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

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Penguin, Jul 2, 2013 - History - 672 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 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.

 

Contents

Maps viii
1
TWO A NEW GRAND STRATEGY
33
THREE BARBEDWIRE BOB
49
FOUR A DEN OF SPIES
65
FIVE A FIG LEAF OF NEUTRALITY
84
SIX SHARONS GRAND DESIGN
106
SEVEN A SPECTACULAR ACTION
122
EIGHT THE AMERICAN HAMLET
139
SIXTEEN A VERY CLOSE CALL
300
SEVENTEEN NO HIGHER HONOR
320
EIGHTEEN GOODBYE CAPTAIN NASTY
339
NINETEEN THE TERRIBLE CLIMAX
358
TWENTY GOODWILL BEGETS GOODWILL
380
TWENTYONE WAR OR PEACE
398
TWENTYTWO AN ATROCITY
416
TWENTYTHREE AN AXIS OF EVIL
440

NINE SLEEPY HOLLOW
159
TEN ARMS FOR THE AYATOLLAH
175
ELEVEN A RING ON THE AMERICAN FINGER
203
TWELVE THE WAKEUP CALL
220
THIRTEEN THE INVISIBLE HAND OF GOD
235
FOURTEEN A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
256
FIFTEEN THE NIGHT STALKERS
276
TWENTYFOUR DEFEAT OR VICTORY
461
TWENTYFIVE THE FREEDOM AGENDA
485
TWENTYSIX A QUASIWAR
511
TWENTYSEVEN AN EXTENDED HAND AND A CLOSED FIST
538
EPILOGUE
562
Acknowledgments
575
Copyright

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About the author (2013)

David Crist is currently a historian for the federal government. As a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, he served in the first gulf war and made two tours with elite special operations forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. He lives in Maryland.

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