Persian Lions, Persian Lambs: An American's Odyssey in Iran

I found out about this book from the author himself after writing to tell him how much I enjoyed his memoir, WE HAVE ALL GONE AWAY. While this book might be classified as a memoir of sorts, it is perhaps more of a very personal travelogue. Harnack held a rather unique position in Cold War Iran in 1959, as a visiting Fulbright Professor of literature. He had intended to teach some American authors, but found that his students' command of the English language was not up to the task, and the conditions at the university in Tabriz were much too primitive for any real study of literature. So instead Harnack did what he could to try to improve his students' English skills, even inviting small groups of them to his apartment for evenings of music and conversations which covered a wide spectrum of topics. Perhaps some of the most interesting parts of his story are his descriptions of his travels in northern Iran - on a skiing trip to Shibbeleh Pass with a group of students, a hunting expedition for mountain sheep on Eshek Island in the salt Lake Rezaiyeh, a vacation trip to the Iran-Soviet border on the shores of the Caspian Sea, his trip to a remote village where he rubs shoulders with budding revolutionaries and communists who would see the Shah's government overthrown in the very near future. And nearly everywhere, as he travels about the northern hinterlands of Iran, he sees evidence of grinding poverty, primitive living conditions and hopelessness, so very unlike the bright civilized world of the country's cosmopolitan capital. When he does visit Teheran on his way out of the country at the end of his year's tenure, he finds that the diplomats and players of the "great game" simply sniff in disgust at the mention of Tabriz and the northern territories, as if those areas are beneath their interest. Harnacks estimable powers of description are in powerful evidence throughout the book, so much so that you can almost smell the dung and the dust and open sewers, as well as the flowers and the food of the region. No matter what subject Harnack touches on here, he makes it interesting. Like his memoir, this is writing of the highest calibre. Iran has been much in the news lately, and for anyone interested in learning some of the country's background, this book would be an excellent place to begin. I'm so happy I found this book and I hope a new generation of history-minded people will also discover it. - Tim Bazzett, author of the Reed City Boy trilogy