The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran

Front Cover
Penguin, Jul 19, 2012 - History - 656 pages
"An important and timely book that should be required reading for anyone interested in understanding how the United States and Iran went from close allies to enduring enemies." —The Washington Post

"Deserves a spot on the short list of must-read books on United States-Iran relations." —The New York Times

The dramatic secret history of the undeclared, ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran — the story behind the headlines.

The United States and Iran have been engaged in an unacknowledged secret war since the 1970s. This conflict has frustrated multiple American presidents, divided administrations, and repeatedly threatened to bring the two nations to the brink of open warfare. Drawing upon unparalleled access to senior officials and key documents of several U.S. administrations, David Crist, a senior historian in the federal government, breaks new ground on virtually every page of The Twilight War. From the Iranian Revolution to secret negotiations between Iran and the United States after 9/11, from Iran’s nuclear program to the secretive and deadly role of Qasem Soleimani, Crist brings vital new depth to our understanding of “the Iran problem”—and what the future of this tense relationship may bring.

For anyone seeing a deep perspective on the ongoing conflict between America, Israel and Iran, The Twilight War is essential reading.
 

Selected pages

Contents

CONTENTS
ONE A LITTLE KING IN YOUR HEART
TWO A NEW GRAND STRATEGY
THREE BARBEDWIRE BOв
FOUR A DEN OF SPIES
FIVE A FIG LEAF OF NEUTRALITY
SIX SHARONS GRAND DESIGN
SEVEN A SPECTACULAR ACTION
SIXTEEN A VERY CLOSE CALL
SEVENTEEN NO HIGHER HONOR
EIGHTEEN GOODBYE CAPTAIN NASTY
NINETEEN THE TERRIBLE CLIMAX
TWENTY GOODWILL BEGETS GOODWILL
TWENTYONE WAR OR PEACE
TWENTYTWO AN ATROCITY
TWENTYTHREE AN AXIS OF EVIL

EIGHT THE AMERICAN HAMLET
NINE SLEEPY HOLLOW
TEN ARMS FOR THE AYATOLLAH
ELEVEN A RING ON THE AMERICAN FINGER
TWELVE THE WAKEUP CALL
THIRTEEN THE INVISIBLE HAND OF
FOURTEEN A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
FIFTEEN THE NIGHT STALKERS
TWENTYFOUR DEFEAT OR VICTORY
TWENTYFIVE THE FREEDOM AGENDA
TWENTYSIX A QUASIWAR
TWENTYSEVEN AN EXTENDED HAND AND A CLOSED FIST
EPILOGUE
Acknowledgments
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2012)

Dr. David Crist is a senior historian for the federal government and frequent adviser to senior government officials on the Middle East. As an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Crist served two tours with elite special operations forces in Afghanistan and Iraq and was part of the first U.S. military forces inside Afghanistan who overthrew the Taliban. He received a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a master's and doctorate in Middle Eastern history from Florida State University.

Bibliographic information