The Book
In this gripping account, Arash Azizi examines Soleimani's life, regional influence and future ambitions. He breaks new ground through interviews with Iranians, Afghans, Iraqis and Syrians who knew Soleimani for years, including his personal driver, the aides who accompanied him to his Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin, and his brother. Through Soleimani, Azizi reveals the true nature of Iran's global ambitions, providing a rare insight into a country whose actions are much talked about but seldom understood.
Additional Information
| Subject | Current Affairs, Middle East, History |
|---|---|
| Pages | 304 |
| Imprint | Oneworld |
Reviews
‘This energetic account sheds more light on Soleimani's character and his relationships with Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, and Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Iran's main ally, Hezbollah. It also reveals that Soleimani was planning to run for president [in 2021].'
‘An important book about one of the Middle East's most charismatic and powerful men in recent years.'
‘An excellent contribution to our knowledge of Iran and Soleimani.'
‘[A] groundbreaking new biography of the late Qassem Soleimani… Azizi is a skillful interpreter of Soleimani's moves, and an astute analyst of how Iran's "living martyr” lied, schemed, and abetted the ugly torture and murder of true revolutionaries and Muslims across the Middle East, and wherever else the IRGC's reach permitted.'
‘Mr. Arash Azizi…provides one of the most fascinating books of 2020 and one of the most insightful - into not just Soleimani, but also Iran's foreign and security aims in the Middle East. A story that easily could have descended into hagiography is masterfully told by Mr. Azizi, who weaves one of the richest and most complex tapestries about the region I've come across in some time, especially in so short of a book. It is not just a biography of Soleimani, but a biography of modern Iran and its role in the Middle East.'
‘Extensively researched and drawing on a vast range of sources, this is the definitive account of one of the Middle East's most powerful, ambitious and enigmatic figures. Essential reading.'
‘A fascinating account of the strengths and weaknesses of the most enigmatic warlord in the Middle East. Azizi skilfully portrays Soleimani's life and death in the wider context of Iran's recent history and politics.'
Table of Contents
Introduction: #WorldWarIII1 A Life on the Margins
2 A Young Man in the City
3 To Guard a Revolution
4 "A Gift from the Heavens”
5 War Makes Man
6 No Islamism in One Country
7 A Chalice Full of Poison
8 An "Unwritten Pact”
9 We Protect the Shrines
10 Busy in Beirut
11 Islamic Awakening, Sectarian Degeneration
12 Black Flags, White Flags
Epilogue: The Endgame
Timeline
Acknowledgments
A Note on Sources
Bibliography
Notes
Index
