The English Job
eBook - ePub

The English Job

Understanding Iran and Why It Distrusts Britain

  1. 400 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The English Job

Understanding Iran and Why It Distrusts Britain

About this book

Amongst British diplomats, there's a poignant joke that 'Iran is the only country in the world which still regards the United Kingdom as a superpower'. For many Iranians, it's not a joke at all. The past two centuries are littered with examples of Britain reshaping Iran to suit its own ends, from dominating its oil, tobacco and banking industries to removing its democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, in a 1953 US–UK coup.

All this, and the bloody experience of the Iran–Iraq War of 1980–88, when the country stood alone against an act of unprovoked aggression by Saddam Hussein, has left many Iranians with an unwavering mistrust of the West generally and the UK in particular.

Today, ordinary Iranians live with an economy undermined by sanctions and corruption, the media strictly controlled, and a hardline regime seeking to maintain its power by demonising outsiders.

With tensions rising sharply between Tehran and the West, former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw unveils a richly detailed account of Britain's turbulent relationship with Iran, illuminating the culture, psychology and history of a much-misunderstood nation. Informed by Straw's wealth of experience negotiating Iran's labyrinthine internal politics, The English Job is a powerful, clear-sighted and compelling portrait of an extraordinary country.

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Yes, you can access The English Job by Jack Straw in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Politics & International Relations & British History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Praise
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. Contents
  6. Introduction
  7. 1: ‘English Is Not the Enemy’
  8. 2: It’s Always an English Job
  9. 3: From Fire to Allah
  10. 4: Shah Ismail I – Iran’s Henry VIII
  11. 5: The British Monopolies That Triggered Democracy
  12. 6: How Oil Trumped Democracy
  13. 7: Sergeant to Shah – with British Help
  14. 8: The British (and Soviets) Take Over
  15. 9: Abadan – Britain’s Humiliation
  16. 10: Spooks and Coups
  17. 11: The Shah in His Element
  18. 12: Khomeini Returns
  19. 13: The Imposed War
  20. 14: The Aftermath: The Satanic Verses and Violence
  21. 15: The Reformers Break Out
  22. 16: 9/11 and Nukes
  23. 17: ‘Chocolates, Jack, Chocolates’
  24. 18: The Halo of Light
  25. 19: The Sedition of ’88
  26. 20: The Guy in Your Earpiece
  27. 21: The Deep State and Iran’s Security
  28. Conclusion: Iran’s Future
  29. Appendix: Basij Leaflet in English and Persian
  30. Acknowledgements
  31. About the Author
  32. Index
  33. Plates
  34. Copyright