Inside the Iranian Revolution

by John D. Stempel

In this Second Edition of Inside the Iranian Revolution, first published in 1981, author John Stempel describes his experience and insight as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in Tehran from 1975-1979. He then continues with an updated chapters to describe what we can draw from the experiences of three decades ago and apply to the current diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Iran. "John Stempel is a Foreign Service offi cer who was stationed in Tehran through the early stages of the Iranian revolution; he left four months before the hostages were taken. Mr. Stempel explains the strength and weaknesses that accumulated through the Shah's reign. Among the latt er, he says, was the Shah's alternating between att empts to build genuine political support for his regime and reliance on the repressive tactics of his secret police. Mr. Stempel's concluding chapters are effective. He suggests that the Shah might have survived by being simultaneously more liberal and more ruthless-by offering more than a token of political participation to opposition groups, but then punishing those who would not support the liberalized regime. On the American side,Mr. Stempel points out the slowness to develop intelligence sources among opposition groups and the contradictory signals sent to the Shah. Mr. Stempel also implies that, once the hostage situation reached deadlock, the United States should have come more quickly to the recognition that military force was necessary." New York Times Book Review

Genres: History, Iran

392 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1981

About the author

John D. STEMPEL is Senior Professor at the University of Kentucky's Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. He was director of the school from 1993-2003. He served as Associate Director 1988-1993, coming to U.K. following a 23-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service. He consults on cross-cultural negotiation and homeland security issues. Focusing on political and economic affairs, he had overseas assignments in Africa (Guinea, Burundi, Zambia), Iran, and India, concluding with three years as U.S. Consul General in Madras, where he quadrupled U.S. commercial collaboration with South India. His Middle East service (1975-79) in Tehran provided much of the material for his book, Inside the Iranian Revolution. A second edition was published in Nov. 2009 with two additional updated chapters. His most recent book, Common Sense and Foreign Policy, was published in late 2008. Stempel’s Washington assignments featured duty for both the State and Defense Departments, including a two-year tour as Director of the State Department's Crisis Center. Teaching stints at George Washington and American Universities, plus two years as "Diplomat in Residence" at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis. Member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations, and Trustee of Georgetown College, KY. Can be found in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World. AB Princeton, MA and PhD, University of California at Berkeley. Married to the former Susan Hodgetts of Lexington -- three daughters, Amy, Alix and Jill. Member of Lexington’s Christ Church Cathedral

Reviews

[Siavosh Rezakhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

چشم انداز آینده ایران رو در بهترین وضعیت تیره و در بدترین وضع مصیبت‌بار نشون میده.
آدم‌ها، روش‌های متفاوتی برای به‌خاطرسپردن تاریخ کشور خود دارند ولی یکی از روش‌های کلاسیک و همچنان تأثیرگذار در این زمینه، مرور تاریخ به بهانه فرارسیدن مناسبتی ملی است.
الان زمستان است و فصل انقلاب؛ به این بهانه وارد تاریخ می‌شویم... در این تونل زمان، نیاز به کتاب‌هایی داریم که زوایایی بیشتر از آنچه تاکنون می‌دانستیم را به ما نشان دهند. کتاب درون انقلاب ایران یکی از همین دست کتاب‌هاست.

[S A]

He is one the guy who orchestrated the downfall of the Iranian monarchy in 1979, and still generating fake history about the time

[Khadem]

This book is one of the good books that shows the turmoil of the situation during the Pahlavi regime