Days of God: The Revolution in Iran and Its Consequences

Days of God: The Revolution in Iran and Its Consequences
James Buchan (Author)

New!: $26.00 $16.47 (as of 03/03/2013 08:10 PST)

Middle Eastern

A myth-busting insider’s account of the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that destroyed US influence in the country and transformed the politics of the Middle East and the world. James Buchan was studying in Iran in the 1970s when the turmoil that culminated in the revolution began. Fluent in Persian, he draws on a wealth of Iranian records, memoirs, diaries and newspaper reports and his own knowledge and experience to provide the first comprehensive history of that tumultuous time. Buchan explores the roots of the revolution in the Shah’s regime and and explains how, even as the Iranian economy flourished and the country asserted its new power, beneath the surface deep anxieties were coming to a head. He shows how Ayatollah Khomeini, at first just one actor in the anti-Shah movement, by force of will came to dominate it. Buchan recounts the see-saw violence and passions that gripped the country and reached fever pitch when Khomeini returned from exile in February, 1979, launching a reign of terror that demolished opposition to his rule. He shows how the chaos in Iran provoked a re-alignment of forces in the Middle East, from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to the rise of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and the development of Al-Qaida. A dramatic, scene-by-scene account with rich characterizations of the leading players as well as of the ordinary Iranians who were swept into the maelstrom, Days of God is history-writing at its vivid best.

• Rank: #73312 in Books
• Published on: 2013-09-10
• Released on: 2013-09-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

Description #1 by eBay:

New * Author: Buchan, James ISBN: Binding: Hardcover Pages:

Description #2 by CDS Books and DVDS:

Americans' awareness of Islam and Muslims rose to seemingly unprecedented heights in the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001, but this is not the first time they have dominated American public life. Once before, during the period of the Iranian revolution and hostage crisis of 1979 to 1981, Americans found themselves targeted as a consequence of a militant interpretation of Islam. Daniel Pipes wrote "In the Path of God" in response to those events, and the heightened interest in Islam they generated. His objective was to present an overview of the connection between in Islam and political power through history in a way that would explain the origins of hostility to Americans and the West. Its relevance to our understanding of contemporary events is self evident. Muslim antagonism toward the West is deeply rooted in historical experience. In premodern times, the Islamic world enjoyed great success, being on the whole more powerful and wealthier than their neighbors. About two hundred years ago, a crisis developed, as Muslims became aware of the West's overwhelming force and economic might. While they might have found these elements attractive, Muslims found European culture largely alien and distasteful. The resulting resistance to Westernization by Muslims has deep roots, has been more persistent than that of other peoples, and goes far to explain the deep Muslim reluctance to accept modern ways. In short, Muslims saw what the West had and wanted it too, but they rejected the methods necessary to achieve this. This, the Muslim trauma, has only worsened over the years. "Scholarly, far-ranging, and thoughtful... the debate is interesting, and Pipes has made a stimulating contribution to it."-"The New Republic" "Brilliant, authoritative... demonstrates encyclopedic knowledge of Muslim intellectual history... Few other writers have explained so lucidly such complex developments in Muslim history."-"The Washington Post" "He has resisted a widespread tendency to translate Muslim self-expression into social science jargon as unintelligible as any mosque harangue. His unadorned interpretation strikes a judicious balance between faithfulness to sources and clarity of presentation."-"The American Spectator" Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and a columnist for the "New York Post" and the "Jerusalem Post." Among his books are "The Long Shadow: Culture and Politics in the Middle East" (published by Transaction), "Greater Syria: The History of an Ambition, Friendly Tyrants: An American Dilemma," and "The Rushdie Affair: The Novel, the Aftermath and the West." *Author: Pipes, Daniel *Binding Type: Paperback *Number of Pages: 373 *Publication Date: 2002/09/11 *Language: English *Dimensions: 9.18 x 6.02 x 0.85 inches

Description #3 by eBay:

author james buchan format hardback language english publication year 08 11 2012 subject history military subject 2 regional history ean 9781848540668 title days of god sku st 1848540663 product category books comics magazines about speedy hen ltd by continuing with this checkout and ordering from speedy hen you are accepting our current terms and conditions details of which can be found by clicking here author biography james buchan first visited iran nearly forty years ago a student of persian