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English Summary/英文概要： A chronicle of intrigue and influence in the Iran-US entanglement Ironic plot twists and colorful characters abound in Afshin Matin-Asgari’s accessible history of relations between the United States and Iran. The missionaries and educators who descended on Iran in the early nineteenth century made way for the next century’s oilmen, CIA agents, scholars, and arms dealers in the assertion of US imperial priorities. Whether Iran resisted or succumbed to US interests, it couldn’t fail to be shaped by the superpower. Matin-Asgari offers fresh takes on familiar topics: America’s rise as a Middle East hegemon during the Cold War; the special relationship between Washington and the shah; the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis; the Iran-Iraq war; the Islamic Republic’s peculiar anti-imperialism; the decades of onerous American sanctions; Israel’s intervention in Iran-US relations; the ascendance of Trump; and the 2025 attempt by the United States and Israel to bring regime change to Tehran. A labyrinthine tale of American imperial misadven-tures, Axis of Empire incorporates and challenges scholarly narratives while offering a sophisticated yet highly readable account of Iran-US history.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 伊朗—美国关系中的权力博弈与影响
阿夫辛·马廷-阿斯加里这部通俗易懂的美伊关系史著作，处处可见充满反讽的剧情转折与鲜活的人物刻画。十九世纪初涌入伊朗的传教士与教育家们，为二十世纪的石油商、中情局特工、学者及军火商铺路，共同推进美国帝国主义的扩张。无论伊朗是抵制还是屈从于美国利益，都难逃超级大国塑造的影响。
马汀-阿斯加里对诸多经典议题提出了全新解读：冷战时期美国崛起为中东霸主的历程；华盛顿与伊朗国王的特殊关系；伊朗革命与人质危机；两伊战争；伊朗伊斯兰共和国独特的反帝国主义立场；美国长达数十年的严苛制裁；以色列对伊朗-美国关系的干预；特朗普的崛起；以及2025年美以两国试图推翻德黑兰政权的行动。
《帝国轴心》以错综复杂的叙事手法，既融合又挑战了学术界对美国帝国主义冒险的既有论述，同时以精妙而易读的笔触，勾勒出伊朗与美国历史的全景图景。(Sandy)
Awards/获奖情况： "In a time when Iran is so often reduced to caricature or demonised, Afshin Matin-Asgari has stepped into the breach to provide a highly nuanced and sophisticated account of US–Iranian relations. Axis of Empire deftly traces two centuries of encounters between Iranians and Americans, weaving together statecraft, culture, and everyday lives in a narrative that is both sweeping and deeply human. The result is a lucid and compelling history that challenges received wisdom and illuminates the complex entanglements of imperial power and resistance. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the troubled but consequential relationship between the United States and Iran."
—Eskandar Sadeghi, School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews "After decades of learned scholarship, Afshin Matin-Asgari’s Axis of Empire finally gives the story of US-Iran relations a bold and precise account of imperial and colonial underpinnings it badly needed. Uniquely positioned to tell this story, Matin-Asgari restores the authority and confidence of a solid critical perspective on a fraught relationship today befuddled by a mudslide of reactionary commotions. This one solid volume saves you from unending miles of useless thunder noise on your newsfeed abusively misinformed by tons of flawed and reactionary Newspeak."
—Hamid Dabashi, author of Iran: A People Interrupted
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