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Understanding Iran
by William R. Polk • 2009
Start with Cyrus, not Khomeini. Iran's long civilizational memory drives everything the news misses.
3.84
391
Understanding Iran Summary
Understanding Iran 96%
Start with Cyrus, not Khomeini. Iran's long civilizational memory drives everything the news misses.
by William R. Polk 2009
3.84
391 ratings
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ
by Hooman Majd • 2008
Iran's paradoxes are a platform, not a bug, built from Shia ritual and Persian pride.
3.76
2k+
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ Summary
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ 95%
Iran's paradoxes are a platform, not a bug, built from Shia ritual and Persian pride.
by Hooman Majd 2008
3.76
2k+ ratings
The Fall of Heaven
by Andrew Scott Cooper • 2016
Oil wealth, repression, reform: how Iran's last shah built the forces that destroyed him.
4.16
931
The Fall of Heaven Summary
The Fall of Heaven 94%
Oil wealth, repression, reform: how Iran's last shah built the forces that destroyed him.
by Andrew Scott Cooper 2016
4.16
931 ratings
Sasanian Persia
by Touraj Daryaee • 2007
Rome's greatest rival invented an Iranian identity that outlived the empire itself.
3.84
180
Sasanian Persia Summary
Sasanian Persia 94%
Rome's greatest rival invented an Iranian identity that outlived the empire itself.
by Touraj Daryaee 2007
3.84
180 ratings
Black Wave
by Kim Ghattas • 2020
The 1979 contest between Saudi Arabia and Iran that dismantled a region’s cultural soul.
4.40
6k+
Black Wave Summary
Black Wave 94%
The 1979 contest between Saudi Arabia and Iran that dismantled a region’s cultural soul.
by Kim Ghattas 2020
4.40
6k+ ratings
The Complete Infidel's Guide to Iran
by Robert Spencer • 2016
Iran's theology commands deception and world conquest. The nuclear deal ignored both.
3.53
73
The Complete Infidel's Guide to Iran Summary
The Complete Infidel's Guide to Iran 94%
Iran's theology commands deception and world conquest. The nuclear deal ignored both.
by Robert Spencer 2016
3.53
73 ratings
The Shia Revival
by Vali Nasr • 2006
America's Iraq invasion accidentally broke a 1,400-year Sunni order. Iran seized the opening.
3.88
2k+
The Shia Revival Summary
The Shia Revival 94%
America's Iraq invasion accidentally broke a 1,400-year Sunni order. Iran seized the opening.
by Vali Nasr 2006
3.88
2k+ ratings
The Last Shah
by Ray Takeyh • 2021
Two Pahlavi kings tried to drag Iran into modernity by force. Both died in exile.
3.90
202
The Last Shah Summary
The Last Shah 94%
Two Pahlavi kings tried to drag Iran into modernity by force. Both died in exile.
by Ray Takeyh 2021
3.90
202 ratings
The Shah
by Abbas Milani • 2007
A CIA-backed restoration, a forced march into modernity, and the revolution it made inevitable.
4.23
1k+
The Shah Summary
The Shah 94%
A CIA-backed restoration, a forced march into modernity, and the revolution it made inevitable.
by Abbas Milani 2007
4.23
1k+ ratings
Persians
by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones • 2022
Herodotus told one story. Persian tablets and reliefs tell another, and they survive.
4.07
2k+
Persians Summary
Persians 93%
Herodotus told one story. Persian tablets and reliefs tell another, and they survive.
by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones 2022
4.07
2k+ ratings
The Persian Empire
by John W.I. Lee • 2012
Greek histories painted Persia as despotism. The empire's own record tells a different story.
4.10
520
The Persian Empire Summary
The Persian Empire 93%
Greek histories painted Persia as despotism. The empire's own record tells a different story.
by John W.I. Lee 2012
4.10
520 ratings
خون و نفت خاطرات یک شاهزاده ایرانی
by Manoucher Farmanfarmaian • 1997
A Qajar prince's childhood in a seven-hundred-person harem. Forty years in oil. Then the revolution.
4.04
185
خون و نفت خاطرات یک شاهزاده ایرانی Summary
خون و نفت خاطرات یک شاهزاده ایرانی 93%
A Qajar prince's childhood in a seven-hundred-person harem. Forty years in oil. Then the revolution.
by Manoucher Farmanfarmaian 1997
4.04
185 ratings
Destiny Disrupted
by Tamim Ansary • 2009
For centuries, Muslim empires were the center of the world. Then the story got rewritten.
4.40
13k+
Destiny Disrupted Summary
Destiny Disrupted 92%
For centuries, Muslim empires were the center of the world. Then the story got rewritten.
by Tamim Ansary 2009
4.40
13k+ ratings
All the Shah's Men
by Stephen Kinzer • 2003
The 1953 CIA coup in Iran: how a quick win for oil created decades of blowback.
4.29
12k+
All the Shah's Men Summary
All the Shah's Men 92%
The 1953 CIA coup in Iran: how a quick win for oil created decades of blowback.
by Stephen Kinzer 2003
4.29
12k+ ratings
[(The Coup
by Ervand Abrahamian • 2013
Oil, not communism, drove the 1953 Iran coup. Its buried logic still poisons US-Iran relations.
4.13
748
[(The Coup Summary
[(The Coup 92%
Oil, not communism, drove the 1953 Iran coup. Its buried logic still poisons US-Iran relations.
by Ervand Abrahamian 2013
4.13
748 ratings
The Arabs in History
by Bernard Lewis • 1950
The early Arab conquests expanded a nation, not a faith. The empire came a century later.
3.73
450
The Arabs in History Summary
The Arabs in History 92%
The early Arab conquests expanded a nation, not a faith. The empire came a century later.
by Bernard Lewis 1950
3.73
450 ratings
What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam & Modernity in the Middle East
by Bernard Lewis • 2001
For centuries Islam led the world. Then, suddenly, it fell behind. A historian asks why.
3.55
4k+
What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam & Modernity in the Middle East Summary
What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam & Modernity in the Middle East 92%
For centuries Islam led the world. Then, suddenly, it fell behind. A historian asks why.
by Bernard Lewis 2001
3.55
4k+ ratings
Lipstick Jihad
by Azadeh Moaveni • 2005
A pink headscarf, a bugged apartment: she returned to Iran to belong, but the country disagreed.
3.70
5k+
Lipstick Jihad Summary
Lipstick Jihad 92%
A pink headscarf, a bugged apartment: she returned to Iran to belong, but the country disagreed.
by Azadeh Moaveni 2005
3.70
5k+ ratings
Sufi Political Thought
by Milad Milani • 2019
Sufi mystics were never removed from power. They built it, legitimized it, and sometimes seized it.
Sufi Political Thought Summary
Sufi Political Thought 91%
Sufi mystics were never removed from power. They built it, legitimized it, and sometimes seized it.
by Milad Milani 2019
From Miniskirt to Hijab
by Jacqueline Saper • 2019
A Jewish girl's Tehran: cocktail parties, then revolution, then air raids, then one desperate exit.
4.16
667
From Miniskirt to Hijab Summary
From Miniskirt to Hijab 91%
A Jewish girl's Tehran: cocktail parties, then revolution, then air raids, then one desperate exit.
by Jacqueline Saper 2019
4.16
667 ratings
The Ottomans
by Marc David Baer • 2021
Six centuries, three continents, one dynasty: the European empire the West wrote out of its history.
3.94
2k+
The Ottomans Summary
The Ottomans 91%
Six centuries, three continents, one dynasty: the European empire the West wrote out of its history.
by Marc David Baer 2021
3.94
2k+ ratings
Iran Awakening
by Shirin Ebadi • 2006
Iran stripped her of her judgeship. She became the regime's most dangerous opponent: a lawyer.
4.18
6k+
Iran Awakening Summary
Iran Awakening 91%
Iran stripped her of her judgeship. She became the regime's most dangerous opponent: a lawyer.
by Shirin Ebadi 2006
4.18
6k+ ratings
بیست و سه سال
by علی دشتی • 1974
He denied performing miracles. A critical life of Mohammad and the politics that built Islam.
4.01
1k+
بیست و سه سال Summary
بیست و سه سال 91%
He denied performing miracles. A critical life of Mohammad and the politics that built Islam.
by علی دشتی 1974
4.01
1k+ ratings
Muhammad
by Karen Armstrong • 2006
The prophet as peacemaker: how Muhammad's greatest victories were the wars he refused to fight.
4.08
3k+
Muhammad Summary
Muhammad 91%
The prophet as peacemaker: how Muhammad's greatest victories were the wars he refused to fight.
by Karen Armstrong 2006
4.08
3k+ ratings
Persian Girls
by Nahid Rachlin • 2006
One sister left Iran for America. One stayed through revolution. Letters bridged the distance.
3.92
4k+
Persian Girls Summary
Persian Girls 91%
One sister left Iran for America. One stayed through revolution. Letters bridged the distance.
by Nahid Rachlin 2006
3.92
4k+ ratings
Who Speaks for Islam?
by Dalia Mogahed • 2008
Gallup asked Muslims what they believe. The data upends most Western assumptions about Islam.
4.05
1k+
Who Speaks for Islam? Summary
Who Speaks for Islam? 91%
Gallup asked Muslims what they believe. The data upends most Western assumptions about Islam.
by Dalia Mogahed 2008
4.05
1k+ ratings
After the Prophet
by Lesley Hazleton • 2009
Islam's great schism began with a succession crisis, a scandal, and a grandson's massacre.
4.09
10k+
After the Prophet Summary
After the Prophet 91%
Islam's great schism began with a succession crisis, a scandal, and a grandson's massacre.
by Lesley Hazleton 2009
4.09
10k+ ratings
India
by John Keay • 2000
One volume, five thousand years: the subcontinent from its first cities to its midnight partition.
3.93
4k+
India Summary
India 91%
One volume, five thousand years: the subcontinent from its first cities to its midnight partition.
by John Keay 2000
3.93
4k+ ratings
The Truth About Muhammad
by Robert Spencer • 2006
Jihadists follow a Muhammad who conquered through fear. Islam's canonical texts agree.
3.88
2k+
The Truth About Muhammad Summary
The Truth About Muhammad 91%
Jihadists follow a Muhammad who conquered through fear. Islam's canonical texts agree.
by Robert Spencer 2006
3.88
2k+ ratings
Reading Lolita in Tehran
by Azar Nafisi • 2003
Risking arrest, seven Iranian women gather weekly to read forbidden classics.
3.66
141k+
Reading Lolita in Tehran Summary
Reading Lolita in Tehran 91%
Risking arrest, seven Iranian women gather weekly to read forbidden classics.
by Azar Nafisi 2003
3.66
141k+ ratings
Ibn Khaldun
by Robert Irwin • 2018
The 14th-century thinker who discovered why civilizations rise and fall in predictable cycles.
3.68
356
Ibn Khaldun Summary
Ibn Khaldun 91%
The 14th-century thinker who discovered why civilizations rise and fall in predictable cycles.
by Robert Irwin 2018
3.68
356 ratings
A History of Islam in 21 Women
by Hossein Kamaly • 2021
Islam's history included women who led, judged, and built empires. The standard version erased them.
3.38
501
A History of Islam in 21 Women Summary
A History of Islam in 21 Women 90%
Islam's history included women who led, judged, and built empires. The standard version erased them.
by Hossein Kamaly 2021
3.38
501 ratings
Great World Religions
by John L. Esposito • 2003
Islam's core beliefs unite 1.2 billion people. Its internal debates will define the next century.
3.72
378
Great World Religions Summary
Great World Religions 90%
Islam's core beliefs unite 1.2 billion people. Its internal debates will define the next century.
by John L. Esposito 2003
3.72
378 ratings
Islam and Democracy
by Fatema Mernissi • 1992
The Arab world resists democracy not over scripture but over a deeper terror: the free individual.
3.83
210
Islam and Democracy Summary
Islam and Democracy 90%
The Arab world resists democracy not over scripture but over a deeper terror: the free individual.
by Fatema Mernissi 1992
3.83
210 ratings
They Must Be Stopped
by Brigitte Gabriel • 2008
The Muslim Brotherhood's hundred-year plan to infiltrate and dominate the West is already underway.
4.18
458
They Must Be Stopped Summary
They Must Be Stopped 90%
The Muslim Brotherhood's hundred-year plan to infiltrate and dominate the West is already underway.
by Brigitte Gabriel 2008
4.18
458 ratings
Pakistan
by Anatol Lieven • 2011
Why Pakistan outlasts every prediction of its collapse: kinship, not government, runs the country.
4.12
2k+
Pakistan Summary
Pakistan 90%
Why Pakistan outlasts every prediction of its collapse: kinship, not government, runs the country.
by Anatol Lieven 2011
4.12
2k+ ratings
Until We Are Free
by Shirin Ebadi • 2016
A Nobel for human rights in Iran. Exile, seized assets, and threats to her family followed.
4.27
2k+
Until We Are Free Summary
Until We Are Free 90%
A Nobel for human rights in Iran. Exile, seized assets, and threats to her family followed.
by Shirin Ebadi 2016
4.27
2k+ ratings
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
by Jack Weatherford • 2004
Genghis Khan's horde didn't just raze cities; it stitched Eurasia into a single connected world.
4.07
85k+
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Summary
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World 90%
Genghis Khan's horde didn't just raze cities; it stitched Eurasia into a single connected world.
by Jack Weatherford 2004
4.07
85k+ ratings
Yemen
by Victoria Clark • 2010
How tribal resistance, a cynical president, and Saudi's shadow made Yemen a jihadist stronghold.
3.71
276
Yemen Summary
Yemen 90%
How tribal resistance, a cynical president, and Saudi's shadow made Yemen a jihadist stronghold.
by Victoria Clark 2010
3.71
276 ratings
Justice and Remembrance
by Reza Shah-Kazemi • 2006
To rule justly, the heart needs more polishing than the mind needs training.
4.41
124
Justice and Remembrance Summary
Justice and Remembrance 90%
To rule justly, the heart needs more polishing than the mind needs training.
by Reza Shah-Kazemi 2006
4.41
124 ratings
The World of Fatwas or the Shariah in Action
by Arun Shourie • 1995
Fatwas build a totalitarian legal order. Clerics enforce it. Reformers cannot stop it.
4.17
243
The World of Fatwas or the Shariah in Action Summary
The World of Fatwas or the Shariah in Action 90%
Fatwas build a totalitarian legal order. Clerics enforce it. Reformers cannot stop it.
by Arun Shourie 1995
4.17
243 ratings
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam
by Robert Spencer • 2001
The Qur'an's last verses cancel its peaceful ones. The Crusades were a reply, not an invasion.
3.89
2k+
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam Summary
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam 90%
The Qur'an's last verses cancel its peaceful ones. The Crusades were a reply, not an invasion.
by Robert Spencer 2001
3.89
2k+ ratings
The Miracle of the Kurds
by Stephen Mansfield • 2014
After surviving genocide, a forgotten people built the freest, most hopeful society in Iraq.
4.09
335
The Miracle of the Kurds Summary
The Miracle of the Kurds 90%
After surviving genocide, a forgotten people built the freest, most hopeful society in Iraq.
by Stephen Mansfield 2014
4.09
335 ratings
The First Muslim
by Lesley Hazleton • 2013
Exiled at fifty, died triumphant at sixty-two. The human Muhammad between the revelations.
3.99
5k+
The First Muslim Summary
The First Muslim 90%
Exiled at fifty, died triumphant at sixty-two. The human Muhammad between the revelations.
by Lesley Hazleton 2013
3.99
5k+ ratings
The Voice of Human Justice
by George Jordac • 2008
Ali governed with a justice so radical that fourteen centuries later, no state has matched it.
4.36
128
The Voice of Human Justice Summary
The Voice of Human Justice 90%
Ali governed with a justice so radical that fourteen centuries later, no state has matched it.
by George Jordac 2008
4.36
128 ratings
Devil's Game
by Robert Dreyfuss • 2005
The United States armed Islamism for sixty years. Al Qaeda was the bill that came due.
3.99
272
Devil's Game Summary
Devil's Game 90%
The United States armed Islamism for sixty years. Al Qaeda was the bill that came due.
by Robert Dreyfuss 2005
3.99
272 ratings
The Invention of the Jewish People
by Shlomo Sand • 2008
The Jewish nation is a modern construct; there was no ancient exile or biological lineage.
4.13
2k+
The Invention of the Jewish People Summary
The Invention of the Jewish People 90%
The Jewish nation is a modern construct; there was no ancient exile or biological lineage.
by Shlomo Sand 2008
4.13
2k+ ratings
Den of Spies
by Craig Unger • 2024
The Reagan campaign's secret pact with Iran: keep the hostages captive and win the White House.
3.84
264
Den of Spies Summary
Den of Spies 90%
The Reagan campaign's secret pact with Iran: keep the hostages captive and win the White House.
by Craig Unger 2024
3.84
264 ratings
The Great War for Civilisation
by Robert Fisk • 2005
One reporter's fifty-year witness to the West's century-long war on the Middle East.
4.41
6k+
The Great War for Civilisation Summary
The Great War for Civilisation 90%
One reporter's fifty-year witness to the West's century-long war on the Middle East.
by Robert Fisk 2005
4.41
6k+ ratings
A History of the Jews
by Paul Johnson • 1987
They outlasted every empire that sought to destroy them. The four-thousand-year story of how.
4.17
3k+
A History of the Jews Summary
A History of the Jews 90%
They outlasted every empire that sought to destroy them. The four-thousand-year story of how.
by Paul Johnson 1987
4.17
3k+ ratings
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