
Descendants of Cyrus
Travels Through Everyday Iran
Christopher Thornton(Author)
Potomac Books Inc (Publisher)
Published on 1. November 2019
Book
Hardback
360 pages
978-1-64012-037-2 (ISBN)
Description
We know the current political narrative: Iran is dangerous, full of terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. But Christopher Thornton here tells a different story: one of good food, liberal-minded people, beautiful architecture, and a country with a history spanning over seven thousand years that's been influenced not only by the myriad cultures spanning Central Asia but also by Europe and the West.
Descendants of Cyrus introduces readers to ordinary Iranians living lives far different from what is shown on Western television. Thornton takes us through the cities of Iran, where he encounters robust, barely hidden black markets filled with American movies and music; sees the women of Shiraz explore modern fashion and beauty products with no fear of reprisal from a weakened regime; and meets the students populating the university town of Hamadan, where a generation of activists is finding its voice.
Thornton draws from the past and present alike on each stop of this fascinating travelogue, using history to inform his conversations with citizens from all walks of life. Unexpected variety comes to light, embodying surprising religious and ethnic diversity, intellectual curiosity, a thirst for Western culture, and the desire to live a modern, secular life.
A firsthand look at one of the least understood and yet most politically significant countries on earth, Descendants of Cyrus taps into the hidden pulse of a culture and a generation that promises to reshape Iran in a way few Westerners can anticipate.
Descendants of Cyrus introduces readers to ordinary Iranians living lives far different from what is shown on Western television. Thornton takes us through the cities of Iran, where he encounters robust, barely hidden black markets filled with American movies and music; sees the women of Shiraz explore modern fashion and beauty products with no fear of reprisal from a weakened regime; and meets the students populating the university town of Hamadan, where a generation of activists is finding its voice.
Thornton draws from the past and present alike on each stop of this fascinating travelogue, using history to inform his conversations with citizens from all walks of life. Unexpected variety comes to light, embodying surprising religious and ethnic diversity, intellectual curiosity, a thirst for Western culture, and the desire to live a modern, secular life.
A firsthand look at one of the least understood and yet most politically significant countries on earth, Descendants of Cyrus taps into the hidden pulse of a culture and a generation that promises to reshape Iran in a way few Westerners can anticipate.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Dulles
United States
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
32 images
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 165 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
680 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64012-037-2 (9781640120372)
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

E-Book
11/2019
Potomac Books Inc
€41.99
Available for download

E-Book
11/2019
Potomac Books Inc
€36.99
Available for download
Person
Christopher Thornton is a professor of writing at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. He has worked as a special correspondent to the U.S. State Department's International Information Program, writing feature stories on Arab and Muslim life in the United States for the department's website. His essays on Iran have also appeared in the Atlantic, Michigan Quarterly Review, Commonweal, and Confrontation.
Content
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1. Tehran: Two Tales from One City
Chapter 2. Tabriz: Seat of a Revolution
Chapter 3. Caspian: [subtitle to come]
Chapter 4. Mashhad: Shrines of All Kinds
Chapter 5. Kermanshah: [subtitle to come]
Chapter 6. Hamedan: City of the Jewish Queen
Chapter 7. Kashan Kashan: Court of the Qajars
Chapter 8. Abyaneh: Heading for the Hills
Chapter 9. Esfahan: Bridges to Everywhere
Chapter 10. Yazd: Land of Fire and Ice
Chapter 11. Persepolis: In the Shadow of an Empire
Chapter 12. Shiraz: Of Senses and Sensibilities
Chapter 1. Tehran: Two Tales from One City
Chapter 2. Tabriz: Seat of a Revolution
Chapter 3. Caspian: [subtitle to come]
Chapter 4. Mashhad: Shrines of All Kinds
Chapter 5. Kermanshah: [subtitle to come]
Chapter 6. Hamedan: City of the Jewish Queen
Chapter 7. Kashan Kashan: Court of the Qajars
Chapter 8. Abyaneh: Heading for the Hills
Chapter 9. Esfahan: Bridges to Everywhere
Chapter 10. Yazd: Land of Fire and Ice
Chapter 11. Persepolis: In the Shadow of an Empire
Chapter 12. Shiraz: Of Senses and Sensibilities