This survey of Iran's historical development covers everything from its origins in ancient empires to its status as a modern nation-state. Iran, also known as Persia, has over 2500 years of history. It is one of the world's first truly multicultural empires, and modern day Iran is based upon one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations. Today, Iran is populated by over 74 million residents, and 10 percent of the world's oil reserves are within...

A true story as exhilarating as a great spy thriller, as turbulent as today's headlines from the Middle East, A Time to Betray reveals what no other previous CIA operative's memoir possibly could: the inner workings of the notorious Revolutionary Guards of Iran, as witnessed by an Iranian man inside their ranks who spied for the American government. It is a human story, a chronicle of family and friendships torn apart by a terror-mongering regime,...