{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20260417T204117Z-pairingsrefresh","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465098762?tag=bookfrontier-20","asin":"0465098762","authors":["Michael Axworthy"],"book_id":"9780465098767","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/a-history-of-iran-0465098762","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780465098767.jpg?v=20260417T204117Z-pairingsrefresh%3A2026-04-17T20%3A41%3A17Z","description":"The definitive history of Iran, from the ancient Persian empires to today. “Michael Axworthy’s deft untangling of the country’s history, from the advent of Zoroastrianism to the 1979 revolution, is a stunning achievement.” ― Guardian Iran is a land of contradictions. It is an Islamic republic, but one in which only 1.4 percent of the population attend Friday prayers. Iran's religious culture encompasses the most censorious and dogmatic Shi’a Muslim clerics in the world, yet its poetry insistently dwells on the joys of life: wine, beauty, sex. Iranian women are subject to one of the most restrictive dress codes in the Islamic world, but make up nearly 60 percent of the student population of the nation’s universities. In A History of Iran , acclaimed historian Michael Axworthy chronicles the rich history of this complex nation from the Achaemenid Empire of sixth century BC to the revolution of 1979 to today, including a close look at Iran’s ongoing attempts to become a nuclear power. This comprehensive volume offers general readers an essential guide to understanding this volatile nation, which is once again at the center of the world’s attention. “[A] sweeping, sensitive and evenhanded overview of the ancient nation.” — Kirkus Reviews","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9780465098767","publication_date":"20160524","publisher":"Basic Books","slug":"a-history-of-iran","subtitle":"Empire of the Mind","title":"A History of Iran"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"HIS026020","confidence_band":"high","label":"Iranian History","score":0.8537,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL037010","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Islamic History","score":0.7221,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"HIS026010","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Arabian Peninsula History","score":0.7136,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"HIS026020","confidence_band":"high","label":"Iranian History","score":0.8537,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL037010","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Islamic History","score":0.7221,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"HIS026010","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Arabian Peninsula History","score":0.7136,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"HIS002000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Ancient History","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"HIS026020","confidence_band":"high","label":"Iranian History","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"HIS065000","confidence_band":"high","label":"History of Islam","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"POL059000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Middle Eastern Politics","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"REL037010","confidence_band":"high","label":"Islamic History","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"Iranian History","score":0.8537,"slug":"iranian-history"},{"label":"Islamic History","score":0.7221,"slug":"islamic-history"},{"label":"Arabian Peninsula History","score":0.7136,"slug":"arabian-peninsula-history"}],"reader_fit":["Good for readers who enjoy Iranian History","Good for readers interested in middle","Good for fans of History"],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Malise Ruthven"],"book_id":"9781839760105","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781839760105.jpg?v=20260417T204117Z-pairingsrefresh%3A2026-04-17T20%3A41%3A17Z","score":16.9799,"title":"Unholy Kingdom","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781839760105"},{"authors":["Andrew Scott Cooper"],"book_id":"9781250304858","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781250304858.jpg?v=20260417T204117Z-pairingsrefresh%3A2026-04-17T20%3A41%3A17Z","score":16.5606,"title":"The Fall of Heaven","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781250304858"},{"authors":["Phebe Marr","Ibrahim Al-Marashi"],"book_id":"9780813350066","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780813350066.jpg?v=20260417T204117Z-pairingsrefresh%3A2026-04-17T20%3A41%3A17Z","score":16.4462,"title":"The Modern History of Iraq","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780813350066"},{"authors":["Allen J. 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