Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 327
EAN: 9780300143119
ISBN: 0300143117
Label: Yale University Press
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2008-10-28
Publisher: Yale University Press
Studio: Yale University Press

Customer Rating:
Summary: Through the Prism of an extraordinary intelligent writer.
Comment: I have spent five years in Iran and the Persian Golf from 1999 till 2003 taking part in the worlds largest 2D seismic project. In 2002 I did several filmed interviews with leaders of the Islamic Republic.I have read the book Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran and the US. This book is extraordinary well written and throws a sharp search light on every turn and bend in the political landscapes between Iran, Israel and the US. The books strength is its sometimes overwhelming documentation made by the Author. He has researched every possible detail and fact in the often murky relationship between these three States. Dr Parsi opens up a "Pandora's Box" for the reader and his writing style demands Your attention from page one. Fasten Your seat belts. This is a book you shouldn't miss.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: An absolute must-read
Comment: Riveting. Trita Parsi peels away the conventional wisdom about the little understood Iran-Israel rivalry that's come to define the modern Middle East. Exhaustively researched, and relying on hundreds of interviews, Parsi shows that the Iran-Israel rivalry, rather than being an ideological one, is purely a solvable strategic conflict between two sides seeking their national interests as they perceive it.

The book demonstrates how Israel sought an alliance with Iran in the 1980s when it was in Israels interests, and why it turned Iran into public enemy #1 in the 1990s. Iran for its part wanted a partnership with the United States and made repeated efforts toward this in the 1990s, all of which were thwarted by Israel.

Parsi makes the point that Israel has failed to pick up on Iranian signals in recent years. The Iranians have been trying to demonstrate to Israel that if the Israelis allow a US-Iran rapprochement, it will not come at the expense of Israel and would in fact be to the benefit of Israel. Just as important, the book demonstrates that the road to Jerusalem leads through Tehran, rather than the other way around.

Much of the conflicts and tensions in the region are tangled up into this easily solvable conflict between the US and Iran, and with a tap from the United States much of our problems in the Middle East can be solved.

As mentioned earlier, this book deserves a Pulitzer Prize.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent, objective, and very timely book
Comment: I'm sure some will criticize and dismiss this book, mainly because it does a very fair and objective job of laying out both the positive and negative outcomes of American, Iranian and Israeli actions and decisions.

If you are either in the camp that believes the US and Israel are doing God's work in fighting those evil Muslim terrorists and can therefore do no wrong, you won't like this book. Conversely, if you think Israel is the root of all evil, you won't like this book either.

This book is DEFINITELY a must read if you have an open mind and want to better understand the dynamics of the struggle for dominance in the Middle East.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best books available on modern Middle Eastern politics
Comment: In what is possibly the most heavily researched and referenced book I've ever read, Trita Parsi has written the diplomatic history of the volatile triangle formed by Israel, Iran, and the U.S. Parsi interviewed a large number of officials from all three countries and in doing so, provides a remarkably detailed account of how these countries worked with and against each other at times from the beginnings of the Cold War, all the way to present day.

At a time when the Middle East seems so volatile, reading Parsi's account shows just how close stability and security actually are. The main theme of the book would have to be that despite what most people would assume from casually observing events, ideology has very little to do with the Israeli-Iranian dispute. Strategic and geopolitical forces are what drive both countries and that as events change, Tel Aviv and Tehran constantly reassess their position via the other. Parsi describes how even immediately after the Iranian revolution, high levels of cooperation between the two countries persisted. Also apparent from Parsi's research is that there is a remarkable amount of consistency in Iran's foreign policy, regardless of the regime. Iran wants to play an important role in the region and is willing to cooperate, but when it's excluded by the U.S. and Israel, it lashes out. The best example of this is Iran's willingness to help the U.S. after 9/11 in Afghanistan, and also its offer in 2003 of a grand compromise with the U.S.

I've read quite a few books on the Middle East over the past several years, many of them phenomenal, but I think I have to place Parsi's book at the top of my list. It is easily the most informed, intelligent, and well-written books about the Middle East I've ever read. I'd be surprised if another book comes along to knock Treacherous Alliance out of the top spot. I always buy books faster than I read them, and I always enjoy looking through my shelves to pick out the book I'll read next, but I would actually take the time to read this book again though, and there are very few books in that category. I make it a point to get through as many books as possible, but this one's worth a second read. I can only hope that Parsi writes more books in the future and that they are widely read. Considering the controversial nature of the subject matter, Parsi remains incredibly detached throughout. At no point does this book come across as polemical, or having an axe to grind, which is also very refreshing.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Comment: This book is essential reading for anyone and everyone. Trita Parsi has done an amazing job of researching and tying together the relationship between Iran, Israel, and the United States. You may think you understand the situation or know the background behind the relationships of these countries...but until you read this book, you don't.

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