In today’s Daily Beast, Leslie Gelb opines that what the West is doing with sanctions and threats against Iran is “drawing ‘red lines’ that are backing [Iran’s]leaders into untenable and dangerous corners… what [the West is] not doing is leveraging these economic and military pressures with a negotiating proposal that can curtail Iran’s nuclear-bomb-making capabilities without war.” Gelb further recommends offering a deal: “Iran keeps its uranium facilities but with capabilities to enrich, reduced to levels fit only for civilian use. Tehran also agrees to the tightest international verification procedures. The West lifts sanctions gradually as Iran complies with both reconfiguring its nuclear plants and accepts the necessary verification.”

Ha! Ha! Ha! As if no one tried this before. In fairness, Gelb admits that similar proposals have failed in the past, then, after explaining why the Iranian regime would remain intractable, he seems to suggest the West should do more of the same. And the solution that Gelb offers: “I’d like to see President Obama show the courage of offering a solid peace proposal instead of just drawing chest-thumping red lines. Meantime, he doesn’t have to withdraw any sanctions or any “red lines.” Just cut the usual diplomatic and political baloney, and try.”

Woaa! What’s that? Is there something new here? Sure, boys, let’s just give it the old college try. For the life of me I have no idea why this puff piece is out there, unless it is to keep Gelb’s name in the fore. I don’t drastically disagree with him, but he’s saying nothing new, absolutely nothing.

Personally I doubt we or Israel will actually go to war with Iran. That would only unite the population behind the ruling clerics. Most likely we will continue or increase our covert anti-nuke actions along with tightening sanctions. This will not make the current regime back down on the nuke issue, but it will increase the split between a suffering population and an unresponsive, self-serving, corrupt and oppressive government. Future elections may then be less likely to suffer the fate of the 2009 election stolen by  Ahmadinehad and Khamanei. A bit idealistic? Perhaps, but certainly less banal than giving it the old college try.

For those of you who missed the airings, the interview by WYSO host Vick Mickunas can be found at the following link:

http://www.wyso.org/post/book-nook-house-war-minister-built-andrew-imbrie-dayton-and-elahe-talieh-dayton

After a busy fall with appearances in Washington, DC, Frederick, MD, Berkeley, San Francisco San Jose, Los Angeles and New York, we’re taking it down south:

Houston, February 22 , 2011   7:00 PM  Barnes & Noble River Oaks (2030 West Gray) – afterwards we will congregate at the nearby restaurant La Griglia (2002 West Gray) for a cash bar reception to which all are invited. If you want to pre-order an autographed copy to “avoid the line” you can order ahead of time by calling the store.

Kirkus Reviews:

“A compelling family saga that spans nearly a century and paints a loving, true-to-life portrait of a nation.

“The Daytons’ novel is a deliciously complex patchwork quilt that weaves together the stories of Nargess, a long-lived and resilient matriarch, her nephew Javad, the clumsy attorney-cum-art student looking to marry, and her son-in-law Saeed, hesitantly returning home after years in exile. With these characters and others, the authors deliver the pieces of a gorgeous, decades-spanning family drama and, more crucially, the story of a nation – Iran. By delivering this bevy of interlocking portraits, the authors paint an image of Persian life more vibrant and realistic than any single history. The book follows Nargess’ sprawling clan, and a supporting cast of dozens, through nearly 90 years of Iranian collective life. From the country’s early modern history under British hegemony, through the time of the shah, the novel traces Iran’s entry into the modern Middle East. And then, from domestic and foreign perspectives, the authors dictate the revolutionary transition to the reign of the ayatollahs in the 1980s and ‘90s. The closing movements leave us at the brink of the present as they capture the cultural and political intricacies of life in post 9/11 Persia. The Daytons’ writing style is detailed without lapsing into baroque hypercomplexity and their prose is lush and surprisingly dexterous – they’re as comfortable rendering the design details of a mansion anteroom as they are describing the political intrigue of a military coup and they do comedy as well as they do espionage. This variety is calibrated to mimic the complexities of 20^th-century Iran, and the novel is a fascinating tribute to that land. The Daytons are also gracious enough to provide a cast list of major characters in approximate order of appearance as well as a glossary.

“If you can’t afford a plane ticket to Tehran, visit the Daytons’ House.”

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ForeWord Reviews

The House that War Minister Built is a novel that may shake the neat structure and quaint romance of typical historical fiction with its authentic raw voices and its breadth of historic sweep.

It is 1929 in a sequestered palace in Tehran, at the foot of the Alborz Mountains. The voice is that of the aging but pious Nargess, second wife to the Qajar Dynasty’s War Minister, Nahdeer. So begins a story that spans over one hundred years of her extended family’s witness to the paradigm shift from the Qajar (est. 1794) to the Pahlavi Dynasty (est. 1925).

Nargess (a variant of “Narcissia”), is the first of five voices that spin stories of intricate familial escapades; emotional and political; scandalous and amusing. Upon the arrival of the first Ford motorcar from Belgium, Nargess’s well-intended horseman Hashem’s efforts to start the machine blow up the engine and, “. . .with smoke and backfires the automobile burst into the orchards, terrifying the congregated peasants . . . and a rumor spread . . . that the fire and smoke heralded the arrival of Satan himself–the return of the absent Imam at the end of the world!” The book’s humorous anecdotes, while entertaining, are the vehicle for darker themes.  The dual themes of belonging and decay emerge. The emotional voices of the characters are carefully twisted into culturally accurate motivations guiding the actions of each: “. . .was there no place on Earth for them,” thought Nargess’s daughter Pari, “no place not polluted by oil and power and death?” The authenticity and beauty of the Persian poetry and the intensity of description combines in a whipsawing tandem. For example, while chiding War Minister’s son Vali for his dallying with a mistress, Nargess recites a line from Rumi, “Love of gold is dross, love of beauty sin,” and in the next scene, War Minister deflowers his son Vali’s beloved Rakshandeh, “His Father said nothing, but stood beside the vomiting Vali (high on opium), threatening him with his dangling genitals.” With such excesses, it is no surprise that Nargess’s “journey of her heart” follows the slow and sometimes violent decay of War Minister’s power and his eventual assassination at the hands of General Z, the “vile and fawning weasel of Reza Khan Shah” and extends into the post 9/11 U.S./Iraq conflict.

Complex in its approach; there are five interwoven storylines that include several main characters and a sky full of dimmer stars. Readers will navigate the galaxy through the character list provided. Those unfamiliar with Iranian history and culture will appreciate the glossary at the end. Begun as an impulse to record the family’s amazing history in Iran, the novel, while character driven, evokes a rich landscape of both the human heart and the Persian heartland.

Thoroughly educational, entertaining, and at times bluntly grotesque, The House That War Minister Built may take an investment in time, but its intrigues will have the reader surfing over to the Dayton’s website, where the Harvard post doctorates may leave some clues about their next book.

Want to get the inside skinney on Iran? Here are six books to get you there.

First, not surprisingly, is The House That War Minister Built. Learn that what really goes on in the harem is not sex, but intrigue. See how modern Persians reconcile their legacy from Cyrus the Great, conqueror and early civil rights advocate, with their present status as third world pariah. The House That War Minister Built was just named a Kirkus “Best of 2011” book.

Second, Garden of the Brave in War, Recollections of Iran, by Terrence O’Donnell, paints a vivid tableau of the Iranian character: tolerant, generous, mirthful, capricious and devious – from beggars to voluptuaries, a people far removed from the puritanical fanaticism portrayed in the West. In these memoirs you will encounter a range of characters, from servants whose intrusiveness derives from caring, to feudal princes who adopt peasant children to raise as their own. You will learn the truth to the old Persian saw that a missionary once complained of spending fifty years in Iran without a single convert. “Don’t worry,” an Iranian friend consoled him, “Mohammed didn’t get any either.”

Third, in Blood and Oil, Memoirs of a Persian Prince, Manucher Farmanfarmaian, a scion of the country’s most famous family and one time Oil Minister under the Shah, examines a considerable chunk of modern Persian history through the prism of oil politics, in which his family played a major role. Much of the information is surprising and counter intuitive. Did you know, for instance, that the hue and cry raised by the British over Iran’s nationalization of their oil company in the 1950s (leading to a CIA-sponsored coup) masked crocodile tears? Did you know that only a decade later President Kennedy’s well-intended populist policies first raised Ayatollah Khomeini to national prominence?

Fourth, speaking of the 1953 CIA coup, which toppled the democratically elected regime of Mossadegh, did you know that it was led by our man in Tehran, Kermit Roosevelt, grandson of Teddy? Find out more by reading Stephen Kinzer’s All The Shah’s Men, An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror. Operation Ajax was the first time the United States Government toppled a Middle Eastern government. The resulting restoration of Mohammad Reza Shah to the Peacock throne allowed a tyranny that led to the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and much of the Islamic terrorism that plagues the world today.

Fifth, on a lighter note, to savor the visual pleasures of Iran, browse through the splendid Persia, Bridge of Turquoise, a coffee table masterpiece featuring stunning photographs by Roloff Beny, and an interesting forward by Seyeed Nasr on Iranian culture and religion. This book is out of print, but worth tracking down for the photographs alone.

Finally, for insight into the tragic general failure of Islam to keep up with the West, you can’t miss Bernard Lewis’s What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East. This renowned Princeton scholar examines the multitude of forces that led the once dominant Islam, for centuries the vanguard of world power and learning, to tumble into an abyss of backwardness. Not the least of their errors was one to which we may fall victim ourselves: failure to learn from those we disregard.

Available September 20th: Hardback at Amazon & Barnes & Noble online. ebook: Kindle & Nook. See reviews of The House That War Minister Built at http://www.thehousethatwarministerbuilt.com

Gen. Michael Hayden in an interview with the Wall Street Journal warns that Iranian nuclear proliferation is approaching a danger point and the US is faced with only two options, both bad.

However, if the Arab spring tells us anything it’s that reform can come from within. Yes, it can productively be encouraged and or nurtured from the outside, but it doesn’t have to be beaten into existence by foreign “kinetic” (you’ve got to love those Washington euphemisms) intervention. Hayden proposes there are two possible ways for the US to deal with Iranian nuclear proliferation: A. “kinetic” intervention (presumably he means bombing nuclear sites); or B. do nothing. In the case of A, Iran would go even deeper underground in its bomb making, with even more embittered and intractable resolve and eventually get the bomb. I would add that the US would also lose the younger generation of Iranians who are now enamored of the West and thoroughly disenchanted with their thugocracy. In case B, Iran would get the bomb. Hayden further threatens that the message of Ghadaffi’s fate is “Look what happens when you give up nuclear ambitions,” meaning that Iran’s resolve is strengthened by Ghadaffi’s downfall.

I think this is saber rattling & FUD: OK, so Iran get’s the bomb in Hayden’s scenarios. Yes, that’s dangerous (but it’s going to happen anyway) and a clear setback for the US, but assume that’s the case and live with it.

There is, however, a third option, namely the one we are following now: isolation and covert undermining (i.e., sending the stuxnet worm to  mess up their centrifuges, sanctions, etc.). Iran still gets the bomb (which happens anyway) but it gets it late (we buy time if nothing else) but at least we have a younger generation of Iranians who don’t hate us. In other words, if Iran gets the bomb in any scenario, let’s take the scenario that works best for us.The most likely result of the third scenario is that the theocracy collapses from within, as happened in Egypt and Libya and is happening now in Syria and possibly Bahrain. This is in fact the scenario most worrisome to the ruling clerics. So insecure are they that they won’t even let Iranians have water gun fights in public lest it foreshadow the real thing (in a stance that surely casts a stern eye on bursting birthday balloons and pinatas). They would just love the West to pursue the “kinetic” option.

It’s in the best interests of the Iranians and the world for the Iranian clerics to not get what they want. We’ll do better if we channel the Arab spring along the paths of freedom and democracy than if we overtly intervene in Iran. No amount of media control can keep secret from the Iranian populace the successes of the Arab spring. They’re too bright, educated and resourceful for that. Their ability and sophistication are our fifth column.

email aidayton@aidayton.com

Non fiction:

Garden of the Brave in War, Recollections of Iran, by Terrence O’Donnell - Far and away the most evocative and charming memoirs of Iran.

Blood and Oil, Memories of a Persian Prince, by Manucher Farmanfarmaian and Roxane Farmanfarmaian - An insider’s view of modern Iranian history through the prism of oil politics. One of the best insights you can get into oil politics and how they influenced Iran

In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs, by Christopher de Bellaigue - These memoirs by a Westerner capture much of the spirit of the East in their style.

Bridge of Turquoise, by Roloff Beny, with forward by Seyyed Hossein Nasr - A coffee table book of stunning photographs of Iran. Includes an interesting essay by Nasr on Iranian history, religion and culture.

All the Shah’s Men, by Stephen Kinzer – A knowledgeable, suspenseful account of the 1953 CIA-backed coup that toppled the elected government of Mossadegh.

Iran and the Rise of Reza Shah, from Qajar Collapse to Pahlavi Power, by Cyrus  Ghani - A well-researched, in depth history of the political events and personalities of the late Qajar to early Pahlavi period.

The Persian Sphinx, Amir Abbas Hoveyda and the Riddle of the Iranian Revolution, by Abbas Milani - A biography of one of the most powerful politicians under the last Shah

What Went Wrong, The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle Ease, by Bernard Lewis – A thoughtful analysis by one of America’s foremost experts on the Middle East.

Daughter of Persia, A Woman’s Journey from her Father’s Harem Through the Islamic Revolution, by Sattareh Farmanfarmaian - Memoirs of a female member of Iran’s most famous family

The Iranians, Persia, Islam and the Soul of a Nation, by Sandra Mackey - A Middle East expert’s summary of ancient and modern history and culture

The Blindfold Horse, Memoirs of a Persian Childhood, by Shusha Guppy - Memories of a privileged, intellectual childhood in pre-revolutionary Iran

A Year Amongst the Persians, by Edward G. Browne - Journals of a famous Middle East expert traveling Iran 1887-1888

Iran, a Country Study, edited by Richard F. Nyrop - One of a continuing series of books written by Foreign Areas Studies, The American University, under the Area Handbook Program

Essential Sufism, edited by James Fadiman & Robert Frager

Zoroastrians, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, by Mary Boyce - Zoroastrianism was Iran’s original religion, and is still practiced.

Lipstick Jihad, A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran, by Azadeh Moaveni - Insight into cultural strains between the traditional and the modern in Iran. It’s chicklit, but illuminating & actually enjoyable.

Persian Girls, a Memoir, by Nahid Rachlin

Nine Parts of Desire, the Hidden World of Islamic Women, by Geraldine Brooks

Persian Mirrors, the Elusive Face of Iran, by Elaine Sciolini - A western journalist’s coverage of Iranian culture and events from Khomeini’s revolution through ~2000.

Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies, Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation, by Barbara Slavin - US/Iranian geopolitics in the late twentieth century.

Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi - Wonderful insights into every day life in post revolutionary Iran

Things I’ve Been Silent About: Memories of a Prodigal Daughter, by Azar Nafisi - One woman’s dysfunctional family life in Iran. Of course, it’s not just any woman, but the author of Reading Lolita in Tehran. It was published after most of The House That War Minister Built was completed, but it is valuable in that it goes behind the surface of political upheavals and examines Iranian home life behind the façade of political theater.

Funny in Farsi, a Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America, by Firoozeh Dumas

Tales of Two Cities, a Persian Memoir, by Abbas Milani

Inside Iran, Life Under Khomeini’s Regime, by John Simpson

Then They Came for Me: a Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival by Maziar Bahari. The true story of journalist Maziar Bahari’s torture and imprisonment in Tehran’s infamous Evin prison for the crime of honest reporting on the fraudulent 2009 election.

Fiction:

In the Walled Gardens, by Anahita Firouz

My Uncle Napoleon, by Iraj Pezeshkzad, Translated by Dick Davis - A comic, farcical novel hugely popular in Iran in the 1970s, eventually turned into a television sitcom. Wonderful example of Iranian sense of humor.

Apparently romance novels are the female version of pornography. Men want to get right to the point (no pun intended) and stampede towards the clitoris. Women only want to see men going through violent internal emotional struggles to make themselves worthy of their beloved. Sound familiar?

This has three major consequences for Western civilization:

1. We no longer have to pretend Jane Eyre is literature. Whew! I mean, honestly, what does Jane ever do but, A. suffer (damsel in distress) and B. be a perfect little goody two shoes? For this she is rewarded with the undying love of wealthy Edward Rochester who must wrestle with his internal demons to win her. And what is the message at the end when he can only get her after he’s become an invalid? Dark. Dark. No, it’s goodbye to you, Jane Eyre. RIP
2. Jane Austen, you’re next.
3. Guys: When your significant other laments your lack of romance, you can now defend yourselves: “Honey, you don’t want me to reduce our relationship to pornography, do you?” And , if she says, “As a matter of fact, yes,” well, hey…