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Iran has rarely been out of the headlines. Yet extensive media interest has tended to hinder rather than help our understanding of Iran as an idea, an identity, and a people, leading to a superficial understanding of what is a complex and nuanced political culture and civilization. Iran: A Very Short Introduction presents a radical reinterpretation of Iranian history and politics, placing the Islamic Revolution in the context of a century of political change and social transformation. It considers the various factors that have contributed towards the construction of the idea of Iran and the complex identity of Iranians themselves, to provide a more realistic understanding for us all.Less

The Palestinian–Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction explains the history of this conflict, reducing it to its very essence — a modern territorial contest between two nations and one geographical territory. It is one of the most highly publicized and bitter struggles in history. Over the last 120 years the conflict has had many facets, most tangibly the sharing of land. It is historically very complex involving changes in relationships among people and events. What significance have the 1897 Basle Congress, the 1917 Balfour Declaration and British occupation of Palestine, and the 1947 UN Partition Plan and the war for Palestine had on the conflict as a whole? How and why has partition been so difficult? How do efforts to restore peace continue today?Less