Covering the period from the early nineteenth century to the present day, Modern Iran: A History in Documents brings together primary sources in translation that shed light on aspects of the political, social, cultural, and intellectual history of modern Iran. It makes use of a combination of documents that include newspapers and the periodical press, diaries, memoirs, letters, speeches, and essays that have been translated here for the first time from Persian. It focuses on the momentous changes that society went through, encompassing not only political events and developments but also ideas, perceptions, and mindsets.
As a result, in addition to well-known texts of major diplomatic conventions, this book also includes lesser-known passages that describe the reception of and response to major developments on the part of different segments of society, both men and women. The book is divided into ten chapters, with the last one bringing together documents that offer insights into recent events; these documents include contrasting viewpoints expressed in the Iranian press regarding the nuclear agreement reached in 2015 between Iran and six world powers.