“Delightfully readable, genuinely informative, and impressively literate.” —The New York Times
“Beautifully laid out and at times reading like a thriller you don’t want to put down.” —Hooman Majd, author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ
“A magnificent, bold, wide-reaching and potentially significant book on the thorny subject of Iranian-American relations. . . . History as history should be written: accessible, humane, thoughtful, insightful and in places extremely funny.” —The Catholic Herald
“History in the hands of a master. Ghazvinian leads us far beyond the mindless shouting of recent decades to tell a story of friendship, sacrifice, and discovery. Should be required reading in both Tehran and Washington.” —Ambassador John Limbert, US Deputy Secretary of State for Iran (2009-10); former hostage in the US Embassy in Tehran (1979-81)
“Extensively researched and very well-written. . . . Anyone who reads the book will come away with a deeper understanding of the policy decisions and political upheavals that have shaped this relationship.” —The American Conservative
“Timely and vividly engaging. . . .[Ghazvinian] captures the details of this complex relationship and clearly explains how both countries have been forced to respond to each other positively and harshly based on historical circumstances and conditions.” —Library Journal
“A compelling and insightful read.” —Irish Examiner
“A nuanced, illuminating, and much needed corrective to one-sided vilifications of Tehran.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"An expert on Iran delineates the massive rift between the erstwhile 'closest of allies' ... relevant, highly elucidating ... an evenhanded, revelatory narrative in which the author avoids muddying the waters with an overtly political agenda. An excellent single-volume history of a fraught international relationship." —Kirkus (starred review)
