A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind

I'm still amazed that this book manages to deliver so much information and yet still be such a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.The chapters are broken down into a combination of thematic and chronological sections which make it very easy to refer back to. It also means that there's enough of a thematic thread to keep the reader grounded as you're going though some of the early history of Iran (a complicated mix of kings murdering each other).

This book has changed my perception about the history of Iran. The continuity and connections the author makes between the events and conveying the sense of each era is truly amazing. The only part which I believe lacks the a bit in terms of complete legibility is from the end of Pahlavi onwards. there are certain moments with too much detail and crucial movements without any. but besides that its a jewel for any collection.

To start with I found this book rather hard going. But this was because I knew virtually nothing about Iran before hand and had difficulty with Persian names. But I continued reading whilst travelling in Iran and it all came together brilliantly. So enjoyed this book and so enjoyed Iran! It is a must for anyone visiting this fascinating country.

Well written, easy read. Speaking as someone from Iran, this is the first time that I've read a work by a non-Iranian and found that it rings true with regards to Iranian thinking.

Michael Axworthy is very strong on detail but I often found it hard to see the wood for the trees. There are many pages that are litanies of successive shahs and their allies, enemies, campaigns, battles and so on, but without an adequate bird's eye view of each particular era. People's names and Persian terms sometimes appear without any explanation or are only explained on a subsequent page. Axworthy's strong opinions intrude from time to time with no mention of alternative perspectives (including an extraordinary rant against Manicheanism which left me feelng "the author doth protest too much"). This seems to be the best available short introduction to the history of Iran. However, lacking prior knowledge or phenomenal powers of concentration on unfamiliar detail, I found it a frustrating read.

What a fantastic book! So much information, so well written. A must for every one interested in Iran, its history and culture.A gripping read from start to finish.

still on my way reading the book, but good background Information for my visit to Iran

quality product

I was looking for a comprehensive book on Iranian history, and this is definitely the best one. It strikes a good tone between academic and popular history, and I loved the descriptions of poetry and religious movements. The only downside is that the history is so condensed that huge topics get very short thrift. I will have to follow up with narrower books on specific periods or issues. This is a good entry point to do so.

If you're looking to understand Iran and its history, this is by far one of the most reliable sources.I've read quite a few books about the history of my country, Iran (in both Persian and English) and found most of the ones written by non-Persians somehow biased or affected by inaccurate accounts of ancient historians with a bias.But not this one. The author has a commendable command of the Persian history and, except for very rare lapses, paints the reader a detailed and accurate picture of the Persian Empire and how it's evolved through time.

Gostei bastante. O autor foi muito bem sucedido em escrever um livro didático e de leitura fácil em relação a um país que tem uma história extensa, cheia de personagens e informações. Também gostei de o enfoque não ser somente em reis e batalhas, há informações sobre sociedade, as várias religiões que se formaram na Pérsia e um capítulo somente sobre poesia persa. O enfoque dado aos diversos períodos históricos é equitativa, porém é um bom livro para se entender todo o complexo contexto do Irã atual (o texto da versão que eu comprei, capa comum, termina em meados de 2015) de uma forma resumida e concisa.

A good book usefull to start knowing Iran history.

The book is well written but is quite hard to get into if you're not already familiar with Iran history. Maybe not the best choice for a first introduction.