GREATER IRAN ~ A 20th Century Odyssey

By Richard N. Frye

Although mainly concerned with "Greater Iran" (Iran/Persia, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, Richard Nelson Frye, Aga Khan professor of Iranian Studies emeritus, describes changes which he witnessed there and elsewhere, making observations that are timely to understanding present-day relationships in the region.

One of the first Western scholars to visit Central Asia after the death of Joseph Stalin, Frye's knowledge of many languages enabled him to report on conditions in what was at that time a little known region. In the course of subsequent trips to the USSR, the friendships he formed gave him unique insights about Soviet intellectuals concerned with the greater Iranian world. Frye's interaction with Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, Roman Ghirshman, Henry Corbin, as well as Nathan Pusey of Harvard, and various shapers of US policy toward Iran and Iranian Studies, are especially noteworthy.

These memoirs are not only a record of the past, but also of recent visits to old haunts that have evoked comments about the future of the Middle East and Central Asia.

Mazda Publishers (2011)