- Hardcover: 732 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (21 Sep 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 141659728X
- ISBN-13: 978-1416597285
- Product Dimensions: 23.5 x 16.3 x 4.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 78,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Review
"Incisive, humane, and full of vivid reportage...perhaps the best account we have of Iran's complex, embattled reality." --Publishers Weekly (STARRED review)
"Captivating....A thoroughgoing, headlong plunge into answering the Iranian lament that 'Americans don't know us.'" --Kirkus Reviews
"Captivating....A thoroughgoing, headlong plunge into answering the Iranian lament that 'Americans don't know us.'" --Kirkus Reviews
Product Description
NO OTHER COUNTRY SO DOMINATES THE HEADLINES: Iran is portrayed as a nuclear threat, a terrorist nation, a charter member of the Axis of Evil bent on the destruction of Israel. But behind those headlines--and the fierce rhetoric of Iran's most hard-line leaders--is a proud nation with a 2,500-year history of Persian poetry, art, and passion.
Based on more than thirty extended reporting trips to Iran, including the turbulent aftermath of the disputed June 2009 election, Scott Peterson's portrait is the definitive guide to this enigmatic nation, from the roots of its incendiary internal struggles to the rise and slide of Iran's earthshaking 1979 Islamic Revolution.
This prize-winning American journalist with unparalleled experience in Iran takes us there, inside a country where an educated and young population is restlessly eager to take its place in the world; where martyrs of the "sacred" Iran-Iraq War are still mourned with tears of devotion; where the cultural and religious forces of light and darkness are locked in battle. Peterson brings stunningly alive the diversity within Iran--from the hard-liners who shout "Death to America" to the majority who comprise the most pro-American population in the Middle East.
Let the Swords Encircle Me gives voice to Iranians themselves--the clerics and the reformers, the filmmakers and the journalists, the True Believers and their Westernized and profane brethren--to understand the complexities of Iran today. Through dedicated and in-depth reporting, Peterson shows how every word, image, and sensibility in Iran is often deliciously unexpected and counterintuitive. Ideology matters. So does "resistance." And azadi: freedom.
Peterson deftly holds a mirror up to both sides of the U.S.-Iran conflict. Americans and Iranians, he writes, share a belief in their own exceptionalism and "manifest destiny" (which for Iran includes its nuclear ambitions) and frequent need of an "enemy" in political discourse. The same elements that have locked the United States and Iran in the most vicious of struggles--stretching back to the 1953 CIA coup in Tehran and the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage saga--are the same ones that could one day make Iran and the United States the most "natural" allies in the region.
In this critical and personal account, Peterson illumines the latest episodes of Iran's century-old quest for democracy and freedom. He explains how the Islamic Revolution--launched as a beacon of justice and resistance for Iranians and all the world's Muslims--has not lived up to its ambitious promise. He shows how the violence of 2009 damaged the regime's legitimacy and marks the start of an irreversible decline.
Let the Swords Encircle Me takes us into the minds and hearts of Iranians today, and will be a crucial guide as Americans and Iranians attempt to overcome their bitter estrangement.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In Let the Swords Encircle Me, Peterson draws from a vast amount of first-hand interviews to paint a 3D image of modern Iran, not just about hard-liners and the Western-looking youth, but all the complex shades in between that make up the Iranian political spectrum. He shows how long a shadow the Revolution and the war with Iraq have over the dynamics of modern Iranian politics and how deep the destructive love/hate obsession with a America runs. There is insight into the basis and origins of the histrionic rhetoric of the neo-hardliners; there is a substantial chapter dedicated to the rise of Ahmedinejad. Peterson charts both the rise of the neo-hardliners that Ahmedinejad surrounds himself with and how far they are willing to go to protect their "revolutionary" ideals, and the rise of the Reformist movement that culminated in the 2009 elections.
But Peterson refrains from attacking the hardliners and lamenting the case of the Reformists; it would have been very easy to make a litany of the Islamic Republic's crimes and to criticise the arguments and opinions of those he interviewed, but Peterson lets the events and people speak for themselves (the Western reader will naturally be drawn to a particular conclusion without ideological direction from the author). This is perhaps the strongest element in the book as there is much opinionated journalism on Iran out there without reference to the actual dynamics of thought of any political persuasion in Iran. Let the Sword's Encircle Me is very much rooted in the words of Iranians themselves and not speculative blogging from 5000 miles away. Thus there is a very intimate feeling to the book which, for me, made the recent events in Iran that it describes all the more disheartening. Despite the recounting of these relentlessly disheartening events, in his boundless American optimism, Peterson tries to end on an optimistic note, which is, like the book, rooted in the people of Iran.
Peterson is a journalist and the prose remains light and journalistic despite his extensive research and knowledge on Iran, which makes for easy accessible reading. This is not an academic book but nonetheless this should not deter the academic because, to truly understand why Iran is the way it is today, one needs to get inside the minds of Iranians and Let the Swords Encircle Me provides unrivalled access.
Aafarin Agha-ye Peterson!
But Peterson refrains from attacking the hardliners and lamenting the case of the Reformists; it would have been very easy to make a litany of the Islamic Republic's crimes and to criticise the arguments and opinions of those he interviewed, but Peterson lets the events and people speak for themselves (the Western reader will naturally be drawn to a particular conclusion without ideological direction from the author). This is perhaps the strongest element in the book as there is much opinionated journalism on Iran out there without reference to the actual dynamics of thought of any political persuasion in Iran. Let the Sword's Encircle Me is very much rooted in the words of Iranians themselves and not speculative blogging from 5000 miles away. Thus there is a very intimate feeling to the book which, for me, made the recent events in Iran that it describes all the more disheartening. Despite the recounting of these relentlessly disheartening events, in his boundless American optimism, Peterson tries to end on an optimistic note, which is, like the book, rooted in the people of Iran.
Peterson is a journalist and the prose remains light and journalistic despite his extensive research and knowledge on Iran, which makes for easy accessible reading. This is not an academic book but nonetheless this should not deter the academic because, to truly understand why Iran is the way it is today, one needs to get inside the minds of Iranians and Let the Swords Encircle Me provides unrivalled access.
Aafarin Agha-ye Peterson!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
A must-read to understand contemporary Iran
9 Oct 2010
Format:Hardcover
I just finished reading Scott Peterson's exquisite book. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to gain an understanding of contemporary Iran - and also wants to enjoy the process of edification. This is a lively and enthralling account full of anecdotes and interviews and impressions that together bring out the rich diversity and, yes, openness of Iranian society as well as its politics. This may sound surprising, given dominant perceptions of an autocratic and repressive regime. But as Peterson persuasively shows, there is a lot more to Iran than meets the eye. In the face of repeated regime efforts to suppress dissent, the opposition remains fearless and indomitable, and it is not limited to the so-called reformers but comprises elements deeply ensconced within the state apparatus.
Indeed one of the book's most interesting revelations is the extent to which the regime itself is riven by discord and dissent, reaching back to the Islamic Revolution's early years, from Khomeini's arrival in Tehran to the US embassy hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq war, the Khamenei succession, and onward. Defections occurred from day one. Several of today's prominent reformers and regime critics took part in the embassy takeover. A number of hard-line militia members have joined the ranks of the opposition, disaffected with the turn the revolution has taken toward a repression that stands in clear defiance of the revolution's religious principles - a point made most forcefully by senior religious leaders who exceed the supreme guide in credentials and rank.
The book's leitmotif is the transformative importance of the Iran-Iraq war to a generation that has reached the highest rungs of leadership today, be it in government or opposition. The war has been mythologized by all who fought in it, but they all extract their own meaning. The war's legacy is now deeply contested, and this battle forms the backdrop to many of the disputes that divide the political class. Peterson shows that you cannot fully understand contemporary Iran if you don't also have a grasp of its roots in this war.
It's a big book but every page is justified. I highly recommend it.
Indeed one of the book's most interesting revelations is the extent to which the regime itself is riven by discord and dissent, reaching back to the Islamic Revolution's early years, from Khomeini's arrival in Tehran to the US embassy hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq war, the Khamenei succession, and onward. Defections occurred from day one. Several of today's prominent reformers and regime critics took part in the embassy takeover. A number of hard-line militia members have joined the ranks of the opposition, disaffected with the turn the revolution has taken toward a repression that stands in clear defiance of the revolution's religious principles - a point made most forcefully by senior religious leaders who exceed the supreme guide in credentials and rank.
The book's leitmotif is the transformative importance of the Iran-Iraq war to a generation that has reached the highest rungs of leadership today, be it in government or opposition. The war has been mythologized by all who fought in it, but they all extract their own meaning. The war's legacy is now deeply contested, and this battle forms the backdrop to many of the disputes that divide the political class. Peterson shows that you cannot fully understand contemporary Iran if you don't also have a grasp of its roots in this war.
It's a big book but every page is justified. I highly recommend it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Journey beyond Iran
7 Feb 2011
Format:Hardcover
If You are interested in human right issues in the middle east Let the Swords Encircle Me is a terrific read, written by prize winning American Journalist Scott Peterson. Peterson's journey goes beyond the newspaper headlines and tells the brutal injustice within the Islamic Republic of Iran. His book relates to many other injustices in the world (including the recent Egyptian protest), and that a majority of the population is being suppressed by their tyrannical rulers, which many no longer support.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
In depth look at modern Iranian politics and mentality
18 May 2011
Format:Hardcover
In Let the Swords Encircle Me, Peterson draws from a vast amount of first-hand interviews to paint a 3D image of modern Iran, not just about hard-liners and the Western-looking youth, but all the complex shades in between that make up the Iranian political spectrum. He shows how long a shadow the Revolution and the war with Iraq have over the dynamics of modern Iranian politics and how deep the destructive love/hate obsession with a America runs. There is insight into the basis and origins of the histrionic rhetoric of the neo-hardliners; there is a substantial chapter dedicated to the rise of Ahmedinejad. Peterson charts both the rise of the neo-hardliners that Ahmedinejad surrounds himself with and how far they are willing to go to protect their "revolutionary" ideals, and the rise of the Reformist movement that culminated in the 2009 elections.
But Peterson refrains from attacking the hardliners and lamenting the case of the Reformists; it would have been very easy to make a litany of the Islamic Republic's crimes and to criticise the arguments and opinions of those he interviewed, but Peterson lets the events and people speak for themselves (the Western reader will naturally be drawn to a particular conclusion without ideological direction from the author). This is perhaps the strongest element in the book as there is much opinionated journalism on Iran out there without reference to the actual dynamics of thought of any political persuasion in Iran. Let the Sword's Encircle Me is very much rooted in the words of Iranians themselves and not speculative blogging from 5000 miles away. Thus there is a very intimate feeling to the book which, for me, made the recent events in Iran that it describes all the more disheartening. Despite the recounting of these relentlessly disheartening events, in his boundless American optimism, Peterson tries to end on an optimistic note, which is, like the book, rooted in the people of Iran.
Peterson is a journalist and the prose remains light and journalistic despite his extensive research and knowledge on Iran, which makes for easy accessible reading. This is not an academic book but nonetheless this should not deter the academic because, to truly understand why Iran is the way it is today, one needs to get inside the minds of Iranians and Let the Swords Encircle Me provides unrivalled access.
Aafarin Agha-ye Peterson!
But Peterson refrains from attacking the hardliners and lamenting the case of the Reformists; it would have been very easy to make a litany of the Islamic Republic's crimes and to criticise the arguments and opinions of those he interviewed, but Peterson lets the events and people speak for themselves (the Western reader will naturally be drawn to a particular conclusion without ideological direction from the author). This is perhaps the strongest element in the book as there is much opinionated journalism on Iran out there without reference to the actual dynamics of thought of any political persuasion in Iran. Let the Sword's Encircle Me is very much rooted in the words of Iranians themselves and not speculative blogging from 5000 miles away. Thus there is a very intimate feeling to the book which, for me, made the recent events in Iran that it describes all the more disheartening. Despite the recounting of these relentlessly disheartening events, in his boundless American optimism, Peterson tries to end on an optimistic note, which is, like the book, rooted in the people of Iran.
Peterson is a journalist and the prose remains light and journalistic despite his extensive research and knowledge on Iran, which makes for easy accessible reading. This is not an academic book but nonetheless this should not deter the academic because, to truly understand why Iran is the way it is today, one needs to get inside the minds of Iranians and Let the Swords Encircle Me provides unrivalled access.
Aafarin Agha-ye Peterson!
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