A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind

This book is an excellent introduction to the history of Iran, blending detailed historical facts with engaging storytelling. It covers key events, cultural developments, and political shifts in a way that’s easy to follow yet deeply insightful. Perfect for both casual readers and history enthusiasts looking to understand Iran’s rich and complex past. Highly recommend

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.

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).

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.

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

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.

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.