Book description
Drawn from the first-hand accounts of eyewitnesses, Roy Mottahedeh's account of Islam and politics in revolutionary Iran is widely regarded as one the best records ofd that turbulent time ever written. The true story of a young mullah, hi life in the sacred shrine city of Qom, and the dramatic…
Why read it?
2 authors picked The Mantle of the Prophet as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Straddling the boundaries between academic history and historical non-fiction, this book is difficult, if not impossible, to put down and draws the reader into the rich and multifaceted world of Iran’s history, politics, culture, and religion. The book is narrated through the life and lens of an ayatollah who is caught between tradition and modernity, religiosity and secularism, and east and west, much like Iran itself. Seamlessly weaving the past and present, the book reveals the inherent complexities and contradictions of Iranian identity that have been superimposed on a state and society torn between notions and aspirations of divine and…
From Eric's list on The best books on Iranian history, politics, and culture.
This is the book that made me decide to become a historian. It reads like a gripping novel, alternating between the story of a religious scholar caught up in the revolution of 1979 and the retelling of Iran’s history over the past five hundred years that led up to it.
From Richard's list on The best books on Iranian history and culture.
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