Iran

The rise and fall of ancient Persia, whose great empire was conquered by Alexander the Great, the struggles of the Sasanians and then the Parthians with the Romans, the conquest of the territory by the Arab Empire, and the subsequent historical twists and turns up to the Iran–Iraq War, the overthrow of the last Shah, the takeover of the country by fanatical ayatollahs, and the current tentative attempts at reform. The text concludes with a chapter providing an overview of mutual relations, a factual encyclopaedic entry, and also includes advice for potential visitors to Iran, whether tourists or business people.