Roots of Revolution: An Interpretive History of Modern Iran

Keddie does a marvelous job of exploring the roots, appeal and cause of the Iranian revolution of '78 - '79. Essentially the argument is made that the repressive and secular Pahlavi regieme, ignoring and even actively repressing Islam caused a backlash that led to its eventual destruction. At the same time, Keddie makes the point that the close ties the pre-revolutionary Iranian government had with the West, and its increasing reliance on it for support only served to increase the popularity of Islam as an alternative.While radical Islam is a complex issue, and is broader than just the Iranian model, this book is a must for those who seek to understand the mass appeal of it.

this is a very good book if you want to know more about the islamic revolution. Keddie gives us many different reasons to why the revolution could take place.