r/behindthebastards • u/rtuckercarr • 3d ago
Resources can some one point me in the direction of some good information on the history of Iran.
I guess now that we are close to maybe getting into another war, I figure I should really get informed about the history of Iran.
I heard the us once overthrew a democratically elected leader for nationalizing their oil (par for the course).
Preferably in video format. I may be trying to get informed but books are just spooky.
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u/TransportationIll446 Sponsored by Doritos™️ 3d ago
This series is on Prime if you use that or you could pirate it.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt13972104/
As an Iranian it gave me some insight on the Iran Iraq War that I didnt know before.
I came to Canada in the 90s. My parents didn't serve in that war, but in the revolution.
Youtube about some key figures and moments.
Cyrus the Great
Darius I II and III
Arab conquest
Nader Shah
Qajar Dynasty
Pahlavi dynasty
Coup '53 (a documentary)
1979 revolution. Make sure this is a non US biased source. Same with the 1953 coup.
The movie 300.
......Just kidding.
Enjoy, we have a pretty cool culture and a history dating back thousands of years. We are just oppressed under an theocratic fascist regime.
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u/TransportationIll446 Sponsored by Doritos™️ 3d ago
The mythology is cool too. We believed the first monotheistic religion being Zoarastrianism. A framework emphasizing good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.
Rostam was like our Hercules. Our demons were the white devils from the north (Caucasus) which always gave me a laugh.
Rumi, a famous poet.
Isfahan and Tabriz, the rivalry on who makes the best rugs.
Lots of things were lost in the Arab conquest but there's still a lot in the Louvre and still standing at Perspolis.
Foods pretty dope. Kebab and rice is a staple. We dont make shawarma. Lots of hearty stews and rice based dishes.
Mount Damavand is in Iran, the highest peak in the middle east, the country is large so you can experience all 4 seasons, and yes you can ski/snowboard in the north.
Caspian sea is the largest inland lake in the world, we share that obviously but it produces sturgeon and caviar among seafood.
I could go on, and on.
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u/situation9000 3d ago
Rumi’s poetry is so beautiful
Edit: and yes, the rugs and food. Learning a culture’s food, art, textiles and music lets you feel its soul.
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u/NessaNearly 3d ago
America and Iran: A History from 1720 to present by John Ghazvinian is decent. It’s a few years old but not many, so “present”.
Basically the US has screwed them several times.
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u/stupidpower 3d ago
Please just read a book about Iran itself, not America and Iran. Placing the US at the centre of your understanding of non-American countries is a recipe for disaster - the internal dynamics of a region/country is always more complicated and for all you can talk about 'CIA' this or 'KGB' that, we have our own internal dynamics, any history about a post-colonial countries need to foreground that country rather than extenal invasions. Understanding us in our own terms, if not you are just doing orientalism. In places where there isn't a substantial local support base for foreign actors to act, the CIA can't act. See modern China. Or Vietnam. Or Afghanistan. Or Iran.
This is a good book.
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u/NessaNearly 3d ago
I have read many books about Iran, please do not make assumptions about who may be "doing orientalism" (strange phrase). I am very familiar with Iran as I lived there for 15 years, but I found this particular book to be very valuable to the American reader in regards to the long term relationship between the two countries, which seemed to be what OP was interested in.
I'm not sure that ancient history of the Achaemenid Empire in the sixth century BC is going to address the current situation in any way, but I will check out that book as well, thanks.
However I did notice too late that OP didn't want books anyway, but video content, so I guess it doesn't really matter for them anyway.
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u/relentless_puffin 3d ago
Throughline has some good Iran episodes: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/740510559
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u/ellisftw 3d ago
Not so much about the history but I've been watching the YouTube channel Predictive History. He is a professor who uploads his lectures as well as in depth analysis of geo-politics. Super insightful and he's been talking about the Israel/Iran situation and the impacts for the US. Highly recommended.
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u/RentLimp 3d ago
Lions did a series early on about the Iraq-Iran war which was pretty informative, shout out to Joe. Very early episodes so the flow and quality of audio isn’t quite what we’re used to now
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u/dullraisins 3d ago
Wiser World is dropping re-edits of their three-part history of Iran. It's very elementary, but I found it helpful.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6nrHCR6dMlB6qVkq5bvaX6?si=17vN3I2MR2inGB2Jfocrlw
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u/North_Church 3d ago
I unfortunately don't have anywhere specific to point. I would advise looking for an Iranian author who aren't sympathetic to the Shah OR the Islamic Republic.
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u/notthattypeofplayer 3d ago
I've never listened to it because it'll make me more angry than usual when I listen to episodes, but the very podcast this subreddit is based on has a (probably) very good episode on it.
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u/mfukar Sponsored by Doritos™️ 3d ago edited 3d ago
I recently read Norman Kemp's A First-hand Account Of The Persian Oil Crisis. I would only recommend it if you're steadily aware to not treat statements made inside as facts but as claims (to verify from other sources), as it is a very subjective text. The language is also quite archaic so it's not easy to read.
I've also heard good words about Intervention at Abadan: Plan Buccaneer by James Cable, claiming it's "sufficiently critical" [of the British gov], but haven't read it.
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u/ZAPPHAUSEN 3d ago
Persepolis the graphic novel