Immortal
eBook - ePub

Immortal

A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces

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

Immortal

A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces

About this book

Immortal is the only single-volume English-language survey of Iran’s military history. CIA analyst Steven R. Ward shows that Iran’s soldiers, from the famed “Immortals” of ancient Persia to today’s Revolutionary Guard, have demonstrated through the centuries that they should not be underestimated. This history also provides background on the nationalist, tribal, and religious heritages of the country to help readers better understand Iran and its security outlook.

Immortal begins with the founding of ancient Persia’s empire under Cyrus the Great and continues through the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) and up to the present. Drawing on a wide range of sources including declassified documents, the author gives primary focus to the modern era to relate the build-up of the military under the last Shah, its collapse during the Islamic revolution, its fortunes in the Iran-Iraq War, and its rise from the ashes to help Iran become once again a major regional military power. He shows that, despite command and supply problems, Iranian soldiers demonstrate high levels of bravery and perseverance and have enjoyed surprising tactical successes even when victory has been elusive. These qualities and the Iranians’ ability to impose high costs on their enemies by exploiting Iran’s imposing geography bear careful consideration today by potential opponents.

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Yes, you can access Immortal by Steven R. Ward in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Politics & International Relations & Military & Maritime History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. List of Figures
  7. Preface and Acknowledgments
  8. Introduction: The Iranian Phoenix
  9. 1 Heritage of Greatness, Legacy of Loss
  10. 2 Powerful Predecessors: The Safavids and Nader Shah
  11. 3 Laughingstock: The Qajar Military
  12. 4 Nationalism Unleashed: From Revolution to the Great War
  13. 5 Two Paths: The Birth of the Modern Iranian Armed Forces
  14. 6 Sidelined: The World at War in Iran
  15. 7 Cold War Pillar: The Rise of the Imperial Armed Forces
  16. 8 Old Guard, New Guard: Iran’s Armed Forces in the Islamic Revolution
  17. 9 Horrible Sacrifice: The Iran-Iraq War
  18. 10 Despise Not Your Enemy: Iran’s Armed Forces in the Twenty-first Century
  19. Notes
  20. Bibliography
  21. Index