Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews.

"Without simplifying or sensationalizing, this book captures the twists and turns of the last two centuries of Iranian history. It is a perfect introduction for anyone wishing to venture beyond the headlines to understand Iran."Houchang E. Chehabi, Boston University"An illuminating and erudite history of modern and contemporary Iran. Ansari's original and insightful approach reminds us of the ruptures and continuities that continue to shape Iranian politics today."Ramin Jahanbegloo, Jindal Global University"Few countries are so misunderstood as Iran – and in this brilliantly clever and pithy study, Ali Ansari digs beneath the myths to give us a magisterial overview of its modern history."Dominic Sandbrook"This fluent primer on modern Iranian history and politics by a distinguished historian provides a valuable briefing on the challenges facing the government in Tehran - and by extension, all the other governments that deal with Iran."Foreign Affairs

• MapAcknowledgementsIntroduction: A revolutionary land1. A Constitutional Revolution (1905-1914)2. The rise and rule of Reza Shah (1914-1940)3. Oil and Nationalism (1941-1953)4. The ‘White’ Revolution (1954-1977)5. Revolution and War (1978-1988)6. Building an Islamic Republic (1989-2000)7. Crisis of authority (2001-2009)8. Paranoid Sate (2010—)Further ReadingNotesIndex

Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews.

"Without simplifying or sensationalizing, this book captures the twists and turns of the last two centuries of Iranian history. It is a perfect introduction for anyone wishing to venture beyond the headlines to understand Iran."Houchang E. Chehabi, Boston University"An illuminating and erudite history of modern and contemporary Iran. Ansari's original and insightful approach reminds us of the ruptures and continuities that continue to shape Iranian politics today."Ramin Jahanbegloo, Jindal Global University"Few countries are so misunderstood as Iran – and in this brilliantly clever and pithy study, Ali Ansari digs beneath the myths to give us a magisterial overview of its modern history."Dominic Sandbrook"This fluent primer on modern Iranian history and politics by a distinguished historian provides a valuable briefing on the challenges facing the government in Tehran - and by extension, all the other governments that deal with Iran."Foreign Affairs

• MapAcknowledgementsIntroduction: A revolutionary land1. A Constitutional Revolution (1905-1914)2. The rise and rule of Reza Shah (1914-1940)3. Oil and Nationalism (1941-1953)4. The ‘White’ Revolution (1954-1977)5. Revolution and War (1978-1988)6. Building an Islamic Republic (1989-2000)7. Crisis of authority (2001-2009)8. Paranoid Sate (2010—)Further ReadingNotesIndex

Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews.

"Without simplifying or sensationalizing, this book captures the twists and turns of the last two centuries of Iranian history. It is a perfect introduction for anyone wishing to venture beyond the headlines to understand Iran."Houchang E. Chehabi, Boston University"An illuminating and erudite history of modern and contemporary Iran. Ansari's original and insightful approach reminds us of the ruptures and continuities that continue to shape Iranian politics today."Ramin Jahanbegloo, Jindal Global University"Few countries are so misunderstood as Iran – and in this brilliantly clever and pithy study, Ali Ansari digs beneath the myths to give us a magisterial overview of its modern history."Dominic Sandbrook"This fluent primer on modern Iranian history and politics by a distinguished historian provides a valuable briefing on the challenges facing the government in Tehran - and by extension, all the other governments that deal with Iran."Foreign Affairs

• MapAcknowledgementsIntroduction: A revolutionary land1. A Constitutional Revolution (1905-1914)2. The rise and rule of Reza Shah (1914-1940)3. Oil and Nationalism (1941-1953)4. The ‘White’ Revolution (1954-1977)5. Revolution and War (1978-1988)6. Building an Islamic Republic (1989-2000)7. Crisis of authority (2001-2009)8. Paranoid Sate (2010—)Further ReadingNotesIndex