Simorgh

<p><strong><em>Simorgh: Portraits on My Mind</em></strong> is one of Abbas Milani's most self-reflective and engaging books named</p><p>after the fabulous bird in Iranian mythology and poetry that personifies</p><p>the quest for knowledge solace and self-discovery.</p><p></p><p>The rise of the Islamic regime in Iran following the revolution of 1979</p><p>marked an era of cataclysmic change accompanied by myriad</p><p>conspiracy theories about its origins. The portraits presented in Simorgh</p><p>each a cross between a brief essay and a short story explore the</p><p>lives and loves youthful illusions and utopian dreams the harrowing</p><p>experiences of prison and exile and the diasporic accomplishments</p><p>and exilic traumas of individuals who either actively or inadvertently</p><p>paved the way for the revolution - or whose lives were crushed by the</p><p>nightmarish reality of contemporary Iran.</p><p></p><p>The subjects of these portraits all contemporaries of Milani include</p><p>some of Iran's most renowned writers politicians scholars and activists</p><p>alongside friends and family members who act as a poignant chorus to</p><p>the unfolding saga. Abbas Milani who lived and worked in Iran until 1987</p><p>and was deeply embedded in the crosscurrents of these lives o ers an</p><p>intimate perspective on their stories. Together these portraits weave a</p><p>cohesive narrative creating a cumulative e ect that is both profound</p><p>and compelling.</p><p></p><p>Abbas Milani has served as the founding director of</p><p>the Iranian Studies Program at Stanford University since</p><p>2005. His extensive body of work includes The Persian</p><p>Sphinx: Amir-Abbas Hoveyda and the Riddle of the</p><p>Revolution and The Shah. He is currently working on a</p><p>book about Reza Shah. Simorgh originally written and</p><p>published in two volumes in Persian has been masterfully</p><p>translated into English by Mahasti Afshar.</p><p></p><p>Engaging and insightful Simorgh is Milani at his best and will enthrall both</p><p>those new to his work and those already familiar with it.</p>