{"product_id":"vanguard-of-the-imam-religion-politics-and-irans-revolutionary-guards-9780199387892","title":"Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards","description":"Iran's Revolutionary Guards are one of the most important forces in the Middle East today. As the appointed defender of Iran's revolution, the Guards have evolved into a pillar of the Islamic Republic and the spearhead of its influence. Their sway has spread across the Middle East, where the\u003cbr\u003eGuards have overseen loyalist support to Bashar al-Assad in Syria and been a staunch backer in Iraq's war against ISIS-bringing its own troops, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and Shiite militias to the fight. Links to terrorism, human rights abuses, and the suppression of popular democracy have shrouded the\u003cbr\u003eRevolutionary Guards in controversy. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn spite of their prominence, the Guards remain poorly understood to outside observers. In \u003cem\u003eVanguard of the Imam\u003c\/em\u003e, Afshon Ostovar has written the first comprehensive history of the organization. Situating the rise of the Guards in the larger contexts of Shiite Islam, modern Iranian history, and\u003cbr\u003einternational affairs, Ostovar takes a multifaceted approach in demystifying the organization and detailing its evolution since 1979. Politics, power, and religion collide in this story, wherein the Revolutionary Guards transform from a rag-tag militia established in the midst of revolutionary\u003cbr\u003eupheaval into a military and covert force with a global reach. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Guards have been fundamental to the success of the Islamic revolution. The symbiotic relationship between them and Iran's clerical rulers underpins the regime's nearly unshakeable system of power. The Guards have used their privileged position at home to export Iran's revolution beyond its\u003cbr\u003eborders, establishing client armies in their image and extending Iran's strategic footprint in the process. Ostovar tenaciously documents the Guards' transformation into a power-player and explores why the group matters now more than ever to regional and global affairs. The book simultaneously\u003cbr\u003eserves as a history of modern Iran, and provides a crucial and engrossing entryway into the complex world of war, politics, and identity in the Middle East.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Afshon Ostovar\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Oxford University Press, USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/01\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.24lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.30h x 6.10w x 1.30d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780199387892\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/01\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfshon Ostovar is a Senior Analyst at the Center for Strategic Studies at CNA, and has joined the Naval Postgraduate School as an Assistant Professor of National Security Affairs. He lives in the Washington, DC area.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Oxford University Press, USA","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":40058166706291,"sku":"9.7802E+12","price":44.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/9255\/0515\/products\/img_c2662c99-0b10-485c-8641-43ef77660388.jpg?v=1651586158","url":"https:\/\/bookstorenmore.com\/en-de\/products\/vanguard-of-the-imam-religion-politics-and-irans-revolutionary-guards-9780199387892","provider":"Bookstore N More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}