Ray Takeyh's Books

Hidden Iran

Paradox and Power in the Islamic Republic

By: Ray Takeyh

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Hidden Iran

Paradox and Power in the Islamic Republic

By: Ray Takeyh

A leading expert explains why we fail to understand Iran and offers a new strategy for redefining this crucial relationship For more than a quarter of a century, few countries have been as resistant to American influence or understanding as Iran. The United States and Iran have long eyed each other with suspicion, all too eager to jump to conclusions and slam the door. What gets lost along the way is a sense of what is actually happening inside Iran and why it matters. With a new hard-line Iranian president making incendiary pronouncements and pressing for nuclear developments, the consequences of not understanding Iran have never been higher. Ray Takeyh, a leading expert on Iran's politics and history, has written a groundbreaking book that demystifies the Iranian regime and shows how the fault lines of Iran's domestic politics serve to explain its behavior. In Hidden Iran, he explains why this country has so often confounded American expectations and why its outward hostility does not necessarily preclude the normalization of relations. Through a clearer understanding of the competing claims of Muslim theology, republican pragmatism, and factional competition, he offers a new paradigm for managing our relations with this rising power.

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276

Publisher

Macmillan

Published Date

ISBN 10

142993610X

ISBN 13

9781429936101

The Receding Shadow of the Prophet

The Rise and Fall of Radical Political Islam

By: Ray Takeyh,Nikolas K. Gvosdev

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The Receding Shadow of the Prophet

The Rise and Fall of Radical Political Islam

By: Ray Takeyh,Nikolas K. Gvosdev

The tragic events of September 11, 2001, in the United States renewed fears of an Islamist wave destabilizing the countries of the Muslim world. Yet the alarm raised over a previous wave of Islamism in the early 1990s, which threatened to overwhelm Egypt and Algeria and spill into the Balkans and Central Asia, proved to be unfounded. Takeyh and Gvosdev assert that while Islamism has been successful as an oppositional ideology of wrath, it has failed to provide Islamic societies with any feasible alternative to undertaking fundamental political and economic reforms. By detailing the defeat of Islamist movements in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Central Asia over the last decade, this book encourages us not to overestimate the Islamist threat in the current climate and the years to come. Radical Islamists have been successful in mobilizing opposition to corrupt regimes, yet they have failed to translate their utopian vision into reality. Furthermore, their emphasis on violence alienates and frightens the middle class and other potential allies. Iran's revolution failed to create a model Islamic republic, and its government is increasingly losing legitimacy to demands for genuine democracy. Islamist governments in Afghanistan and Sudan relied upon violence to remain in power and ultimately collapsed. Islamist movements proved unable to dislodge the existing regimes in Egypt and Algeria. In the Balkans and Central Asia, Islamism has had little attraction for Western-oriented populations. Indeed, throughout the entire Islamic world, former radicals are seeking a new accommodation between Islamic values and liberal democracy. Takeyh and Gvosdev succinctly and accessibly explore the rise of radical Islam, as well as its ultimate demise in various nations.

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Page Count

204

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313057133

ISBN 13

9780313057137

Guardians of the Revolution

Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs

By: Ray Takeyh

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Guardians of the Revolution

Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs

By: Ray Takeyh

For over a quarter century, Iran has been one of America's chief nemeses. Ever since Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah in 1979, the relationship between the two nations has been antagonistic: revolutionary guards chanting against the Great Satan, Bush fulminating against the Axis of Evil, Iranian support for Hezbollah, and President Ahmadinejad blaming the U.S. for the world's ills. The unending war of words suggests an intractable divide between Iran and the West, one that may very well lead to a shooting war in the near future. But as Ray Takeyh shows in this accessible and authoritative history of Iran's relations with the world since the revolution, behind the famous personalities and extremist slogans is a nation that is far more pragmatic--and complex--than many in the West have been led to believe. Takeyh explodes many of our simplistic myths of Iran as an intransigently Islamist foe of the West. Tracing the course of Iranian policy since the 1979 revolution, Takeyh identifies four distinct periods: the revolutionary era of the 1980s, the tempered gradualism following the death of Khomeini and the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1989, the "reformist" period from 1997-2005 under President Khatami, and the shift toward confrontation and radicalism since the election of President Ahmadinejad in 2005. Takeyh shows that three powerful forces--Islamism, pragmatism, and great power pretensions--have competed in each of these periods, and that Iran's often paradoxical policies are in reality a series of compromises between the hardliners and the moderates, often with wild oscillations between pragmatism and ideological dogmatism. The U.S.'s task, Takeyh argues, is to find strategies that address Iran's objectionable behavior without demonizing this key player in an increasingly vital and volatile region. With its clear-sighted grasp of both nuance and historical sweep, Guardians of the Revolution will stand as the standard work on this controversial--and central--actor in world politics for years to come.

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321

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0199754101

ISBN 13

9780199754106

The Last Shah

By: Ray Takeyh

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The Last Shah

By: Ray Takeyh

The surprising story of Iran's transformation from America's ally in the Middle East into one of its staunchest adversaries "An original interpretation that puts Iranian actors where they belong: at center stage."--Michael Doran, Wall Street Journal "For the clearest view of Iran for the last 100 years, this book is it."--Marvin Zonis, author of Majestic Failure: The Fall of the Shah Offering a new view of one of America's most important, infamously strained, and widely misunderstood relationships of the postwar era, this book tells the history of America and Iran from the time the last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was placed on the throne in 1941 to the 1979 revolution that brought the present Islamist government to power. This revolution was not, as many believe, the popular overthrow of a powerful and ruthless puppet of the United States; rather, it followed decades of corrosion of Iran's political establishment by an autocratic ruler who demanded fealty but lacked the personal strength to make hard decisions and, ultimately, lost the support of every sector of Iranian society. Esteemed Middle East scholar Ray Takeyh provides new interpretations of many key events--including the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq and the rise of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini--significantly revising our understanding of America and Iran's complex and difficult history.

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Page Count

332

Publisher

Yale University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

030021779X

ISBN 13

9780300217797

The Last Shah

America, Iran, and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty

By: Ray Takeyh

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The Last Shah

America, Iran, and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty

By: Ray Takeyh

The surprising story of Iran’s transformation from America’s ally in the Middle East into one of its staunchest adversaries "An original interpretation that puts Iranian actors where they belong: at center stage."—Michael Doran, Wall Street Journal “An extraordinary account. . . . Deeply nuanced and eloquent.”—Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post Offering a new view of one of America’s most important, infamously strained, and widely misunderstood relationships of the postwar era, this book tells the history of America and Iran from the time the last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was placed on the throne in 1941 to the 1979 revolution that brought the present Islamist government to power. This revolution was not, as many believe, the popular overthrow of a powerful and ruthless puppet of the United States; rather, it followed decades of corrosion of Iran’s political establishment by an autocratic ruler who demanded fealty but lacked the personal strength to make hard decisions and, ultimately, lost the support of every sector of Iranian society. Esteemed Middle East scholar Ray Takeyh provides new interpretations of many key events—including the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq and the rise of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini—significantly revising our understanding of America and Iran’s complex and difficult history.

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332

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Yale University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0300256264

ISBN 13

9780300256260

Guardians of the Revolution

Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs

By: Ray Takeyh

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Guardians of the Revolution

Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs

By: Ray Takeyh

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321

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0199754101

ISBN 13

9780199754106

Hidden Iran

Paradox and Power in the Islamic Republic

By: Ray Takeyh

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Hidden Iran

Paradox and Power in the Islamic Republic

By: Ray Takeyh

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276

Publisher

Macmillan

Published Date

ISBN 10

142993610X

ISBN 13

9781429936101

The Pragmatic Superpower: Winning the Cold War in the Middle East

By: Ray Takeyh,Steven Simon

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The Pragmatic Superpower: Winning the Cold War in the Middle East

By: Ray Takeyh,Steven Simon

A bold reexamination of U.S. influence in the Middle East during the Cold War. The Arab Spring, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Iraq war, and the Syrian civil war—these contemporary conflicts have deep roots in the Middle East’s postwar emergence from colonialism. In The Pragmatic Superpower, foreign policy experts Ray Takeyh and Steven Simon reframe the legacy of U.S. involvement in the Arab world from 1945 to 1991 and shed new light on the makings of the contemporary Middle East. Cutting against conventional wisdom, the authors argue that, when an inexperienced Washington entered the turbulent world of Middle Eastern politics, it succeeded through hardheaded pragmatism—and secured its place as a global superpower. Eyes ever on its global conflict with the Soviet Union, America shrewdly navigated the rise of Arab nationalism, the founding of Israel, and seminal conflicts including the Suez War and the Iranian revolution. Takeyh and Simon reveal that America’s objectives in the region were often uncomplicated but hardly modest. Washington deployed adroit diplomacy to prevent Soviet infiltration of the region, preserve access to its considerable petroleum resources, and resolve the conflict between a Jewish homeland and the Arab states that opposed it. The Pragmatic Superpower provides fascinating insight into Washington’s maneuvers in a contest for global power and offers a unique reassessment of America’s cold war policies in a critical region of the world. Amid the chaotic conditions of the twenty-first century, Takeyh and Simon argue that there is an urgent need to look back to a period when the United States got it right. Only then will we better understand the challenges we face today.

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Page Count

475

Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

Published Date

ISBN 10

0393285561

ISBN 13

9780393285567

Revolution & Aftermath

Forging a New Strategy Toward Iran

By: Eric S. Edelman,Ray Takeyh

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Revolution & Aftermath

Forging a New Strategy Toward Iran

By: Eric S. Edelman,Ray Takeyh

In Revolution and Aftermath: Forging a New Strategy toward Iran, Eric Edelman and Ray Takeyh examine one of the most underappreciated forces that has shaped modern US foreign policy: American-Iranian relations. They argue that America's flawed reading of Iran's domestic politics has hamstrung decades of US diplomacy, resulting in humiliations and setbacks ranging from the 1979-81 hostage crisis to Barack Obama's concession-laden nuclear weapons deal. What presidents and diplomats have repeatedly failed to grasp, they write, is that 'the Islamic Republic is a revolutionary state whose entire identity is invested in its hostility toward the West.' To illuminate a path forward for American-Iranian relations, the authors address some of the most persistent myths about Iran, its ruling elite, and its people. They discuss the ways Iran played a vital role in US grand strategy after World War II. They discuss the Ayatollah Khomeini's worldview--including his view of the United States as 'the Great Satan'--and his remarkably durable legacy, which has animated decades of Iranian policies even when such policies are detrimental to the country's other stated national interests. Finally, they highlight lessons leaders can learn from America's many missteps since the 1979 Islamic Revolution." -- publisher.

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Page Count

150

Published Date

ISBN 10

0817921583

ISBN 13

9780817921583

Revolution and Aftermath

Forging a New Strategy toward Iran

By: Eric Edelman,Ray Takeyh

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Revolution and Aftermath

Forging a New Strategy toward Iran

By: Eric Edelman,Ray Takeyh

In Revolution and Aftermath: Forging a New Strategy toward Iran, Eric Edelman and Ray Takeyh examine one of the most underappreciated forces that has shaped modern US foreign policy: American-Iranian relations. They argue that America's flawed reading of Iran's domestic politics has hamstrung decades of US diplomacy, resulting in humiliations and setbacks ranging from the 1979–81 hostage crisis to Barack Obama's concession-laden nuclear weapons deal. What presidents and diplomats have repeatedly failed to grasp, they write, is that "the Islamic Republic is a revolutionary state whose entire identity is invested in its hostility toward the West." To illuminate a path forward for American-Iranian relations, the authors address some of the most persistent myths about Iran, its ruling elite, and its people. Finally, they highlight lessons leaders can learn from America's many missteps since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

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Page Count

158

Publisher

Hoover Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0817921567

ISBN 13

9780817921569

The Origins of the Eisenhower Doctrine

The US, Britain and Nasser's Egypt, 1953-57

By: Ray Takeyh

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The Origins of the Eisenhower Doctrine

The US, Britain and Nasser's Egypt, 1953-57

By: Ray Takeyh

During the Cold War, few regions offered the American policy-makers a greater challenge than the Middle East. The Eisenhower administration's attempt to balance its Cold War requirements with the demands of the new forces of nationalism established the blueprint of America's policy toward the Middle East for the next four decades. In a richly comprehensive account, Ray Takeyh employs new documentary evidence to reevaluate US policy toward the Egyptian regime, the dynamics of the Anglo-American relations, and the Suez Crisis and the Eisenhower Doctrine.

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Page Count

238

Publisher

Palgrave Macmillan

Published Date

ISBN 10

0312230850

ISBN 13

9780312230852

Book's by Ray Takeyh

Hidden Iran

Hidden Iran

The Receding Shadow of the Prophet

The Receding Shadow of the Prophet

Guardians of the Revolution

Guardians of the Revolution

The Last Shah

The Last Shah

The Last Shah

The Last Shah

Guardians of the Revolution

Guardians of the Revolution

Hidden Iran

Hidden Iran

The Pragmatic Superpower: Winning the Cold War in the Middle East

The Pragmatic Superpower: Winning the Cold War in the Middle East

Revolution & Aftermath

Revolution & Aftermath

Revolution and Aftermath

Revolution and Aftermath

The Origins of the Eisenhower Doctrine

The Origins of the Eisenhower Doctrine

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