By Syma Sayyah, Tehran
The Persians - Ancient,
Mediaeval and Modern Iran by Dr. Homa Katouzian
order from
amazon or visit
Yale University Press
Once in a while one gets
hold of a book that tells it all and one cannot put it down and despite the
weary days and tired eyes one keeps reading it through to the end.
I received what I consider
the best read of the year in December and wish to share it with all of you. The
Persians - Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern Iran by Dr. Homa Katouzian is one book,
but once you have read it through you feel that you have read ten. Dr
Katouzian's eloquent pen and his vast knowledge of history, social changes,
economics, politics, literature and poetry have all been beautifully intertwined
in this book which enhances knowledge about Persia and Iran and enables you to
understand the historical background to many of the events that are taking place
nowadays.
Dr Homa
Katouzian
What I found most
fascinating about this book is Dr Katouzian's analysis of the nature of
Persian/Iranian society and the underlying reasons for the distance that people
feel with their state; the dilemma about modernity and the struggle necessary
for reform to accomplish it that has been going on in Iran. He discusses
eloquently the role of women and the major issues of past few decades including
the wind of change and the popular campaigns towards a more democratic society
and the challenges that this has entailed. The book's immense reference section
is in itself a source of further study.
When reading such an
insightful, weighty and informative book some of one's assumptions will
completely be overturned and will be replaced by a deep and comprehensive
understanding based on historical truth.
I highly recommend this book
to anyone who has any formal or informal interest in Iran, past, present and
future, for ordinary readers or professional academics. I have no doubt that
this book will be a great source of reference and information to all and will
become of the most important books for all those who are interested about Iran.
Dr Homa Katouzian is a
leading international academic at several prestigious universities and currently
teaches Iranian History and Literature at St. Antony's College and Oriental
Institute, University of Oxford. He is the also the editor of Iranian Studies
Journal and has a vast number of publications. The book Persians - Ancient,
Mediaeval and Modern Iran was published by Yale University Press in October 2009
and is available from Amazon.
Publisher:
Yale University Press
order from
amazon
... Payvand News - 12/24/09 ... --
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