The Coup: 1953, The CIA, and The Roots of Modern U.S.-Iranian Relations

ISBN: 1595588264

Author: Abrahamian, Ervand

Condition: Used

An absorbing account of the CIAs 1953 coup in Iran-essential reading for anyone concerned about Irans role in the world today (Harpers Magazine).In August 1953, the Central Intelligence Agency orchestrated the swift overthrow of Irans democratically elected leader and installed Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in his place. When the 1979 Iranian Revolution deposed the shah and replaced his puppet government with a radical Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the shift reverberated throughout the Middle East and the world, casting a long, dark shadow over United States-Iran relations that extends to the present day.In this authoritative new history of the coup and its aftermath, noted Iran scholar Ervand Abrahamian uncovers little-known documents that challenge conventional interpretations and sheds new light on how the American role in the coup influenced diplomatic relations between the two countries, past and present. Drawing from the hitherto closed archives of British Petroleum, the Foreign Office, and the US State Department, as well as from Iranian memoirs and published interviews, Abrahamians riveting account of this key historical event will change Americas understanding of a crucial turning point in modern United States-Iranian relations.A Choice Outstanding Academic TitleNot only is this book important because of its presentation of history. It is also important because it might be predicting the future. -CounterpunchSubtle, lucid, and well-proportioned. -The SpectatorA valuable corrective to previous work and an important contribution to Iranian history. -American Historical Review