Ansari, Ali M. 1967- (Ali Massoud Ansari)

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Ansari, Ali M. 1967- (Ali Massoud Ansari)

PERSONAL:

Born November 24, 1967, in Rome, Italy; son of Mohammad Ali Massoud Ansari and Mariam Dariabegi. Education: University College, B.A., 1989; King's College, M.A., 1990; School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Ph.D., 1998.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Fife, Scotland. Office—School of History, University of St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9AL, Scotland; fax: +44 (0) 1334 462927. E-mail—aa51@st-andrews.ac.uk.

CAREER:

University of Durham, Durham, England, lecturer; University of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, began as reader, became professor of Iranian history, director of the Institute for Iranian Studies, director of communications.

MEMBER:

Royal Institute for International Affairs (fellow).

WRITINGS:

Iran, Islam, and Democracy: The Politics of Managing Change, Royal Institute of International Affairs (London, England), 2000, revised edition, 2006.

Modern Iran since 1921: The Pahlavis and After, Pearson Education (New York, NY), 2003.

Confronting Iran: The Failure of American Foreign Policy and the Next Great Crisis in the Middle East, Basic Books (New York, NY), 2006, published as Confronting Iran: The Failure of American Foreign Policy and the Roots of Mistrust, C. Hurst (London, England), 2006.

Contributor to works by others, including Iran and Eurasia, edited by A. Ehteshami and A. Mohammadi, Ithaca Press, 2000; and Companion to the History of the Middle East, edited by Youssef Choueri, Blackwell, 2005. Contributor to periodicals, including Washington Quarterly, Middle Eastern Studies, Soundings, Financial Times, and London Independent.

SIDELIGHTS:

Ali M. Ansari is an Iranian studies scholar and the author of several books that examine Iranian history and the country's traditions, as well as changes brought about by Western influence.

Iran, Islam, and Democracy: The Politics of Managing Change, dissects the reform movement in Iran from 1997 to 2005. Modern Iran since 1921: The Pahlavis and After is a narrative that details Iranian history from 1921 to the present. Among the events discussed are two that add to Western understanding of the country: the revolution of 1921 to 1925, which resulted in the creation of the Pahlavi dynasty, and the 1979 revolution that ended it and led to the rule of the Ayatollah.

Confronting Iran: The Failure of American Foreign Policy and the Next Great Crisis in the Middle East traces the historical relationship between the United States and Iran back to 1856, when the two countries entered into a mutual trade agreement. The twentieth century found that partnership deteriorating, particularly during the 1950s, and the countries became adversaries, including during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis and U.S. involvement in the Middle East. Ansari contends that the United States and Europe have failed to try to understand Iranian policy, which has exacerbated relations between the West and this volatile country.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

America's Intelligence Wire, July 16, 2006, Julie Banderas, "Conversation with Ali Ansari," interview with author.

Contemporary Review, June, 2004, review of Modern Iran since 1921: The Pahlavis and After, p. 381.

Library Journal, July 1, 2006, Michael La Magna, review of Confronting Iran: The Failure of American Foreign Policy and the Next Great Conflict in the Middle East, p. 91.

Tikkun, July-August, 2006, review of Confronting Iran, p. 81.