Menashri details the intricate political history of Iran's revolution, providing insightful portraits of its leading figures, as well as of their factions and the ideological conflicts among them. He also discusses Khomeyni's decisive role in almost all crucial events and decisions, Iran's internal problems—not the least of which is a worsening economy— and the history of Iran's war with Iraq.  By analyzing the changing nature of Iran's relations with the US, the Soviet Union, and other countries throughout the world, Menashri establishes a context essential to our understanding of current tensions in the Persian Gulf.