In the name of God - Robin B Wright

Robin Wright has covered Iran before, during and after the Khomeini era. She explains the revolution's domestic impact and the global repercussions of the Ayatollah's reign, confirming her reputation for shrewd analysis and hard-hitting reportage. She tells the stories of the American hostages, the war that consolidated the Ayatollah's power, the internecine power struggles and Iran's campaign against the western powers, including the crisis in the Persian Gulf.;The author breaks the decade down into three distinct phases - 1979-82, or the period of survival, hampered by the mullah's total ignorance of administration, 1983-86, or the period of expansion, during which the social and moral revolution was institutionalized and the war was turned against Iraq, and 1986-89, or the period of retreat, when Iraq recovered in the war, the nation's finances were squeezed by American embargoes and public fervour for the revolution began to diminish. She concludes with predictions regarding the next, post-Khomeini, phase.