- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Basic Books; illustrated edition edition (1 April 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0786721065
- ISBN-13: 978-0786721061
- Product Dimensions: 22.1 x 14.8 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,255,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
As President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accelerated his countrys nuclear research; called for the elimination of Israel; and failed the Iranian people, who elected him on a domestic platform that has since been neglected. This probing expos gives unprecedented insight into his hold on power-his rural roots, the vituperative populism that catapulted him from relative obscurity to national leadership, and the shadowy forces that hold him there.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Although this is an accessible and interesting book, it is nevertheless a curious concoction. There are two problems which make it far from a proper study of Iran and its current leadership.
First is that in several places, one runs into information which is suspect, either due to bias or poor research. This shows itself in the first two chapters where information about the current Iranian president has been lifted from Ahmadinejad's electoral campaign website (!) as well as other official Iranian sources. In the end, more space is given to the propaganda than revealing the man.
Other examples of lacking research are with what has become known as the 'Guildeman Fax.' A fax received by the White House in 2003 via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran (as the US has no embassy of its own there) purporting to be from senior levels within the Ayatolla's regime. This fax offered a comprehensive settlement on 'all areas of contention between the US and Iran, including the nuclear issue'. Melman and Javedenfar describe the Bush administration's lack of response and the ensuing uproar when the story was leaked to the press.
The reasons the authors cite for the Bush administration's ambivalence towards the fax is due to something along the lines of Bush and Cheney being "neo-con war-mongers" etc. Whilst I wouldn't exactly leap at the chance to defend the Bush administration, with further research Melman and Javedanfar would have found that - unbeknown to Guildeman - not only did the fax contradict messages US intelligence sources in Iran were revealing, but the US was also receiving messages of Iran's complicity in the supporting and funding of both Shia and Sunni insurgents in Iraq, in order weaken Iraq and US forces fighting there. So the fax from the Iranians was a sophisticated attempt to gauge the US administration's next move.
Second is the lack of analysis and interpretation on information. An example is in describing Ahmadinejad's life during the 1970s. By the mid-1970s, he's listed as coming within the top 1% of university students in a prestigious exam, but also having to escape north of Tehran because of his anti-Shah activities, he then disappears for a few years emerging shortly before the revolution. But nothing is implied or investigated about this. One presumes during this absence, Ahmadinejad trained to become an intelligence officer seeing as this was his role after the fall of the Shah.
Clearly this book falls flat on its face in delivering a truly enlightening bio of Ahmadinejad, but for some inexplicable reason, all was not lost on me. I decided to overlook these idiosyncrasies and carry on, wondering if I might stumble upon some truly insightful information.
After an initial bumpy intro, things seemed to improve with the doubtful journalism being brushed aside in order to get down to business. Despite the sporadic areas of contention, this is an interesting book.
The IGRC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) is a frequent subject but my favourite part was describing the ideology the most orthodox disciples are indoctrinated with called "Infidel psychology" with explanations such as "smiling at strangers, being a Western idea, is borne out of weakness and a desire to appease."
There is an interesting explanation of the religious roots of the Shia Islamic messiah, the Mehdi. I have read several explanations on this topic, but here it is more explicit, chilling in fact. Among the events prophesied - in order for the Mahdi to return, is a global conflict in which 80% of the earth's population would perish.
The chapter on the IAEA was very revealing, showing the complex relationship between the IAEA and the world's intelligence agencies and how they use the IAEA. In this chapter, the authors place much blame for the current Iranian problem at the feet of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Along with a few other things, the 'military' and 'sanction' options are explained, distinguishing between the simplicity of terminating Iraq's nuclear reactor in Osiraq (which took the Israeli Air Force two and a half minutes to destroy), and the various sites in Iran.
At the back of the book is an appendix with a list of Iranian companies and individuals banned under UN Resolution 1737; a diagram showing a nuclear fuel cycle; then various photographs, including one satellite image of an Iranian nuclear factory site, and a map of Iran showing the locations of the (known) nuclear sites.
As Israeli journalists, Yossi Melman and Meir Javedanfar, either didn't want to write a predictable book about Iran (considering their nationalities), or were just trying to be different. Despite all the problems, I did like the book. Whilst reading it, I thought this was simply an attempt to lay the facts on the table without going on a witch-hunt in light of many people's reticence to yet 'another evil dictator' in the Middle East. However once finishing the book, the various links between Ahmadinejad and other ideologues within the regime began to resurface within my mind, and left me wondering why this was not emphasized more. In other words, Melman & Javedanfar provided the evidence, but were too hesitant in pointing out the inevitable conclusion.
I did find 'The Nuclear Sphinx' an accessible read, and would've recommended it as a first book on the state of Iran, but the ridiculous flaws and poor research in places simply make this unqualified on too many levels. Shame.
More reading:
Rise of Nuclear Iran: How Tehran Continues to Defy the West
The Secret War with Iran: The 30-year Covert Struggle for Control of a Rogue State
First is that in several places, one runs into information which is suspect, either due to bias or poor research. This shows itself in the first two chapters where information about the current Iranian president has been lifted from Ahmadinejad's electoral campaign website (!) as well as other official Iranian sources. In the end, more space is given to the propaganda than revealing the man.
Other examples of lacking research are with what has become known as the 'Guildeman Fax.' A fax received by the White House in 2003 via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran (as the US has no embassy of its own there) purporting to be from senior levels within the Ayatolla's regime. This fax offered a comprehensive settlement on 'all areas of contention between the US and Iran, including the nuclear issue'. Melman and Javedenfar describe the Bush administration's lack of response and the ensuing uproar when the story was leaked to the press.
The reasons the authors cite for the Bush administration's ambivalence towards the fax is due to something along the lines of Bush and Cheney being "neo-con war-mongers" etc. Whilst I wouldn't exactly leap at the chance to defend the Bush administration, with further research Melman and Javedanfar would have found that - unbeknown to Guildeman - not only did the fax contradict messages US intelligence sources in Iran were revealing, but the US was also receiving messages of Iran's complicity in the supporting and funding of both Shia and Sunni insurgents in Iraq, in order weaken Iraq and US forces fighting there. So the fax from the Iranians was a sophisticated attempt to gauge the US administration's next move.
Second is the lack of analysis and interpretation on information. An example is in describing Ahmadinejad's life during the 1970s. By the mid-1970s, he's listed as coming within the top 1% of university students in a prestigious exam, but also having to escape north of Tehran because of his anti-Shah activities, he then disappears for a few years emerging shortly before the revolution. But nothing is implied or investigated about this. One presumes during this absence, Ahmadinejad trained to become an intelligence officer seeing as this was his role after the fall of the Shah.
Clearly this book falls flat on its face in delivering a truly enlightening bio of Ahmadinejad, but for some inexplicable reason, all was not lost on me. I decided to overlook these idiosyncrasies and carry on, wondering if I might stumble upon some truly insightful information.
After an initial bumpy intro, things seemed to improve with the doubtful journalism being brushed aside in order to get down to business. Despite the sporadic areas of contention, this is an interesting book.
The IGRC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) is a frequent subject but my favourite part was describing the ideology the most orthodox disciples are indoctrinated with called "Infidel psychology" with explanations such as "smiling at strangers, being a Western idea, is borne out of weakness and a desire to appease."
There is an interesting explanation of the religious roots of the Shia Islamic messiah, the Mehdi. I have read several explanations on this topic, but here it is more explicit, chilling in fact. Among the events prophesied - in order for the Mahdi to return, is a global conflict in which 80% of the earth's population would perish.
The chapter on the IAEA was very revealing, showing the complex relationship between the IAEA and the world's intelligence agencies and how they use the IAEA. In this chapter, the authors place much blame for the current Iranian problem at the feet of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Along with a few other things, the 'military' and 'sanction' options are explained, distinguishing between the simplicity of terminating Iraq's nuclear reactor in Osiraq (which took the Israeli Air Force two and a half minutes to destroy), and the various sites in Iran.
At the back of the book is an appendix with a list of Iranian companies and individuals banned under UN Resolution 1737; a diagram showing a nuclear fuel cycle; then various photographs, including one satellite image of an Iranian nuclear factory site, and a map of Iran showing the locations of the (known) nuclear sites.
As Israeli journalists, Yossi Melman and Meir Javedanfar, either didn't want to write a predictable book about Iran (considering their nationalities), or were just trying to be different. Despite all the problems, I did like the book. Whilst reading it, I thought this was simply an attempt to lay the facts on the table without going on a witch-hunt in light of many people's reticence to yet 'another evil dictator' in the Middle East. However once finishing the book, the various links between Ahmadinejad and other ideologues within the regime began to resurface within my mind, and left me wondering why this was not emphasized more. In other words, Melman & Javedanfar provided the evidence, but were too hesitant in pointing out the inevitable conclusion.
I did find 'The Nuclear Sphinx' an accessible read, and would've recommended it as a first book on the state of Iran, but the ridiculous flaws and poor research in places simply make this unqualified on too many levels. Shame.
More reading:
Rise of Nuclear Iran: How Tehran Continues to Defy the West
The Secret War with Iran: The 30-year Covert Struggle for Control of a Rogue State
1 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Iran's president portrays a frightening future for the middle east, one where nuclear powers are unafraid, and literally MAD. Meir Javedanfar's book provides insight into what is really going on, what we in the West cannot see or understand. His intimate knowledge of Iran, where he grew up, and the in-depth information he conveys to the reader make this book a fascinating read.
I have seen Meir on several tv news channels but this is Meir's first book. I will be following his analysis in the future as he further clarifies what we in the West
I have seen Meir on several tv news channels but this is Meir's first book. I will be following his analysis in the future as he further clarifies what we in the West
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Very interesting information about Iran
27 April 2007
Format:Hardcover
I'm an open minded person and will not come to a conclusion without looking from all sides of a situation. This book gives a pretty good insight into how Iran evolved to what it is today. You have plenty of references to draw from and shouldn't conclude that it's onesided since the writers are Jewish and Arab. It really makes you think and fills in the gap with information on why Iran's president is the way he is. The media makes it hard to get an understanding on this guy, but this book has given a lot of insight on how he could be. I give it 5 stars because of the well documented references so you can trace why the authors came to their conclusions.
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Informative and Worth Reading, Needs Editing
23 Jun 2007
Format:Hardcover
This is an informative book which is worth reading, although the cover and title are a bit misleading and the book needs editing before the next publishing, as I assume the publisher has noticed. The front cover gives the impression that it is somehow a biography of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with an emphasis on his role in Iran's nuclear and foreign policies. Actually, it is more like two short books on different but related topics attached to one another. The first third of the book is a pre-election biography of Ahmadinejad, and the remainder is a description of Iran's nuclear program with some analysis of how to deal with it. Ahmadinejad is barely mentioned after page 72. It was like they wanted to write two books, but wanted to rush this while it was timely, so decided to cut material and combine them into one. (Most of the book will be of purely academic interest if we bomb Iran.)
One of the authors is a Israeli expert on Israeli intelligence who writes for Haaretz. The other is an Iran expert of Iranian origin (not Arab, as one of the other reviewers suggests).
The first four chapters dealing with Ahmadinejad's life are certainly good reading, as they include facts not widely known which bear on his performance as president of Iran. Ahmadinejad comes from a rural background, and through the sacrifices of his parents, he was able to attend school and become an engineer. He eventually obtained a PhD in traffic planning (don't laugh, traffic is a huge issue in Iran, especially in Tehran). His religious development included an association with the Hojjatieh society, a messianic movement within Shia Islam which is obsessed with the Mahdi and the apocalypse.
Most importantly, Ahmadinejad came under the influence of Ayatallah Muhammad Yazdi and his followers. Yazdi is the most prominent of the messianic Shia clerics, and he believes that while Muslims cannot force the return of the Mahdi and the end of the world, they can "strive to hasten it," as the authors put it. (In Islam, the Mahdi is a messianic figure, but not Jesus himself, as Jesus is believed to return after the Mahdi. Apocalyptic thinking is less prominent in Islam than Judaism or Christianity generally, but actually quite important in Shia Islam.)
The remainder of the book focuses on the twists and turns of the Iranian nuclear saga, in which ruse after lie after deception has been exposed as IAEA investigators, opposition groups and Western intelligence agencies have pressured Iran on its "peaceful" nuclear program. The authors do an excellent job at narrating this history, although little of it - other than perhaps a few comments about Mossad's role - is likely to be new to readers already familiar with the issue.
The book does need some serious editing, however. Numerous less than artful phrases remind the reader that neither of the authors is a native speaker of English. There are some punctuation errors, and a good number of sentences which would have benefited from a well-placed comma. There are also a few rather obvious grammatical errors (e.g. the first paragraph on page 195 contains the sequence "'At present, Iranian air defense appears nontrivial, but certainly not incredibly potent.' said a research study by MIT." The same paragraph suggests that bombing Iran's reactors "won't be an easy assignment... because Iran has protected them with anti-aircraft missiles that are not very advanced.").
There are also a few factual statements which I don't think are quite right. At one point, they write that the U.S. claimed Iraq had nuclear weapons (p. 111); actually, U.S. intelligence estimated that Iraq had an advanced nuclear program, not actual nuclear weapons. The U.S. was wrong on that, but the authors get the mistake wrong. I have, however, read a fair amount on Iran's nuclear program, and everything on that issue seems in order.
I recommend the book with the qualifications listed above.
One of the authors is a Israeli expert on Israeli intelligence who writes for Haaretz. The other is an Iran expert of Iranian origin (not Arab, as one of the other reviewers suggests).
The first four chapters dealing with Ahmadinejad's life are certainly good reading, as they include facts not widely known which bear on his performance as president of Iran. Ahmadinejad comes from a rural background, and through the sacrifices of his parents, he was able to attend school and become an engineer. He eventually obtained a PhD in traffic planning (don't laugh, traffic is a huge issue in Iran, especially in Tehran). His religious development included an association with the Hojjatieh society, a messianic movement within Shia Islam which is obsessed with the Mahdi and the apocalypse.
Most importantly, Ahmadinejad came under the influence of Ayatallah Muhammad Yazdi and his followers. Yazdi is the most prominent of the messianic Shia clerics, and he believes that while Muslims cannot force the return of the Mahdi and the end of the world, they can "strive to hasten it," as the authors put it. (In Islam, the Mahdi is a messianic figure, but not Jesus himself, as Jesus is believed to return after the Mahdi. Apocalyptic thinking is less prominent in Islam than Judaism or Christianity generally, but actually quite important in Shia Islam.)
The remainder of the book focuses on the twists and turns of the Iranian nuclear saga, in which ruse after lie after deception has been exposed as IAEA investigators, opposition groups and Western intelligence agencies have pressured Iran on its "peaceful" nuclear program. The authors do an excellent job at narrating this history, although little of it - other than perhaps a few comments about Mossad's role - is likely to be new to readers already familiar with the issue.
The book does need some serious editing, however. Numerous less than artful phrases remind the reader that neither of the authors is a native speaker of English. There are some punctuation errors, and a good number of sentences which would have benefited from a well-placed comma. There are also a few rather obvious grammatical errors (e.g. the first paragraph on page 195 contains the sequence "'At present, Iranian air defense appears nontrivial, but certainly not incredibly potent.' said a research study by MIT." The same paragraph suggests that bombing Iran's reactors "won't be an easy assignment... because Iran has protected them with anti-aircraft missiles that are not very advanced.").
There are also a few factual statements which I don't think are quite right. At one point, they write that the U.S. claimed Iraq had nuclear weapons (p. 111); actually, U.S. intelligence estimated that Iraq had an advanced nuclear program, not actual nuclear weapons. The U.S. was wrong on that, but the authors get the mistake wrong. I have, however, read a fair amount on Iran's nuclear program, and everything on that issue seems in order.
I recommend the book with the qualifications listed above.
A descent book but with some factual mistakes
15 April 2012
I just finished reading this book. I find it an interesting book albeit a bit out of date because the situation on the ground has changed significantly from 2007 when this book was originally published. Overall, I think that the authors have tried to keep a balanced view of the events in Iran. The two authors appear to have extensively researched the topic, which is very much appreciated. However, despite this, there are a few factual mistakes in the book. These are not major factual errors but nonetheless I was not expecting them in the text.
Examples of areas where the authors could have done a better job:
1. The discussion in the book about the appointment of Ayatollah Khamenei as the successor to Ayatollh Khomeini is not correct. Khomeini never handpicked Khamenei as his successor. Khamenei's ascendance to the throne was a result of a conspiracy conducted by Rafsanjani. In doing this he was helped by Seyed Ahmad Khomeni (Khomeini's Son) as well. This fact has played a major role in the relationship between Khamenei and Rafsanjani.
2. On page 154, the authors implicitly express dissatisfaction that A. Q. Khan was not assassinated by the Israel's secret service Mossad. I found this untasteful, especially because it is coming from a journalist.
3. A few other mistakes can be found on page 171. e.g., the strait of Hurmuz is between Iran and Oman not between Iran and Saudi Arabia. There has been no U.N. ruling on the three disputed islands between Iran and UAE. As a matter of fact, one of these islands (Abu Musa) is really a disputed territory between Iran and the Emirate of Sharjah (now part of UAE).
Overall the book is a good one and I recommend it. I give it three stars out of five. One star penalty is because of some of the mistakes that are found in the book and the less than perfect editing. The second star penalty is because of the subtle advocation for a war with Iran that I sensed in the book. After two wars in the middle east, personally I would like to see some war-free period in the U.S.
Examples of areas where the authors could have done a better job:
1. The discussion in the book about the appointment of Ayatollah Khamenei as the successor to Ayatollh Khomeini is not correct. Khomeini never handpicked Khamenei as his successor. Khamenei's ascendance to the throne was a result of a conspiracy conducted by Rafsanjani. In doing this he was helped by Seyed Ahmad Khomeni (Khomeini's Son) as well. This fact has played a major role in the relationship between Khamenei and Rafsanjani.
2. On page 154, the authors implicitly express dissatisfaction that A. Q. Khan was not assassinated by the Israel's secret service Mossad. I found this untasteful, especially because it is coming from a journalist.
3. A few other mistakes can be found on page 171. e.g., the strait of Hurmuz is between Iran and Oman not between Iran and Saudi Arabia. There has been no U.N. ruling on the three disputed islands between Iran and UAE. As a matter of fact, one of these islands (Abu Musa) is really a disputed territory between Iran and the Emirate of Sharjah (now part of UAE).
Overall the book is a good one and I recommend it. I give it three stars out of five. One star penalty is because of some of the mistakes that are found in the book and the less than perfect editing. The second star penalty is because of the subtle advocation for a war with Iran that I sensed in the book. After two wars in the middle east, personally I would like to see some war-free period in the U.S.
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