
Guardians of the Revolution
Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs
Ray Takeyh(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
1st Edition
Published on 5. May 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
328 pages
978-0-19-975410-6 (ISBN)
Description
Revolutionary guards chanting against the Great Satan, Bush fulminating against the Axis of Evil, Iranian support for Hezbollah, and President Ahmadinejad blaming the U.S. for the world's ills--the unending war of words suggests an intractable divide between Iran and the West. But as Ray Takeyh shows in this accessible and authoritative history of Iran's relations with the world since the revolution, behind the famous personalities and extremist slogans is a nation that is far more pragmatic--and complex--than many in the West have been led to believe. Takeyh explodes many of our simplistic myths of Iran as an intransigently Islamist foe of the West. He shows that three powerful forces--Islamism, pragmatism, and great power pretensions--war against one another in Iran, and that Iran's often paradoxical policies are in reality a series of compromises between the hardliners and the moderates, often with wild oscillations between pragmatism and ideological dogmatism. The U.S.'s task, Takeyh argues, is to find strategies that address Iran's objectionable behavior without demonizing this key player in an increasingly vital and volatile region. Updated with an afterword that covers the momentous protests following the 2009 Iranian elections, Guardians of the Revolution will stand as the standard work on this controversial--and central--actor in world politics for years to come.
Reviews / Votes
"Superb...anyone wishing to understand why restored American-Iranian ties are so elusive, but also so critical, should turn to this important work, a riveting and consistently insightful study of revolutionary Iran and its still troubled place in the world."--New York Times "[An] excellent history of Iran's foreign and security policies in the three decades since the revolution.... A highly successful balancing act between breadth and depth.... A first-class book."--Middle East Journal "An excellent way to take the measure of revolutionary Iran today is to read this up-to-date, well-researched, and perceptive history of its foreign policy since 1979."--Foreign AffairsMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Adult education
Readers of Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Nation; students and scholars of Iran, International Relations, Comparative Politics, US Foreign Policy, Religion and Politics
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
563 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-975410-6 (9780199754106)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
08/2009
Oxford University Press Inc
€32.84
Shipment within 15-20 days

E-Book
05/2009
1st Edition
OUP USA
€9.99
Available for download

E-Book
05/2009
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€9.99
Available for download
Person
Ray Takeyh is a Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of Hidden Iran and The Origins of the Eisenhower Doctrine. He lives near Washington, D.C.
Content
Introduction: Through the Looking Glass: Iran's Approach to the World Part One: The Revolutionary Years Chapter 1: Khomeini's Ideology and Iran's Grand Strategy
Chapter 2: Relations with the "Great Satan"
Chapter 3: Turmoil in Levant: Iran, Israel and the politics of Arab East
Chapter 4: Iran-Iraq War Part Two: The Rise of Pragmatism and the New Priorities Chapter 5: Pragmatic Restraint: Iranian Politics during the Rafsanjani era
Chapter 6: Reconciliation Diplomacy and its Limits Chapter 7: The Satans Part Three: The Age of Reform Chapter 8: The Odyssey of the Reform Movement Chapter 9: September 11th and the Politics of Fear, Hope and Necessity Part Four: Hegemony at last? Chapter 10: The Rise of the New Right
Chapter 11: The Ahmadinejad Era Afterword
Chapter 2: Relations with the "Great Satan"
Chapter 3: Turmoil in Levant: Iran, Israel and the politics of Arab East
Chapter 4: Iran-Iraq War Part Two: The Rise of Pragmatism and the New Priorities Chapter 5: Pragmatic Restraint: Iranian Politics during the Rafsanjani era
Chapter 6: Reconciliation Diplomacy and its Limits Chapter 7: The Satans Part Three: The Age of Reform Chapter 8: The Odyssey of the Reform Movement Chapter 9: September 11th and the Politics of Fear, Hope and Necessity Part Four: Hegemony at last? Chapter 10: The Rise of the New Right
Chapter 11: The Ahmadinejad Era Afterword