Synopses & Reviews
In the spring of 2001, George W. Bush selected Dallas attorney Robert W. Jordan as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Jordanand#8217;s nomination sped through Congress in the wake of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, and he was at his post by early October, though with no prior diplomatic experience, as Saudi Arabia mandates that the U.S. Ambassador be a political appointee with the ear of the president. Hence Jordan had to learn on the job how to run an embassy, deal with a foreign culture, and protect U.S. interests, all following the most significant terrorist attacks on the United States in history.
From 2001 through 2003, Jordan worked closely with Crown Prince Abdullah and other Saudi leaders on sensitive issues of terrorism and human rights, all the while trying to maintain a positive relationship to ensure their cooperation with the war in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq. At the same time he worked with top officials in Washington, including President Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, George Tenet, and Tommy Franks. Desert Diplomatand#160;discusses these relationships as well as the historic decisions of Jordanand#8217;s tenure and provides a candid and thoughtful assessment of the sometimes distressing dysfunction in the conduct of American foreign policy, warfare, and intelligence gathering. Still involved in the Middle East, Jordan also offers important insights into the political, economic, and social changes occurring in this critical region, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Review
“With the eye of a Washington insider, Trita Parsi assembles all the pieces of this complex puzzle in an original and persuasive way. I am aware of no one who has subjected the Obama administrations policy on Iran to this kind of sustained scrutiny. Parsi displays a nuanced understanding of the historical context and an exceptionally fine-tuned appreciation for the political conditions and vulnerabilities of both Iran and the United States.”—Gary Sick, Columbia School of International and Public Affairs
Review
“Trita Parsis gripping account is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the human details of recent diplomacy. Parsi recounts it all—the misunderstandings, the fears, the prejudices, the ambitions, and the misreading—that have hobbled American efforts to end three decades of futility with Iran.”—John Limbert, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State under the Obama administration
Review
“No one in the United States knows more about Iran, or can speak more authoritatively about the complex historical relationship between Iran and the US, than Trita Parsi. A Single Roll of the Dice is a must-read.”—Reza Aslan, author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam
Review
"A must-read for all those interested in the relationship between Washington and Tehran."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
Review
"Parsi has done a great service by writing the first book on how the Obama administration and Iran missed yet another opportunity for reconciliation . . . [He] explains what went wrong on both sides as well the events and third parties that helped insure that diplomacy would be given only a minimal chance to succeed. Parsi is well qualified to analyse the sad course of U.S.-Iran relations . . . His new book will appeal to specialists and the general public."—Barbara Slavin, IPS
Review
“[Parsi] explores an important issue in depth and with clarity, providing a useful view of current concerns about a nuclear Iran.”—New Yorker
Review
"Well-timed...Absorbing...A tale of missed opportunities, obduracy and short-sightedness, all of which are pushing the Middle East towards greater instability."—Economist
Review
"With this book, Trita Parsi has given us an authoritative document on one of today's most urgent and nettlesome foreign policy challenges. He not only draws on the published record, but contributes original reporting from the vantage points of all the players, including the Iranian perspective. It will be edifying for a wide range of readers, from foreign policy specialists to anyone with a stake in the outcome—which is all of us."—David Shorr, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Review
"You gotta get this, A Single Roll of the Dice. It's on bookshelves now. Really, it is an amazing perspective on all the elements that go into even the smallest of diplomatic deals."—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show David Shorr - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Review
"Perfectly-timed. . . . A carefully balanced and thoroughly researched account of the tortured US-Iranian relationship in recent years. Parsi is the ideal person to write it."—Julian Borger's Global Security Blog, The Guardian
Review
"The most incisive account available. . . . Eminently readable, sometimes gripping."—L. Carl Brown, Foreign Affairs
Review
"In this penetrating, thoughtful, and engaging book, Parsi (president, National Iranian American Council) gives the reader a rare glimpse into the complexities of the Obama administration's policy toward the Islamic Republic of Iran in the first three years of his administration. . . . his analysis is balanced, piercing, insightful, refreshing, and rich in facts and details. Readers are going to find much food for thought in this volume, which sheds light on one of the most vexing political imbroglios of the last 30 years . . . this timely book is a must read."—M. Dorraj, Choice
Review
"You gotta get this. . . . Really, it is an amazing perspective on all the elements that go into even the smallest of diplomatic deals."—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
Review
Named One of The Best Books of 2012 on the Middle East by Foreign Affairs
Review
"From leaked cables, confidential documents, and dozens of interviews, Parsi reconstructs the history of political trauma that underlies the United States' relationship with Iran. . . [Parsi] explores an important issue in depth and with clarity, providing a useful view of current concerns about a nuclear Iran.”—New Yorker L. Carl Brown - Foreign Affairs
Review
Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2012 for International Relations within the Social and Behavioral Sciences category.
Review
andldquo;No Arab ally of the United States is more important or less understood than Saudi Arabia. Robert Jordan went to Riyadh as our ambassador just after the 9/11 attacks when America was asking which side they were on. His unique personal relationships and superb analyses made it clear that the Saudis stood with us, but we also had to understand them. . . .and#160;Desert Diplomatand#160;tells the story of a critical relationship at a critical time, and how a great diplomat, Robert Jordan, can turn the hinge of history. We are at another turnandmdash;may we be as wise as he was in making it.andrdquo;andmdash;Ryan C. Crocker, former deputy assistant secretary of state, 2001andndash;3, and former ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistanand#160;and#160;
Review
andldquo;Robert Jordan has written a fascinating and insightful book that provides a rare inside view of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East during the events following 9/11. It is a historically significant work from a seasoned diplomat who draws valuable lessons from his experiences and observations that would be wise for our current and future leaders to heed.and#160;Desert Diplomatand#160;should be required reading for all those involved in developing our strategy and policy for the Middle East.andrdquo;andmdash;General Anthony C. Zinni (USMC, Ret.), former commander in chief of U.S. Central Command, former special envoy to the Middle East, and author ofand#160;The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of Americaandrsquo;s Power and Purpose
Review
andquot;Jordan invites readers to a front row seat to history through his eyes and in his shoes.andquot;andmdash;PRWeb
Review
andquot;An up-close and personal glimpse into a tangled situation, sometimes horrendously dysfunctional politics, and the economic and social changes transforming Saudi Arabia at the time, Desert Diplomat is as fascinating as it is illuminating, and highly recommended.andquot;andmdash;Midwest Book Review
Synopsis
The first objective assessment of the high-stakes diplomatic sparring between Washington and Tehran during President Obama’s first years in office
Synopsis
The first objective assessment of the high-stakes diplomatic sparring between Washington and Tehran during President Obama's first years in office
Have the diplomatic efforts of the Obama administration toward Iran failed? Was the Bush administration's emphasis on military intervention, refusal to negotiate, and pursuit of regime change a better approach? How can the United States best address the ongoing turmoil in Tehran? This book provides a definitive and comprehensive analysis of the Obama administration's early diplomatic outreach to Iran and discusses the best way to move toward more positive relations between the two discordant states.
Trita Parsi, a Middle East foreign policy expert with extensive Capitol Hill and United Nations experience, interviewed 70 high-ranking officials from the U.S., Iran, Europe, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Brazil--including the top American and Iranian negotiators--for this book. Parsi uncovers the previously unknown story of American and Iranian negotiations during Obama's early years as president, the calculations behind the two nations' dealings, and the real reasons for their current stalemate. Contrary to prevailing opinion, Parsi contends that diplomacy has not been fully tried. For various reasons, Obama's diplomacy ended up being a single roll of the dice. It had to work either immediately--or not at all. Persistence and perseverance are keys to any negotiation. Neither Iran nor the U.S. had them in 2009.
Synopsis
Have the diplomatic efforts of the Obama administration toward Iran failed? Was the Bush administration's emphasis on military intervention, refusal to negotiate, and pursuit of regime change a better approach? How can the United States best address the ongoing turmoil in Tehran? This book provides a definitive and comprehensive analysis of the Obama administration's early diplomatic outreach to Iran and discusses the best way to move toward more positive relations between the two discordant states.
Trita Parsi, a Middle East foreign policy expert with extensive Capitol Hill and United Nations experience, interviewed 70 high-ranking officials from the U.S., Iran, Europe, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Brazil—including the top American and Iranian negotiators—for this book. Parsi uncovers the previously unknown story of American and Iranian negotiations during Obama's early years as president, the calculations behind the two nations' dealings, and the real reasons for their current stalemate. Contrary to prevailing opinion, Parsi contends that diplomacy has not been fully tried. For various reasons, Obama's diplomacy ended up being a single roll of the dice. It had to work either immediately—or not at all. Persistence and perseverance are keys to any negotiation. Neither Iran nor the U.S. had them in 2009.
Synopsis
In this illuminating book, Trita Parsi uncovers the full details of the diplomatic encounters between Washington and Tehran during Obama's early presidency, then discusses whether diplomacy should be the foreign policy approach of choice for the U.S.
About the Author
A conversation with Trita Parsi
Q: Why this book?
A: In Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States, I showed how the absence of serious diplomacy had brought the U.S., Israel, and Iran to the brink of war. With Obama, an attempt at diplomacy was made—but it failed. The new book looks at what actually happened in that diplomacy and why it fell short. The answer will surprise a lot of people.
Q: What is the most pressing issue the U.S. faces with Iran?
A: The headlines tend to be about the nuclear issue, but that is the symptom rather than the root of the problem. The real problem is the dysfunctional relationship between the U.S. and Iran—and the fact that it is playing out in a volatile region that won't achieve stability until Washington and Tehran find a way to get along.
Q: How did you conduct the research for your book?
A: The topic is very current, so I relied primarily on classified government documents and interviews with top officials from every state involved in Obama's outreach to Iran—from Israel to Saudi Arabia, the E.U., Russia, Turkey, Brazil, and, of course, the U.S. and Iran.
Q: How can Obama succeed with Iran?
A: It all comes down to political will and maneuverability—both in Tehran and in Washington. It is only when we fully realize the cost of failure that we will muster the will and patience to overcome the obstacles on the road to peace.
Praise for Trita Parsis Treacherous Alliance:
"[A] wonderfully informative account of the triangular relationship among the US, Iran, and Israel."—Peter Galbraith, New York Review of Books
“A penetrating, provocative, and very timely study that deciphers how U.S. policy in the Middle East has been manipulated both by Iran and by Israel even as relations between these two oscillated between secret collusion and overt collision.”— The Honorable Zbigniew Brzezinski, former US National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter