Description: While the Iranian nation-state has long captivated the attention of our media and politics, this book examines a country that is often misunderstood and explores forgotten aspects of the debate. Using innovative multi-disciplinary methods, it investigates the formation of an Iranian national identity over the last century and, significantly, the role of Iranian people in defining the contours of that identity. By employing popular culture as an archive of study, Assal Rad aims to rediscover the ordinary Iranian in studies of contemporary Iran, demonstrating how identity was shaped by music, literature, and film. Both accessible in style and meticulously researched, Rad's work cultivates a more holistic picture of Iranian politics, policy, and society, showing how the Iran of the past is intimately connected to that of the present.
Brief description: Assal Rad received her PhD in Middle Eastern history from the University of California, Irvine, and currently works on US-Iran policy. She has written for Newsweek, the Independent, Foreign Policy, and more, and appeared on BBC World, BBC Persian, Al Jazeera, and NPR.
Review Quotes: 'In this thoroughly researched book, Assal H. Rad provides a deep historical analysis of Iranian national identity and the many ways it has been a site of intense debate and contestation. Rad has written an important book that allows us to better understand the complexities of post-revolutionary Iranian politics and society.' Narges Bajoghli, John Hopkins University