Heroes to Hostages
America and Iran, 1800–1988

‘A fascinating account of a vital relationship. Kashani-Sabet’s penetrating and balanced analysis of the US-Iran relationship over the last two centuries illuminates and contextualises a relationship which is far more complex, nuanced and interesting than the current political mythology would have us believe.’ Ali Ansari, University of St Andrews

‘Based on meticulous research, this book is a panoramic, authoritative, and richly detailed account of the U.S.-Iran relationship over the past two centuries. It pays careful attention to the changing cultural, societal, and political conditions that shaped each side’s narratives of its own, and the other’s, stance and interests at every stage in the course of this fraught relationship.’ Ali Banuazizi, Boston College

‘This is a brilliant account of a surprisingly neglected topic: the history of Iran’s long and troubled relationship with the USA. A work of original and scrupulous scholarship, it will certainly become a classic in the field while its elegant writing style makes it accessible to the general reader as well as the specialist.’ Stephanie Cronin, University of Oxford

‘This is a fascinating, deeply-researched cultural history of American-Iranian relations. Based on an impressive range of sources, Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet skillfully traces cultural encounters and mutual perceptions and provides a profound insight into the last two hundred years of Iran’s history.’ Bianca Devos, Philipps University Marburg

‘The roots of U.S.-Iranian relations go back further than the hostage crisis of 1979–1981. They go back farther than the U.S.-led coup of 1953. Professor Kashani-Sabet, an eminent historian of Iran, traces U.S.-Iranian relations - governmental and non-governmental - back to the nineteenth century, including longstanding cultural exchanges that offer a path beyond current hostilities.’ Charles Kurzman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

‘The Iranian revolution of 1979 with its iconic anti-American slogans and the subsequent hostage crisis inaugurated a period of hostility between Iran and the US that has occluded a history of engagement and cooperation between the two nations dating back to the nineteenth Century. This book is an invaluable reminder of that rich history.’ Nasrin Rahimieh, University of California, Irvine

‘This book brings Iran to the centre stage of world politics, explaining how Western economic and military power was built on a predatory relation to Iran’s national body, geography, and resources, and how, in spite of it, Iran protected its independent agency. An authentic global history of Iran-US relations.’ Paola Rivetti, Dublin City University