Join us in conversation with historian John Ghazvinian ‘96 to discuss his recently published book, AMERICA AND IRAN: A History, 1720 to the Present that provides an illuminating portrait of the two-centuries-long entwined histories of Iran and America.

Synopsis: In this rich, fascinating history, Ghazvinian traces the complex story of the relations of these two powers back to the Persian Empire of the eighteenth century–the subject of great admiration of Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams– and an America seen by Iranians as an ideal to emulate for their own government.

Drawing on years of archival research both in the United States and Iran—including access to Iranian government archives rarely available to Western scholars—the Iranian-born, Oxford-educated historian leads us through the four seasons of U.S.-Iran relations: the "spring" of mutual fascination; the "summer" of early interactions; the "autumn" of close strategic ties; and the long, dark "winter" of mutual hatred.

In riveting prose, Ghazvinian shows us where, how, and when it all went wrong, and why two countries that once had such heartfelt admiration for each other became such committed enemies. He shows us, as well, how it didn't have to turn out this way.

About the Author JOHN GHAZVINIAN was born in Iran and raised in London and Los Angeles. He has a doctorate in history from Oxford University and his writing has appeared in Newsweek, the Sunday Times, The New Statesman, Slate, and The Nation. He is the Executive Director for the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania and lives in Philadelphia.

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