“[Iran: A Short History] helps us understand why mullahs rule today where for centuries emperors, Khans and kings of kings were in charge.”
—Berliner Morgenpost
“Persia, the Mongol Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Iran has been under many banners. Iran: A Short History…draws the long line of Iranian history from when Islam was introduced a millennia and a half ago to how Iran became the nation that it is today. An intellectual read that does well in outlining the deep cultural problems that Iran has had and how it has impacted the modern time, Monika Gronke does well in enlightening readers of Iran and its culture that will give people a greater understanding. Originally written in German, Steven Rendall does well in translating, making Iran: A Short History a top pick for history collections and any collection that promotes a greater understanding of Iran.”
— Midwest Book Review
“A very readable book with solid scholarship.”
— Buchprofile
“Extremely well done, very readable and useful…a lucid and conclusive structure divides the material into four [chronological] subject areas. Inside each section there are thematic subchapters, such as The Continuation of the Iranian Tradition, The Beginnings of Persian Literature, and Women in Modern Iran.”
— Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenländischen Gesellschaft