A new history of the long-overlooked WWII theater in Iran and Iraq, its unrecognized significance, and its impact on society and politics
This dynamic history is the first to construct a total picture of the experience and impact of World War II in Iran and Iraq. Contending that these two countries were more important to the Allied forces’ war operations than has ever been acknowledged, historian Ashley Jackson investigates the grand strategy of the Allies and their operations in the region and the continuing legacy of Western intervention in the Middle East.
Iran and Iraq served as the first WWII theater in which the US, the UK, and the USSR fought alongside each other. Jackson charts the intense Allied military activity in Iran and Iraq and reveals how deeply the war impacted common people’s lives. He also provides revelations about the true nature of Anglo-American relations in the region, the beginnings of the Cold War, and the continuing corrosive legacy of Western influence in these lands.
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“Narrator Steven Crossley’s clear voice and impeccable enunciation are a most suitable match to Jackson’s well-written account…Crossley really is the consummate professional in general, and with this work in particular. His accent, inflection, enunciation, and overall expression are virtually flawless. He makes it all seem so easy and makes it a joy to listen to this long work.”
— AudioFile
“In this lucid work, filled with telling details and well-crafted arguments, Jackson has finally revealed the undoubted significance of Iran and Iraq to the wider war.”
— Niall Barr, author of Eisenhower’s Armies“Splendid…Ashley Jackson skillfully brings together the complex range of developments that took place in Iraq and Iran during the Second World War. His book combines thorough research, lucid analysis and colorful description.”
— Evan Mawdsley, author of December 1941“Assiduously researched and sensitively written, Persian Gulf Command offers us a fascinating new perspective on the Second World War—its impact on local societies in the Middle East and the paths to post-war intervention by the West.”
— Richard J. Aldrich, author of The Black DoorBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Ashley Jackson is professor of imperial and military history at King’s College, London, and visiting fellow at Kellogg College, Oxford. He has published extensively on the British Empire in times of war. He lives in Oxfordshire, UK.
Steven Crossley, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, has built a career on both sides of the Atlantic as an actor and audiobook narrator, for which he has won more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a nominee for the prestigious Audie Award. He is a member of the internationally renowned theater company Complicite and has appeared in numerous theater, television, film, and radio dramas.