Bothrevolutionaryandreactionary,theIslamicRepublicofIranhaslongbeenaconundrumforWesternobservers.Atheocracythataspirestoapopularmandate;ananti-colonialstatewithimperialpretensionsofitsown:modernIranisinmanywaysareflectionofitsstruggletoreconcileitstraditionswiththechallengesofmodernity.Inthisbook,AliAnsaritakesreadersonajourneythroughIran’sturbulenthistory.Beginningwiththecountry’sfallfromgraceasaGreatPowerinthenineteenthcentury,heexploresitsrepeatedattemptstomodernizeinaseriesofrevolutionarymovementsfromtheConstitutionalRevolutionof1906totheIslamicRevolutionof1979andthecivilunrestthatisbreakingouttoday.Insodoing,herevealshowtheexperienceofhistoryandIran’sencounterwith’modernity’havecometodefineit-andsetitonanauthoritarianpathinconfrontationwiththeWestand,often,itsownpeople.
