America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year, this history examines the relationship between Iran and America from 1720 to the present. John Ghazvinian traces how these two nations evolved from allies to adversaries, beginning with the Persian Empire of the eighteenth century—which Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams admired—and an early American image that Iranians saw as a model for their own government. Drawing on extensive archival research in both the United States and Iran, including rare access to Iranian government archives, Ghazvinian structures the account around four phases of U.S.–Iran relations: spring (mutual fascination), summer (early interactions), autumn (close strategic ties), and winter (mutual hatred). The book identifies the specific points where the relationship deteriorated and explains how two countries that once held genuine admiration for each other became committed enemies.