The Mantle of the Prophet

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Summary: An indispensable and beautifully constructed book about Iran
Review: Anyone with an interest in history,philosophy, religion, the Middle East, Iran, or human nature, would find this erudite, beautifully written, very readable and sensitive story of one man's life as a religious scholar in Iran, a thoroughly satisfying read. Iran's history from ancient times to the Revolution of 1979 is interwoven with the biography of a Shiah Islamic cleric. The book's strength comes from the author's clarity of expression and his deep and broad understanding of his subject.A wonderful book!

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Summary: A book that left a lasting impression
Review: I read The Mantle of the Prophet many years ago. OSmehow the Amazaon computer knew me well enough to reccomend it, and it brought back the impression that this book left me. It is wonderfully written and relates the mix of socio-economic events and the Shi'a culture that coalesced to foment the Islamic Revolution in 1979. However, the sense the reder gets while rapidly going through it, is that the book presents this very thoughtful and clear historical and sociological argument in the manner of a novel, you can't put the book down. This no ordinary academic text and Mottahedeh combines the skills and art of the poet and novelist with the clarity and facts of an academic. I have never read such an interesting and clear - devoid of controversy or criticism - description of what's it like to study in a Shiá Madrasa, to undertand the curriculum and the stages that a student must follow to become an Ayatoallah. Mottahedeh also offers a simple and brilliant, powerful description of the cultural contrast that existed between the supericially modern and wealthy cosmopolitan Teheran and the countryside, which supplied so many of the clerics that influenced the masses living on the fringe. This book is as invaluable to the specialist, and is an excellent complement to the socio-hiostorical classic text by Ervand Abrahamian "Iran Bewteen two Revolutions", yet it can also be read and enjoyed by the non-specialist just the same. This was, however I look at it, one of the finest books I've ever read in my life

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Summary: Insightful and Pleasant Read
Review: Roy Mottahedeh skillfully weaves together the lives of several people from Iran to present a personal point of view of modern history with a vantage point rarely presented in other modern history texts. He also does not fail to address all the necessary points in history that set the stage for actions in Iran's recent history and give the reader an adequate foundation for understanding Iran's revolution.

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Summary: A Must Read if you wanna understand IRAN and IRANIANS
Review: The Mantle of Prophet is an interesting novel written in the context of Iranian history, religion, and politics. I would say pretty balanced description of the Iran today, I enjoyed that alot, except in the discussion of last fifty years, the author focused more on Jalal Ahmed, who undoubtly did good contribution, and other 'liberal' intelligentsia and neglected to give proper place to Khomeini, Mutahhari, and Shariati's ideas and role, in all, the role of the religious intelligentsia. I also wanted to see the the context of neo-colonial politics and the emerging (as a reaction) international Islamic movements that had influences on the shape of Iranian Revolution. The author traces Khomeini's involvement in politics after Bourojerdi death (1960s), which is not historically accurate. Khomeini wrote his book Kasful Asrar (or some other very controversial book, in which he not only criticized Shah but the lethargic Ulema class as well) around 1942. But all in all a good read.

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Summary: Rise of learned
Review: Very comprehensive information about the shia, shia philosophy, development of learned in shia hierarchy and finally Islamic revolution in Iran. The story is written about a certain person as he grow up in Iran, got his education in religious centers and involved in the actions. The history and information are given as the situation requires background about it. It is very nicely written, easy to read entertaining and informative.
Sometimes I found names mixed, to many names with too different philosophies to keep up, so it is a fast book to read, time to time you may have to come back and repeat.

Rating:
Summary: Love and deep understanding of Iran
Review: Wonderful book that reconstructs Iranian history while telling the story of one religious teacher - who basically remains anonymous - who grew up in Qom and lived through the political tumult over the decades that led to the 1979 Islamic Revolution (that may sound a little contrived but the rather unusual structure works very well and gives the book many different dimensions).

Shows the roots of the basis of Islamic education in the Shia madrasehs in the Greek 'trivium' of logic, rhetoric and grammar. Looks too at the continuing vitality of Persian consciousness and the Persian language after the Arab invasion and the triumph of Islam, while also exploring the links with Shia in the Arab world.

Clearly written with a lot of love and a deep understanding, and goes well beyond some of the trivial books written by western journalists about Iran. Highly recommended.