Yale Arts and Humanities presents a Book Talk:
Abbas Amanat, Professor of History: “Iran: A Modern History.”
This history of modern Iran is an ambitious exploration of the story of a nation. It offers a revealing look at how events, people, and institutions are shaped by currents that sometimes reach back hundreds of years. Praised by critics as “a stately, scholarly study” and commended for “the grandeur of its ambition,” the book covers the complex history of the diverse societies and economies of Iran against the background of dynastic changes, revolutions, civil wars, foreign occupation, and the rise of the Islamic Republic.
Abbas Amanat combines chronological and thematic approaches, exploring events with lasting implications for modern Iran and the world. Drawing on diverse historical scholarship and emphasizing the twentieth century, he addresses debates about Iran’s culture and politics. Political history drives Amanat’s narrative, which is informed by decades of research and study. Amanat interweaves the book’s narrative with discussions of literature, music, and the arts; ideology and religion; economy and society; and cultural identity and heritage.
Coffee and cookies will provided before the talk at 4:00pm.