is amanifestation of the unanalytical and ill-informed name-calling nature ofthe anti-islamic republic trend.the author attempts to use westernvocabulary to "describe" the islamic republic, but fails even onwestern terms.for instance, the author lacks understanding of the veryterm 'facist.'or look at how the terms 'western' and 'modern' areconfused. ... Read more

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Moderation theory describes the process through which radical political actors develop commitments to electoral competition, political pluralism, human rights, and rule of law and come to prefer negotiation, reconciliation, and electoral politics over provocation, confrontation, and contentious action. Revisiting this theory through an examination of two of the most prominent moderate Islamic political forces in recent history, Muslim Reformers in Iran and Turkey analyzes the gains made and methods implemented by the Reform Front in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Justice and Development Party in Turkey.

Both of these groups represent Muslim reformers who came into continual conflict with unelected adversaries who attempted to block their reformist agendas. Based on extensive field research in both locales, Muslim Reformers in Iran and Turkey argues that behavioral moderation as practiced by these groups may actually inhibit democratic progress. Political scientist GüneMurat Tezcür observes that the ability to implement conciliatory tactics, organize electoral parties, and make political compromises impeded democracy when pursued by the Reform Front and the Justice and Development Party. Challenging conventional wisdom, Tezcür's findings have broad implications for the dynamics of democratic progress.

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In a comprehensive and original analysis, Parvin Paidar considers the role of women in the political process of twentieth-century Iran and demonstrates how political reorganization has redefined their position. Challenging the view expressed by conventional scholarship that emphasizes the marginalization of Muslim women, the author asserts that gender issues are right at the heart of the political process in Iran. The implications of the study bear on the position of women throughout the Middle East and in the developing countries generally. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is worth reading for any one interested in Iran.
Dear Professor Paidar your thoughtful points of view in this book is obviously salient.Really it must have taken a long time for you to study so much sources and cite them with honesty. Indeed, I took a lot ofadvantages from this impartially written book, and I think that no otherone can accuse you of favouring any government or political feature in yourbook.Dear Professor,SinceI am writing my own Thesis regardingpolitical participation of women in the process of Iranian Revolution, Isee myself completely needy to your invaluable commentsabout my own ideasin this regard.I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. ... Read more

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Iran is an ancient country, an oil-exporting economy and an Islamic Republic. It experienced two full-scale revolutions in the twentieth century, the latter of which had large and important regional and international consequences, including an eight-year war with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. And now in the twenty-first century, it confronts issues and experiences problems which have important implications for its future development and external relations.

Featuring outstanding contributions from leading sociologists, social anthropologists, political scientists and economists in the field of Iranian studies, this book is the first to examine Iran and its position in the contemporary world.

In developing this argument, topics examined include:

• social developments in the country including gender relations
• contemporary politics
• international relations
• relations with the US and Israel
• nuclear weapons and energy programmes
• oil and the development of the economy.

Product Description
On June 24, 2005, after nearly ten years of supporting liberal reform, the people of Iran surprised the world by electing the conservative mayor of Tehran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as their new president. Soon after, the new president announced Iran would restart its uranium enrichment program, drawing international criticism and condemnation from leaders in Europe and the United States. Many observers suspect it is the desire to produce not nuclear energy but nuclear weapons that lies behind Iran's controversial decision.

Ever since President George W. Bush described Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as the "Axis of Evil," Iran has garnered increased international attention and threatens to become the new focus of European and American foreign policy. Now you can have at your fingertips up-to-date, must-know details on this complex, pivotal country-straight from one of the most trusted sources of information around the globe.

The first in a major new series from Encyclopedia Britannica, Iran presents a balanced, sophisticated examination of Iran's social, cultural, and political landscape, past and present. From the constitutional revolution to the hostage crisis to weapons of mass destruction, this thorough guide provides the necessary background to comprehend all the important, ongoing issues surrounding this enigmatic country.

Information on such leaders as Cyrus the Great and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, as well as on historical events like the Iran-Contra Affair and the Iran-Iraq War, place current developments into the broader context of world history, the Muslim world, the War on Terror, and the push for democratic reform in the Middle East. Every concise entry-from Afghanistan and Ayatollah Khomeini to Shari'ah law and the Shah-promotes the deeper understanding of issues and events that only Encyclopedia Britannica can provide.

Since 1768, Encyclopedia Britannica has been a leading provider of learning products and one of the world's most trusted sources of information.

www.britannica.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Iran: The Essential Guide to a Country on theBrink
I found this book up-to-date, very well written, and well arranged for easy reference.

Insightful Aid To Understanding Contemporary Iran
The Islamic Revolution in Iran happened over a quarter of a century ago and Iran has often been in the news ever since.
Unfortunately too many Americans have little knowledge of this ancient and sophisticated land or of its unique people.

For those interested in learning about a country that was the center of several world empires and is destined to again become the dominant power of that region, this book is a very good primer. Understandibly, emphasis is on contemporary times, with articles, for example, on Ahmadinejad, Iranian human rights activist and Nobel Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi, the American war on terrorism, and Bush's "Axis of Evil" comments. However, there remains many other articles devoted toPersian/Iranian history and culture, which will greatly inform readers, aiding them to place into context the major role Iran has played in world history, and its social and theological contributions to Western civilization.

In addition to this book, I recommend reading Afshin Molavi's SOUL OF IRAN (aka PERSIAN PILGRIMAGES), and Sandra Mackey's THE IRANIANS: PERSIA, ISLAM AND THE SOUL OF A NATION for a more personal and detailed exposition into this ancient and complex nation.

Depth, analysis, and perspective
This book provides an excellent overview of the history and psychology of this complex country, why it is in the difficult position it is in today, fascinating analyses, and some of the most authoritative background information available. It is highly perceptive and extremely readable. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

History revisited
Most contemporary historians writing on Iran seem to be unable to release themselves from the leftist paradigm that can only imagine the Shah as evil and Mossadegh as a force for good.The reality is not as black and white as some lazy/inflexible historians, suggest.

A flawed man the Shah most certainly was.However, it is undeniable that the Pahlavi dynasty, put in a historical context and compared to what came before and after, represented one of the most dynamic and productive eras in Iran's very long history.Iran would not exist as a sovereign entity today had Reza Shah not struggled so ferociously against British and Russian interest, who with the acquiescence of the corrupt and inept Qajar's ,were on the verge of splitting the country apart.Nor can his son's contributions to the creation of modern Iran be ignored or completely diminished.

Mossadegh will always remain a beacon to Iranians who dream thattheir country one day will be a stable democracy.Mossadegh and the men around him, were elite nationalists, with somewhat dubious democratic credentials, who could have brought about lasting change but were stymied by the course of history and their own miscalculations.

The losers in all of this are Iranians who as a result of the failure of both men, have ended up subjected to the brutality of a clique of third-rate degenerates who are battling each other for supremacy of a sinking ship.

Mr. Bayandor's book will hopefully shed some lights on Iran's history.

Superbly researched and well written
This book is a must for US foreign policy and Iran buffs. The author meticulously researched it for years, and it is a welcome correction to more sensationalist books written in recent years about the depth of US involvement in the 1953 downfall of Prime Minister Mossadegh. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

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Short-listed for the Thomas Cook/The Daily Telegraph Travel Book Award 2001

'If I had to choose a colour to charcterise Iran, I would choose black: the colour worn by the women and the men, the colour of the crepe that decorates the streets and houses during religious celebrations, the colour of the country's riches: oil and caviar.'

Ana Briongos first travelled to Iran in the 1960s. She returned in the early 1970s to study Persian at the University of Tehran and has continued to return to this country of contradictions ever since. But Black on Black is not so much her own story as that of her friends and acquaintances. Ultimately, all her tales are about coming to terms with the consequences of the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Ana describes the everyday life of the people she meets and visits. These quiet, domestic moments build, like the pieces of mosaic, into an intricate portrait of a country where things are not always as they appear. With a disarming gentleness, Ana reveals a country far more complex - both now and in its 'liberal' days under the Shah - than television soundbites have led us to believe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Iran, the Shador unveiled.
I would just like to say that I greatly enjoyed reading Black on Black, that it is by far one of the best travel books I have read in years and that it has provided me with many hours of thrill, information and pleasure. I consider Ana Briongos as one of the most powerful first-hand witness of today's society in Iran, and a great author who has filled her books with information obtained after being warmly welcomed by a society which does not open their arms to anyone.Black on Black transmits the hours spent drinking tea with iranian families, the long talks with iranian women, the hospitality and the day to day life of the people encountered. A truly moving and fascinating acount.
For those of you who read in Spanish, I strongly recomend Ana Briongos' other travel book on Afghanistan, A WINTER IN KANDAHAR (UN INVIERNO EN KANDAHAR), an equaly great book and a helpful key to understand Afghan society today. Furthermore, I would like readers not to be mislead by the last review Black on Black has received and take into consideration the rest of opinions which in majority have been very flattering and full of praise. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Iran, the Shador unveiled.
I would just like to say that I greatly enjoyed reading Black on Black, that it is by far one of the best travel books I have read in years and that it has provided me with many hours of thrill, information and pleasure. I consider Ana Briongos as one of the most powerful first-hand witness of today's society in Iran, and a great author who has filled her books with information obtained after being warmly welcomed by a society which does not open their arms to anyone.Black on Black transmits the hours spent drinking tea with iranian families, the long talks with iranian women, the hospitality and the day to day life of the people encountered. A truly moving and fascinating acount.
For those of you who read in Spanish, I strongly recomend Ana Briongos' other travel book on Afghanistan, A WINTER IN KANDAHAR (UN INVIERNO EN KANDAHAR), an equaly great book and a helpful key to understand Afghan society today. Furthermore, I would like readers not to be mislead by the last review Black on Black has received and take into consideration the rest of opinions which in majority have been very flattering and full of praise. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Self-Indulging Trash
I bought this book prior to my tour of Iran mostly because of others' write-ups on Amazon. However, I found the book delivers no information to anyone seeking to learn about Iranians' contemporary cultural, political, and social landscape and their way of life under current circumstances. Instead, it is pure trash mostly related to the "below the belt" fantasy of a female transient in Iran during seventies. For the first time, I returned a book to Amazon and asked for refund!

At the same time, I discovered "Persian Mirrors, The Elusive Face of Iran" by Elaine Sciolino of New York Times the most fascinating, brutally honest, wonderfully written, and most comprehensive book about Iran's current state. This gem of book covers every social and political aspect of this amazing land and culture. It uncovers the day-to-day struggles within every tier of the Iranian society and communities to move their beloved country toward more freedom and prosperity.It is a must read for anyone with slightest interest in Iran's current and future position.I hope someone in Bush administration read this book as well. Peace.

Black on Black Iran Revisited
Mrs. Ana M Briongos, has a very soft style, which she makes all readers to continue reading her books over an over. I have been away from my home town for almost 18 years by reading her book I feel I had travel all over my homeland as I was reading her book. She has viewed cons and Pro of traditional custom and has discussed such a tradition in a very delightful manner.

I would like to thanks her for her true analysis of Iranian society, custom as well as tradition, I believe it is due to her education and knowledge about Iranian culture and historical influence of our countries. Hope she will travel to Iran and publish more books.

Best Regards, Reza Dabestani. California June 24th, 2001

Very helpful
I really liked this book. I wanted to travel to Iran and was looking for something else than a guide to read during my trip. Black on black acompagnied me in a long bus day in Iran and made me understand better the country and it's people. Easy to read, clear and very interesting point of view of the country. Unfortunatelly it was written before the Khatami era and I missed the author's opinion of this new political period. ... Read more

Product Description
Iran is one of the most important U.S. foreign policy concerns but is extraordinarily difficult to engage. The authors assess current political, ethnic, demographic, and economic trends and vulnerabilities in Iran, then offer recommendations on U.S. policies that might foster the trends beneficial to U.S. interests. However, if these trends do take root in Iran, seeing them come to fruition will take time and, therefore, patience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Truth at Last
Iran and its nuclear weapons program is front page news every day, and likely to stay that way until bombs start falling or until a test nuclear bomb is exploded. Then there will be a grand uproar, spikes in oil prices, and posturing by politicians on all sides. (That there is a major Persian effort to build nuclear weapons is no longer doubted by any rational and objective observer.)

Since Iran expelled inspectors and began ingenuously insisting its nuclear program was for peaceful purposes, much has been written about that country's strengths and vulnerabilities with respect to a military strike on its weapons factories. Unfortunately, virtually every pundit has had a strong agenda to sell and a weak command of the offensive and defense technologies. The position usually taken in and by the media is that an attack on Iran is doomed to failure, and that it would have awful collateral consequences. Properly, the military establishments of the US and Israel (and other nations) have been largely silent about the use of the 'military option' to end the program. Now comes this excellent book.

The authors have no agenda except to lay out the nature of the target, and they do it with clear, concise dispassion. A reader of this book will have no doubt that miltary strikes on Iran by the US or Israel would end the nuclear weapons program and would have acceptable consequences in other regards. In other words the military option is viable, and all that is lacking is the political will.

The only addition I would make to this fine work is to add the possibility and effect of using EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) weapons to destroy the nuclear facilities. Delivered by ICBM or cruise missile, they would entail minimal casualties on all sides and end the Persian ambitions for many years. I hope the Israelis are seriously considering that option too, as once more they make their plans to survive. And incidentally do our job for us.

Chet Nagle is the author of Iran Covenant, a thrilling novel about Iran's nuclear weapon program and how to end it. Iran Covenant

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (19)

Comprehensive
A comprehensive and well established basis documenting the desire for regime change in Iran.A must have for anyone looking to be informed

FYI
This guy has been the perp involved twice with under age girls. Just something you might want to consider before supporting him with your money...

Deja vu Regime Change Again?
"Target Iran" tackles a very relevant,current hot topic. The issue is whether the Administration will continue to pursue regime change as it did in Iraq. Of great interest to me was the report in "New Yorker" magazine by Seymour Hersh that CIA and spec ops personnel have been in Iran for a year.

A very intriguing aspect of the targeting of Iran(and eventually Syria)is that Israel has picked the targets. The reason that they resorted to a lobbying effort through people like John Bolton is a complete lack of trust in the U.S. tracing back to a failure to deliver on promises in Iraq in the previous war.

Mr. Ritter identifies some of the governments that cooperated in investigating WMD. The Libyan cooperation in a sting operation and Germany's investigation of native companies that did business with Iraq and Iran are two examples.

The author also debunks the myth that Iran wouldn't use diplomacy. They attempted through a Swiss intermediary to initiate one-on-one talks with the Cheney/Bush administration.

Mr. Ritter exposes what could be accurately labeled the "neo-con manifesto for global domonation",or better known as "National Security Strategy of the U.S." and "Rebuilding America's Defenses" (RAD for short as in Radical).

Another deja vu aspect of the Iran situation is that like Iraq, Iran is expected to prove a negative. Add to that more failures of U.S. intelligence agencies.

I wondered what is keeping Bush from invading Iran? Scott Ritter provides the likely answer. "In short, China alone possessed the ability to collpase the U.S. economy if the United States invaded Iran" - from page 161.

The foreign policy objective for the administration is the same in Iran as it was in Iraq. "When it came to the issue of Iran, the Bush administration had only a single policy objective: regime change,at any cost." - from page 168.

I highly recommend "Target Iran" to anyone that wants to investigate the Iran situation and the circumstances that led up to it.

Excellent refutation of the idiotic idea of attacking Iran
Former chief UN weapons inspector in Iraq Scott Ritter, author of Endgame, War on Iraq and Iraq Confidential, has written a brilliant demolition of the case for attacking Iran.

He points out, "There was absolutely no evidence whatsoever that linked Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear technology to a nuclear weapons program." The International Atomic Energy Authority has repeatedly said that its inspectors have not found any evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons programme. Ritter notes, "Iran was not in violation of its Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations in any aspect of its ongoing interaction with the IAEA."

He observes, "neither the Israelis nor the United States could detect any activity whatsoever that could point to a definitive location on the ground inside Iran where covert nuclear weapons activity was taking place." The US National Intelligence Estimate of 3 December stated that since 2003 Iran has not been pursuing a nuclear weapons programme. So "Iran threatens neither Israel nor America."

In fact, the USA should really be backing Iran's nuclear programme because it increases "the viability of Iran as a net exporter of energy during a time when the world's hydrocarbon energy resources are diminishing."

But, despite all the facts, the US state continues to threaten Iran with war. Ritter observes, "In a large part due to the lies and distortions peddled by Chalabi concerning the so-called `weapons of mass destruction threat' emanating from Iraq, America finds itself embroiled in an illegitimate war of aggression in Iraq, one that has currently manifested itself as a disastrous occupation of that once sovereign state." Now the National Council of Resistance in Iran, which the USA deems a `terrorist organisation', is playing the same role that Chalabi's `Iraqi National Council' played before the war on Iraq.

In September 2003, the European Union adopted an extreme hard-line stance against Iran, copying the USA. It tried to ban Iran from doing what Article IV of the Non-Proliferation Treaty allowed - enrich uranium for use as fuel for the peaceful development of nuclear energy.

In November 2004, the European Union signed the Paris Agreement with Iran, but, as Ritter writes, "regardless of what the Europeans had signed up to in the Paris Agreement, the EU-3 [Britain, France and Germany] had no intention of allowing Iran to possess an indigenous enrichment capacity, and in effect had subordinated European diplomacy to U.S. policy objectives." "the Europeans were negotiating with Iran to convince the Iranians to give up a nuclear program that operated demonstrably within the framework of international law. Europe committed to the principle of Iranian legal rights regarding the enrichment of uranium, all the while caving into pressure from the United States to deny Iran this right."

In 2004 Bush said that US policy was that it would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Colin Powell threatened, "every option remains on the table." As Ritter sums up, "the only policy objective acceptable to the Bush administration regarding Iran is regime change." The USA and Israel keep trying to get Iran referred to the UN Security Council, so that they can get the UN to tighten sanctions on Iran and to support an attack. The Brown government is playing the same lackey's role that Blair played over Iraq.

In 2004 China agreed a huge deal to buy Iranian oil and gas. China also holds $600 billion in US currency reserves. If the USA invaded Iran, China could respond by shifting these holdings of US bonds and dollars to euros.

Further, Iran has no single nuclear target, so invading could be another military disaster. Ritter warns that an invasion could lead to soaring oil prices, yet more destabilisation of the Middle East and economic ruin for those dependent on the Middle East's oil. After the Iraq disaster, who can say he is wrong?

Ritter concludes, "Once again, the world finds itself on the brink of another Middle East war in which the United States is using trumped-up charges centered around false threats of weapons of mass destruction as a smoke-screen to hide its true policy objectives of regime change."

Absolute nonsense and utter agenda-mongering
As an Iranian activist and someone who has followed not only the track record of the Islamic Republic of Iran from it's inception and has spent her life studying the roots of Islamo Imperialism in Iran over the last 110 years...AND works daily at monitoring the movements of the Mullacracy in Iran, I have to say that Mr. Ritter's book reads like textbook pro-Muallah apologistic agenda of the so-called "realists" who have always been the group to facilitate all of Tehran's regime's horrific actions from the very beginning. These are the very people who have put out this nonsensical National Intelligence Estimate which even authorities of Tehran have dismissed and laughed at.
Also, Mr. Ritter's track record as an ideologue whose opinions seem to change with the wind and his whims proceeds him. Mr. Ritter is the picture of the type of westerner most easterner are horrified by; he keeps making pronouncements about places and peoples about whom he knows nothing and judges their rulers from a place that is utterly irrelevant; that's cultural imperialism. Frankly his daydream of a book is nothing more than another boost to the regime that has over 2 million Iranian dead in it's wake (that number includes the innocent young men the Mullahs sent to the nightmarish and 8-year-long Iran/Iraq war) and continues to gut a noble nation like Iran. Shame on Mr. Ritter for stooping this low. ... Read more

Product Description
After more than two decades under the rule of a clerical dictatorship, Iran is mired in backwardness, poverty, corruption, rigidity, radicalism, and incivility.

Yet, there is hope for the future.

In Winds of Change, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, outlines his vision for a democratic Iran. Forced to live in exile since the establishment of the clerical regime in 1979, he has been a leading advocate of freedom, democracy, and human rights for Iranians. Pahlavi’s prescription for the salvation of his homeland is simple: popular sovereignty and self-determination. Iran is a politically diverse society, with leftists and rightists, monarchists and republicans, conservatives, centrists, and liberals. Yet all can agree on the basic agenda he puts forward for his countrymen in Winds of Change. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Enlightening
Winds Of Change is an excellent view into the problems facing the Middle East in the 21st Century.Human Rights vs The Dark Ages.Read this book.

A Different Prespective on Iran
This is written by the son of the late Shah of Iran; even though the book is several years old it is still relevant for today.Highly recommended, it is a short read and give a different picture of Iran and its people; not all Iranians are anti-American and the impressions of what one sees in the media does not represent the majority of the Iranian people.This book was recommended to me by several of my Iranian friends.

This excellent book shows us the way
As an Iranian citizen, I have read both persian and english version of this book a few times and have sent the book as gift to many of my friends simply because this books shows us how to fight the good fight against the clerical regime of Iran and it also tells us why the struggle must continute.

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is a good man with a good heart and intentions and I believe this book explains a lot about his highness's dream about a free and democratic Iran. I recommend this book to every citizen of this world who is fighting against tyranny and darkness.

Long Live The Shah
What a great book! The Islamic "revolution" of 1979 was one of the darkest periods in the history of iran and the world.....A country in which modernity, freedom, and equality all coalesced was brought back into the middle ages.....

To the mullah supporters who are insulting the prince, lets look at what your beloved revolution has done....

1. Khomeini sending little boys onto mines as target practice
2. Sharia law imposing girls can wed at age of 9
3. Women treated as second class citizens forced to cover even in 120 degree heat.
4. Women losing all rights to equal divorce laws
5. A safe haven for terrorists
6. MASSIVE! Unemployement
and the list goes on....

How pathetic...
As I read Reza's book I am reminded of an idealistic innocent generation who has been lost for the past 26 years since the dark Islamic revolution of Iran: My generation (to which Reza Pahlavi also belongs).

I then read the reviews of this book on Amazon and notice a couple who foolishly have mocked the book under different usernames and IDs forgetting to at the minimum change their writing styles, and then I am reminded of an evil selfish self-centered generation who brought the darkness to Iran: The so called Khomeini groupies who continue to ruin my country Iran (what is left of it).

And then I say, what is the use? Reza Pahlavi who in a way kind of represents my generation is as helpless as all who belong to that generation living in Iran and abroad. In a way we all are in exile despite living in Iran.

There will never be democracy in Iran, and there will never be justice, freedom and happiness in Iran. Why you may ask? Because of Islam! And because of the very same self-centered hypocrites like the few who have mocked Reza Pahlavi's book in here who continue to mock an entire nation, (my generation), and continue to destroy the little that is left of Iran.

It is sad, and truly pathetic... but there shall never be Democracy in Iran and Iran will never see happiness ever again. So long as its oil reserves are there, the country continues to barely surive. When that finishes, then that will be the end of Iran for ever and for good. Perhaps the only one good thing out of this sad finish would also mean the end of Islam and Shiet religion! Iran's oil reserves are predicted to last another 75-100 years. I will probably be not around to see that doomsday that Iran will be facing, but at least I can rest in peace that Islam will at that time be gone.

As for you Reza Pahlavi, all I can tell you is that your father was a great man, an idealistic man who lost his life over a bunch of ungreatful people - an ungreatful nation. Your grandfather Rezad Shah the great was a leader who took hard decisions with no hesitations. Your father however could not do so as he was an idealistic man with a pure heart. As for you my good friend Reza, you are a good man, you are an innocent man in its purest of themeaning with a pure heart -as so the rest of your generation (which is also my generation). But regretfully you are no Rezad Shah the great!What Iranians need now is someone like your grandfather.... much to say about that but little time to write about it or do about it - and perhaps that is the most pathetic part of the whole thing. Iran's complete destruction is inevitable and anyone who wants you to believe otherwise by statements such as "Iran can have democracy", etc., is as foolish as those who listen to them. It is truly sad but so true. ... Read more

Product Description
The book examines the growth and development of women's activism in Iran since the 1979 Revolution. "Women and Politics in the Islamic Republic of Iran" looks at the rise and role of female activism in Iran since the 1979 Revolution. Since 1979 women have played a decisive role in elections and assumed political posts. This study assesses this role as well as the impact of domestic and international policies on women's activism, highlighting the contradictions between politics and religion within the Islamic Republic. It also seeks to evaluate political and economic developments and the transformations in civil society, including the development of a gender conscious society. "Women and Politics in the Islamic Republic of Iran" features original research by Sanam Vakil, an Iranian-American scholar, who conducted interviews with women activists, politicians, journalists, clerics and students in Iran, Europe and the U.S. and used primary sources to specifically links women's activism to the domestic political changes in Iran.The book will be an essential resource for anyone studying Iranian politics and seeking to understand better the internal political and social dynamics in Iran and the critical role that women play. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Kauffman tells stories of his encounters with Iranians, their culture, and their politics, to give witness to ways walls can break down when the stories, culture, and history of others are attended to. "Americans aren't supposed to talk to Iranians. Thank God Richard Kauffman is a Mennonite and thus open to God turning enemies into friends. This book had me transfixed-and deepened the mystery of the meaning of words like American, Iranian, and ultimately, Christian," notes Jason Byassee, Executive Director, Leadership Education, Duke Divinity. Meanwhile David Cortright, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, believes that "Kauffman offers a rare and penetrating portrait of an ancient and proud land, and a people who are surprisingly friendly toward Americans. The book features gorgeous photographs that capture the dignity and grace of ordinary Iranians and depict the beauty of an unknown country. A must for all who want to build understanding and friendship with people our government would have us consider enemies." Laurie Blanton Pierce, Author, What Is Iran, sees the book as "much more than a travelogue. The story of his visit to Iran is interspersed with helpful background information on the country's history and culture. He examines controversial issues with thoughtfulness and an open mind." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Muslims and Christians, Chances for Peace
Richard Kauffman offers a wonderful look into one of the world's most misunderstood and mischaracterized cultures. His account offers a chance to reconsider what we think we know about Iran and its people. It also offers insights into what Muslim-Christian engagement means today.

An excellent companion to An American in Persia is Pilgrims on the Silk Road: A Muslim-Christian Encounter in Khiva. This book delves deeply into the long-term engagement between Mennonites and Muslims in the Silk Road kingdom of Khiva. Where Kauffman's visit was relatively brief, the Mennonites in Khiva stayed fifty years - long enough to have a profound impact on the local Muslim society. Pilgrims on the Silk Road shows how core Anabaptist beliefs transformed this episode in Muslim-Christian history. ... Read more