The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran

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The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 110 ratings · 37 reviews

The dramatic secret history of our undeclared thirty-year conflict with Iran, revealing newsbreaking episodes of covert and deadly operations that brought the two nations to the brink of open war

For three decades, the United States and Iran have engaged in a secret war. It is a conflict that has never been acknowledged and a story that has never been told.

This surreptitiou...more The dramatic secret history of our undeclared thirty-year conflict with Iran, revealing newsbreaking episodes of covert and deadly operations that brought the two nations to the brink of open war

For three decades, the United States and Iran have engaged in a secret war. It is a conflict that has never been acknowledged and a story that has never been told.

This surreptitious war began with the Iranian revolution and simmers today inside Iraq and in the Persian Gulf. Fights rage in the shadows, between the CIA and its network of spies and Iran's intelligence agency. Battles are fought at sea with Iranians in small speedboats attacking Western oil tankers. This conflict has frustrated five American presidents, divided administrations, and repeatedly threatened to bring the two nations into open warfare. It is a story of shocking miscalculations, bitter debates, hidden casualties, boldness, and betrayal.

A senior historian for the federal government with unparalleled access to senior officials and key documents of several U.S. administrations, Crist has spent more than ten years researching and writing The Twilight War, and he breaks new ground on virtually every page. Crist describes the series of secret negotiations between Iran and the United States after 9/11, culminating in Iran's proposal for a grand bargain for peace-which the Bush administration turned down. He documents the clandestine counterattack Iran launched after America's 2003 invasion of Iraq, in which thousands of soldiers disguised as reporters, tourists, pilgrims, and aid workers toiled to change the government in Baghdad and undercut American attempts to pacify the Iraqi insurgency. And he reveals in vivid detail for the first time a number of important stories of military and intelligence operations by both sides, both successes and failures, and their typically unexpected consequences.

Much has changed in the world since 1979, but Iran and America remain each other's biggest national security nightmares. "The Iran problem" is a razor-sharp briar patch that has claimed its sixth presidential victim in Barack Obama and his administration. The Twilight War adds vital new depth to our understanding of this acute dilemma it is also a thrillingly engrossing read, animated by a healthy irony about human failings in the fog of not-quite war.(less)

Hardcover, 656 pages

Published July 19th 2012 by Penguin Press HC, The

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May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The dramatic secret history of our undeclared thirty-year conflict with Iran, revealing newsbreaking episodes of covert and deadly operations that brought the two nations to the brink of open war

For three decades, the United States and Iran have engaged in a secret war. It is a conflict that has never been acknowledged and a story that has never been told.

This surreptitious war began with the Iranian revolution and simmers today inside Iraq and in the Persian Gulf. Fights rage in the shadow

...more

The dramatic secret history of our undeclared thirty-year conflict with Iran, revealing newsbreaking episodes of covert and deadly operations that brought the two nations to the brink of open war

For three decades, the United States and Iran have engaged in a secret war. It is a conflict that has never been acknowledged and a story that has never been told.

This surreptitious war began with the Iranian revolution and simmers today inside Iraq and in the Persian Gulf. Fights rage in the shadows, between the CIA and its network of spies and Iran's intelligence agency. Battles are fought at sea with Iranians in small speedboats attacking Western oil tankers. This conflict has frustrated five American presidents, divided administrations, and repeatedly threatened to bring the two nations into open warfare. It is a story of shocking miscalculations, bitter debates, hidden casualties, boldness, and betrayal.

A senior historian for the federal government with unparalleled access to senior officials and key documents of several U.S. administrations, Crist has spent more than ten years researching and writing The Twilight War, and he breaks new ground on virtually every page. Crist describes the series of secret negotiations between Iran and the United States after 9/11, culminating in Iran's proposal for a grand bargain for peace-which the Bush administration turned down. He documents the clandestine counterattack Iran launched after America's 2003 invasion of Iraq, in which thousands of soldiers disguised as reporters, tourists, pilgrims, and aid workers toiled to change the government in Baghdad and undercut American attempts to pacify the Iraqi insurgency. And he reveals in vivid detail for the first time a number of important stories of military and intelligence operations by both sides, both successes and failures, and their typically unexpected consequences.

Much has changed in the world since 1979, but Iran and America remain each other's biggest national security nightmares. "The Iran problem" is a razor-sharp briar patch that has claimed its sixth presidential victim in Barack Obama and his administration. The Twilight War adds vital new depth to our understanding of this acute dilemma it is also a thrillingly engrossing read, animated by a healthy irony about human failings in the fog of not-quite war.

Review

"A fascinating, detailed history of American-Iranian foreign relations... Crist is a natural-born writer, and the best parts of The Twilight War are not just engaging, but thrilling. His account of the 1988 naval mine strike on the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf reads almost like the script for an action movie, in large part because he's careful to pay attention to the actual people behind the sailors' uniforms. It's that concern for humanity that also renders his narratives of the bombings of the Beirut barracks (in 1983) and the Khobar Towers (in 1996) so chilling, immediate and heartbreaking." —Michael Shaub, NPR

"David Crist's painstakingly researched and elegantly written account of the United States-Iran cold war is an earnest chronicle of this shadowy history. ...Deserves a spot on the short list of must-read books on United States-Iran relations." —Karim Sadjadpour, The New York Times

About the Author

David Crist is currently a historian for the federal government. As a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, he served in the first gulf war and made two tours with elite special operations forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. He lives in Maryland.

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Mar 30, 2013 Ali rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great book and a must read. Since it discusses both Iran and USA and their relationship I wrote a brief review in Persian for the potential Iranian reader as well:

زمان پیروزی انقلاب اسلامی ایران در سال 1357 روابط ایران و آمریکا وارد فاز جدیدی شد که پیش بینی آینده روابط دو کشور راغیرممکن می کند. مجموعه ای از شایعات، باورها، فشارها، منافع سیاسی گروههای مختلف و کلیشه ها مانع از تحلیل منطقی عوامل موثر بر این ارتباطات و انگیزه های دو کشور در تماسهای دو جانبه می شود. این روزها که دور جدیدی...more This is a great book and a must read. Since it discusses both Iran and USA and their relationship I wrote a brief review in Persian for the potential Iranian reader as well:

زمان پیروزی انقلاب اسلامی ایران در سال 1357 روابط ایران و آمریکا وارد فاز جدیدی شد که پیش بینی آینده روابط دو کشور راغیرممکن می کند. مجموعه ای از شایعات، باورها، فشارها، منافع سیاسی گروههای مختلف و کلیشه ها مانع از تحلیل منطقی عوامل موثر بر این ارتباطات و انگیزه های دو کشور در تماسهای دو جانبه می شود. این روزها که دور جدیدی از مذاکرات کشورهای گروه 1+5 با ایران آغاز شده است نگاهی به تاریخچه روابط بین دو کشور در سی سال گذشته باعث می شود تا برخی رویدادها را بخاطر بیاوریم و نقش برخی کشورها را در شکل دادن این ارتباطات پر رنگ تر ببینیم. کتاب دیوید کریس به همین منظور نوشته است و گرچه خواننده ایرانی و خواننده بیطرف می تواند صحت برخی از ادعاهای نویسنده را زیر سوال ببرد اما دیوید کریس تصویر خوبی از ذهنیت و جو روانی حاکم بر تصمیم گیران آمریکایی و سیاستگذاران این کشور را به تصویر می کشد. برای نوشتن این کتاب دیوید کریس از موقعیت ممتازی برخوردار است. او مورخ ارشد دولت آمریکا و وقایع نگار رسمی پنتاگون بوده است که علاوه بر داشتن مدرک دکترای تاریخ خاورمیانه از دانشگاه ایالتی فلوریدا بعنوان افسر ذخیره در سپاه تفنگداران نیروی دریایی این کشور هم خدمت کرده است و در عملیات نظامی این کشور که منجر به سقوط طالبان در افغانستان شد شرکت داشته است. برای نوشتن این کتاب او ازمدارک پنتاگون بهره گرفته است و با دهها دیپلمات، کارشناس و نظامی آمریکایی مصاحبه کرده است. حاصل این تلاش کتابیست که هر علاقمند به تاریخ معاصر و هر محقق سیاست خارجی باید آنرا بخواند...برای بیشتر دانستن درباره این کتاب به وبلاگ اقتصاد خرد مراجعه کنید. http://adadpay.com/2013/03/28/25/(less)

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Mar 02, 2013 Steven Z. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have followed US-Iranian relations for over forty years and David Crist's work is the best that I have come across. It is a maticuously researched book that explores most diplomatic and military aspects of the American-Iranian relationship since the decline of the Shah and his overthrow in 1979. Crist explores the role of all the major players during the period and he raises important questions as to whether the deterioration of Washington's relationship with Teheran could have been avoided ar...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Mal Warwick rated it 4 of 5 stars

What We Didn't Know About the U.S. Relationship With Iran

If you were among those who sighed with relief when Barack Obama was reelected because you’d been concerned that a Republican administration would invade Iran, David Crist has news for you. In fact, The Twilight War is full of surprises, even for one who stays relatively well informed about world affairs. The underlying message — the meta-message, if you’ll permit that conceit — is that what we normally consume on a daily basis as “news” i...more What We Didn't Know About the U.S. Relationship With Iran

If you were among those who sighed with relief when Barack Obama was reelected because you’d been concerned that a Republican administration would invade Iran, David Crist has news for you. In fact, The Twilight War is full of surprises, even for one who stays relatively well informed about world affairs. The underlying message — the meta-message, if you’ll permit that conceit — is that what we normally consume on a daily basis as “news” is an awkward mixture of critical opinion, wishful thinking, rumor, partisan posturing, self-serving news leaks, and a smattering of hard information.

When it comes to Iran, the purveyors of news have done an especially poor job of keeping us informed. As David Crist makes clear in this illuminating report on the three decades of conflict, tension, miscalculation, and profound misunderstanding that have characterized our two countries’ relationship, we have indeed engaged in what can only be described as war for several extended periods. And when I say war, I mean soldiers, sailors, and air force pilots shooting at one another, laying mines, launching missiles at ships and ground facilities, and generally forcing one or both of the two governments to decide between escalation and retreat. There was even one heart-stopping incident during the Reagan Administration when a rogue, high-ranking U.S. Admiral conspired with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to invade Iran with massive force — and, apparently, was ordered to pull back from the brink largely because the Administration was consumed with covering up the President’s active role in the Iran-Contra affair.

The 2004 Presidential election campaign brought into the spotlight the U.S. support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s because Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had been photographed shaking hands with Saddam. Then we learned, some of us for the first time, that the U.S. had supplied weapons and munitions to Iraq. However, what went largely unreported was the extent to which the U.S. military built up its forces in the Persian Gulf to prevent Iran from flanking Iraq or widening the war to the Gulf Arab states, provided combat intelligence that helped Iraq turn back Iranian advances, and even intervened with force on Iraq’s side from time to time.

It was this history — combined with an understanding of the neoconservative design on the region — that led the Iranian leadership to conclude in 2003 that the U.S. invasion of Iraq presaged an imminent attack on Iran itself. The Ayatollah Khamenei and his minions were so frightened of this prospect that they used every backchannel available to them to attempt to get the U.S. to the negotiating table, where they were prepared to arrive at a grand solution to the differences between the two countries. Are you surprised to learn that the Bush Administration flatly rejected the overtures?

In other words, this has been a nail-biting relationship. Even worse, the outlook today doesn’t look any brighter than it ever has.

Author David Crist is a military historian for the U.S. Government, a reserve Marine Corps colonel, and the son of one of the early four-star commanders of CENTCOM, which was created in the 1980s to coordinate U.S. military affairs involving Iran and the Middle East. Given this pedigree, it’s not unfair to wonder whether Crist himself is guilty of some of the same sins I attributed earlier to the news media. Clearly, he’s extremely well informed and had access to military and government archives that might well be closed to other writers. However, a little poking around on the Web reveals that Crist got at least a few of his facts wrong, and in some places his interpretation of events has clearly been colored by his official associations.

The Twilight War is an especially dense work. The hardcover edition runs to 656 pages, but it reads as though it’s a thousand, largely because Crist (military historian to the core) seems to include a capsule biography of every other officer and combatant engaged in every firefight he reports. Like the epic dramas of Cecil B. DeMille, The Twilight War has a cast of thousands. All in all though, this is a revealing and important book, well worth reading, even if that means slogging through the mud.(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Thurston Hunger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Perhaps those currently hankering for a war with Iran, will be glad to know that one has been going on for quite some time. I'm fascinated by Iran for a number of reasons (its non-Arabic position in the middle east, the dual levels of existence as shown in Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels, source of amazing cinema and so on).

But mostly I fear these days that Iran is being bandied about as the USA's next foe to be most feared. Sort of the way the USSR was long ago. Ultimately I feel that most ear...more Perhaps those currently hankering for a war with Iran, will be glad to know that one has been going on for quite some time. I'm fascinated by Iran for a number of reasons (its non-Arabic position in the middle east, the dual levels of existence as shown in Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels, source of amazing cinema and so on).

But mostly I fear these days that Iran is being bandied about as the USA's next foe to be most feared. Sort of the way the USSR was long ago. Ultimately I feel that most earthlings are far more similar than jingoists want us to consider.

Anyways, I finished this over a month ago. One thing that stuck with me was the US shooting down Iran Air 655. Crist's account seemed to lead up to a notion of William Roger's battle-hunger combined with monitoring ineptitude. But then Crist closes his comments citing Iran as isolated from the international community, barring Syria, in their outrage over this event.

That just didn't seem to match up with Crist's account, and the loss of 290 civillian lives. I honestly do not recall ever hearing about this horrible incident.

So considering things like that, on top of the whole Shah puppet play, the US siding with Irag in the brutal Iran-Iraq war, I can see how Iran would see the US as the much larger threat here. And that gets underscored in various battles recounted through-out (Iran and their mining campaign and the crushing responses from the US).

On the flip side, Crist's account of the so-called Captain Nasty, and repeated attempts to tie Iran's Revolutionary Guard to terrorism around the world, help to portray the Iranian side as blood-thirsty as well. Khobar Towers I vaguely recall, and that too helps cement the fact that it takes two to tangle, but as tragic as that was (the accounts are harrowing) still blowing the commercial airliner out of the sky sticks with me even more painfully.

But from Khobar Towers, we get a clear impression of renegade forces, and the supreme ruler of Iran not being aware of the Quds or other forces. Similarly, on the US side, Crist presents Admiral Ace Lyons
and his Window of Opportunity.

One almost wonders, does a loaded gun *want* to fire?

Anyways, I suspect that unlike myself, most people who will read this book, tend to read many others in the (modern) military history genre. For me the writing was very clear, well-paced and reading was an easy task. Understanding what was happening and why, much more difficult by nature.

Not too glad about what I read, but glad I read it.(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: world-history, military-history

This book could have been titled “Trapped by History with No Way Out” because it shows each side has compelling reasons for its actions. The author presents a balanced account from the Iranian revolution of 1979 to 2012 so it covers a lot of ground. It provides much behind the scenes information including the spy wars, the naval war in the gulf, and intra-governmental conflicts. It shows how both sides had their share of “rogue commanders” and it shows how various peace initiatives from both sid...more This book could have been titled “Trapped by History with No Way Out” because it shows each side has compelling reasons for its actions. The author presents a balanced account from the Iranian revolution of 1979 to 2012 so it covers a lot of ground. It provides much behind the scenes information including the spy wars, the naval war in the gulf, and intra-governmental conflicts. It shows how both sides had their share of “rogue commanders” and it shows how various peace initiatives from both sides failed due to bad timing and distrust.

The book begins in 1978 just prior to the Iranian revolution and during the years when American foreign policy was fixated on the big game of containing the Soviet Union in which every foreign policy challenge was perceived in that context. The tyrannical Shah of Iran, put in place by a CIA inspired coup, was widely hated yet Carter publicly supported him in some naive belief that would preserve his power when it only shifted more hatred towards the U.S. which in time lead to the storming of the U.S. embassy and the capturing of the embassy staff. This in turn caused the U.S. population to turn against Iran.

While the U.S. did not know of Iraq’s plan to invade Iran in 1980 the U.S. tacitly supported Iraq’s invasion of Iran out of the hatred generated by the hostage crisis. When Iraq started losing the U.S. shared critical intelligence which was key to preventing Iraqi defeat and even allowed Iraq to take the offensive which eventually forced Iran to agree to peace in 1988. Iran viewed this as a proxy war with the U.S. calling the shots. In response Iran developed its own proxies, most notably Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran found itself surrounded by enemies: the Sunni Arab states of the gulf, the U.S., and Israel. Because of this and like Israel Iran decided it needed nuclear weapons. Iran also sought to keep its enemies off balance by promoting the Israeli - Palestinian (Sunni Arab) conflict, and training and supplying guerrilla groups to attack U.S. forces in Iraq even during the withdrawal phase.

In the end U.S., European, and Arab concerns boil down the threat posed by a nuclear Iran with its capability of proxy and missile warfare. This is why President Obama has committed the U.S. to attack Iran if diplomatic efforts fail to stop Iran’s nuclear development. The author seems pessimistic that peace is now possible.(less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Hadrian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, nonfiction, politics-and-foreign-policy, west-asia

If there is anything like a primarily ideological adversary to modern US foreign policy, it is violent religious fundamentalism. This is most typified in their stormy relationship with Iran. They once were a bulwark ally in the region (after we propped the Shah up with a coup) but now we are each other's boogeymen. Here, Crist makes an incisive history of our complex and stormy confrontations.

Carter, we know, had a disastrous time. But Reagan made his share of mistakes, too. Most notably Iran-Co...more If there is anything like a primarily ideological adversary to modern US foreign policy, it is violent religious fundamentalism. This is most typified in their stormy relationship with Iran. They once were a bulwark ally in the region (after we propped the Shah up with a coup) but now we are each other's boogeymen. Here, Crist makes an incisive history of our complex and stormy confrontations.

Carter, we know, had a disastrous time. But Reagan made his share of mistakes, too. Most notably Iran-Contra and arms-for-hostages deals. His first policies were thinking of preventing Soviet control of Iran - which makes no sense in hindsight. Iran was a theocratic, fatalist, revolutionary, xenophobic state - hardly one to cooperate with the atheist Communists who had also invaded their neighbor, Afghanistan.

There was also the question of our involvement in the Iran-Iraq War. Some officials in the Reagan administration balked at the idea of supporting Saddam, but they were ignored. And now we see trench warfare, chemical weapons and child soldiers.

The main goal of US policy was attempting to preserve the flow of oil through the Persian Gulf and prevent tensions between their Peninsular Allies (Saudi Arabia mainly), but also Israel, which is another area onto itself.

Both Bushes were involved in dealing with Iran, as well. Bush II led his mad crusades and only succeeded in exacerbating the government. Clinton made temporary overtures, but his main priorities were East Africa, the Balkans, and his own Congress.

Obama first offered another olive branch with his Cairo speech, but it was quickly rebuffed by Iranian officials, thinking him to be another weak and feckless Carter. But as the Arab revolts boil around them and Obama orders drone strikes and harder sanctions, we can see his willingness to harden his stance. But unfortunately, it is entirely possible that the autocrats will continue to act in their interests, and let the Iranian people suffer, as seen with the sanctions of 1990s Iraq.

Crist has produced an astonishing analysis of this complex topic, and one that is essential for further understanding of this most volatile region.(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

The United States and Iran have been bitter enemies since the Iranian takeover of the American embassy in 1979. Few Americas are aware of how bitter the enmity has been. David Crist’s important new book, subtitled "The Secret History of America’s Thirty –Year Conflict with Iran," outlines the origins and background of the conflict and details the numerous military confrontations that have brought us to the brink of outright war several times. Crist is a Marine colonel whose father was a four-sta...more The United States and Iran have been bitter enemies since the Iranian takeover of the American embassy in 1979. Few Americas are aware of how bitter the enmity has been. David Crist’s important new book, subtitled "The Secret History of America’s Thirty –Year Conflict with Iran," outlines the origins and background of the conflict and details the numerous military confrontations that have brought us to the brink of outright war several times. Crist is a Marine colonel whose father was a four-star Marine general in charge of the U.S. Central Command, the organization tasked with military operations in the Middle East. He has an excellent sense of military tactics and strategy, and describes battlefield and naval confrontations with an aura of authenticity.

Crist’s narrative begins in 1979 with the overthrow of the Shah, and thus omits a discussion of American participation in the coup that overthrew the government of Mohammad Mosaddegh and installed the Shah in 1953. This omission is hard to justify; it is an important element in understanding the intense hatred of the United States that motivated Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and many of the students who overran the American Embassy and precipitated the hostage crisis of Jimmy Carter’s presidency.

The United States was slow to recognize how implacable an enemy the clerical regime in Iran was because the Americans were worried more about Soviet intervention than the rise of an unallied adversary. Nonetheless, the U.S. clearly sided with Iraq shortly after Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in 1981. The U.S. wanted to make sure oil kept flowing through the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz, despite Iran’s efforts to prevent Iraq’s allies, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, from using those waters to transport petroleum. For several years, the U.S. Navy confronted the Iranian navy (such as it was) in a nasty standoff that has become known as the “tanker war.”

The actual fighting between the U.S. and Iran has almost always been asymmetric: Iranian speedboats vs. U.S. Navy destroyers, cruisers, or air craft carriers or suicide bombers vs. traditional military. In recent years, Iranian armed and financed surrogates like Hezbollah and Shiite Iraqi insurgents have carried out terrorist attacks against American targets.

A few times in the past 30 years, the interests of the two adversaries coincided. The Iranians were somewhat helpful in both U.S. wars against Iraq, and they initially were helpful in the war against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. On the other hand, several incidents have almost resulted in outright war between the U.S. and Iran; Crist observed one such case himself in 2003.

A persistent theme of the book is that Iran is difficult to deal with because its government is so incompetent—it is never quite clear who (if anyone) is actually in charge. Crist sees this phenomenon as a potential cause of a “war of miscalculation.” Drawing upon hundreds of interviews and research into military archives, Crist reveals that there have been a number of “close calls” and he sees no prospect for better relations any time soon.

The author is especially critical of Ronald Reagan’s handling of Iran. He was too empathetic toward hostages held by Iranian surrogates, and found himself out-negotiated and bamboozled by the wily Persians. Crist is not especially favorable about Jimmy Carter either, although Mark Bowden, in Guests of the Ayatollah suggested that Carter was tougher than is generally known. Crist gives George W. Bush low marks for focusing on the moral iniquity of Iran, a position bound to do nothing but further alienation.

Crist ends his long and detailed account pessimistically. He suggests that Iran has become even more belligerent over time, and that the U.S. has not been sufficiently firm. He does not see much hope for avoiding an escalation of the “twilight” war with Iran unless the two sides begin to speak one another’s language, in all senses of the phrase.

Evaluation: Crist’s occasionally commits some common misuses of words. He confuses disinterest (impartiality) with lack of interest and he writes that Colin Powell is “precise in his verbiage,” which is a pretty good trick since verbiage means “an excess of words for the purpose.”

Crist emphasizes the military aspects of the confrontation somewhat more than the political aspects, which may account for his omission of a discussion of the effects of the 1953 CIA-backed overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddegh. Nevertheless, this book is full of insights about important aspects of the U.S.-Iran relationship, especially given the current tension over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. And based on past history, it is extremely unlikely that the Iranians have told or will tell the truth about their nuclear program. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the real state of affairs in today’s Middle East.
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Nov 16, 2012 Kevin Kizer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting book written by the son of one of the major players, who himself has decades of experience in the region. What struck me as one of the defining moments (and there are many) in the relationship between Iran and the US was when, after Iran had deceived the US on trading weapons for hostages (see Iran/Contra), the US reneged on a different deal after the Iranians had delivered on their end. Sure, the US could say it was justified because of the previous deceptions, but it showed th...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Mark Kenneth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall I am thrilled and pleased with the pace of the book. Admittedly I was abit disappointed after what looked like a promising start on an what I hoped would have been a deeper dive on the American hostage crisis in 1979. The book seems to be a once sided political and military history from an American perspective. I flew through the first three chapters which covered the Carter administration to Reagan's assumption of power and only to find out that there was no deep level dive into the Ir...more

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Dec 28, 2012 H Wesselius rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crist begins his tale at the begining of the Islamic Revolution. One wishes he started earlier with CIA interference in the 50s for a more complete picture but then again the book was long enough with the time period he choose.
A picture quickly emerges of two sides dancing to the abyss time and time again. Each time one side stepped back, the other side became more embolden. To complicate matters both sides also featured lone wolves, independent actors, etc. Crist gives us a narrative which all...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Marty rated it 5 of 5 stars

An outstanding history of a very, VERY complicated relationship between Iran and the U.S. David Crist, son of General George Crist (Ret.), has written an amazing accounting of both military and diplomatic events that have taken place between these two countries over the last 30 years. So much misunderstanding, wrong-headed decisions, and miscommunications between both countries over many years are brought to light in this book.

This book is required reading to all who have an interest in the Mid...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

For three decades, the United States and Iran have engaged in a secret war. It is a conflict that has never been acknowledged and a story that has never been told.

This surreptitious war began with the Iranian revolution and simmers today inside Iraq and in the Persian Gulf. Fights rage in the shadows, between the CIA and its network of spies and Iran's intelligence agency. Battles are fought at sea with Iranians in small speedboats attacking Western oil tankers. This conflict has frustrated five...more For three decades, the United States and Iran have engaged in a secret war. It is a conflict that has never been acknowledged and a story that has never been told.

This surreptitious war began with the Iranian revolution and simmers today inside Iraq and in the Persian Gulf. Fights rage in the shadows, between the CIA and its network of spies and Iran's intelligence agency. Battles are fought at sea with Iranians in small speedboats attacking Western oil tankers. This conflict has frustrated five American presidents, divided administrations, and repeatedly threatened to bring the two nations into open warfare. It is a story of shocking miscalculations, bitter debates, hidden casualties, boldness, and betrayal.

A senior historian for the federal government with unparalleled access to senior officials and key documents of several U.S. administrations, Crist has spent more than ten years researching and writing The Twilight War, and he breaks new ground on virtually every page. Crist describes the series of secret negotiations between Iran and the United States after 9/11, culminating in Iran's proposal for a grand bargain for peace-which the Bush administration turned down. He documents the clandestine counterattack Iran launched after America's 2003 invasion of Iraq, in which thousands of soldiers disguised as reporters, tourists, pilgrims, and aid workers toiled to change the government in Baghdad and undercut American attempts to pacify the Iraqi insurgency. And he reveals in vivid detail for the first time a number of important stories of military and intelligence operations by both sides, both successes and failures, and their typically unexpected consequences.

Much has changed in the world since 1979, but Iran and America remain each other's biggest national security nightmares. "The Iran problem" is a razor-sharp briar patch that has claimed its sixth presidential victim in Barack Obama and his administration. The Twilight War adds vital new depth to our understanding of this acute dilemma it is also a thrillingly engrossing read, animated by a healthy irony about human failings in the fog of not-quite war.(less)

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Mar 18, 2013 Julian Haigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Explains US military positioning/actions and some covert ops against Iran since 1979 overthrow of the Shah. Truly enlightening work that paints a picture to put the relations in perspective. The US embassy hostage crisis (a year after the revolution) sadly affected the relationship going forward and the rest is a story of false-starts. The problem lies far more on the Iranian side, but my Iranian friend recently explained that even the nutty revolutionary guard is coming around to pragmatism - i...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Jerome rated it 5 of 5 stars

I commend Dr Crist for the incredible level of detail he offers in this book...it made for great reading! Additionally, I very much appreciate his position (highlighted constantly throughout the book) that this "twilight war" is the fault of BOTH sides and will only be fixed if both sides set aside years of acrimony and distrust. However, I do feel that Dr Crist rushed the portion covering the Obama presidency. I would've enjoyed reading more about the attempted assassination of the Saudi ambass...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Michael Griswold added it

When I heard that David Crist was a senior historian for the federal government and an advisor to government officials on the Middle East, I was slightly concerned because one is never sure whether or not someone has a political agenda. While, I can't determine anyone's political leanings, David Crist has written a painstakingly thorough and detailed history on the thirty year conflict with Iran. Although every president from Carter to Obama is covered, wide swathes of the book are dedicated to...more When I heard that David Crist was a senior historian for the federal government and an advisor to government officials on the Middle East, I was slightly concerned because one is never sure whether or not someone has a political agenda. While, I can't determine anyone's political leanings, David Crist has written a painstakingly thorough and detailed history on the thirty year conflict with Iran. Although every president from Carter to Obama is covered, wide swathes of the book are dedicated to the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations.

The Reagan administration (1981-89) takes up approx. three hundred pagesor more than half the book. This may not indicate any political bias either way as the Regan administration was tasked with dealing with the Iran-Iraq war, the 1983 marine barracks bombing in Lebanon by Hezbollah, and Iran-Contra affair. No president since Reagan has been tasked with dealing with quite so much on the Iran front.

This twilight war, like any other war conventional or otherwise has ebbed and flowed, perhaps explaining why some presidents get so much coverage, while some get decidedly less. The war was hot during the Reagan and Bush II administrations, while other presidents had other concerns (Bush I had the Gulf War, while Clinton had his own personal conduct to deal with, for example.)

Crist because of his unique position is able to take the reader on ships and airplanes that had the task of patrolling the Persian Gulf with the pilots and crewmen while simultaneously taking us inside presidential administrations to detail the decision making and infighting among administration officials, which I feel is the ultimate strength of the book.

The Iran issue created divisions within every American presidents administration and perhaps surprisingly within the leadership of Iran towards the United States as well. This ultimately creates a book where both sides come out looking equally at fault and no president comes out looking spectacular. Both Iran and the United States have missed opportunities to potentially lessen the hostilities.

A remarkably fair and even handed book, highest recommendation.(less)

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May 02, 2013 Timothy Eklund rated it 4 of 5 stars

an interesting and informative book, about a topic that deserves wider coverage. It can feel over-long and unsatisfying, however, because the thing about American relations with Iran is that nothing ever goes right and nothing ever really changes, making a book about the topic pretty much necessarily frustrating. By no means should that be held against though, since it certainly doesn't seem to flinch from showing the sometimes horrifying world of international diplomacy.

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Jan 20, 2013 Seth Kolloen rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you liked Argo...for a foreign policy book, this is really thrilling. The weird world of US/Iran relations by the son of a Navy higher-up. Mostly you learn how deep the misunderstandings are between the two countries, and in many ways the best results have been achieved accidentally. Really shows how the US has completely and possibly disastrously mismanaged the relationship with Iran (and Iran has done the same). The story of the Iran-Contra affair is particularly unbelieveable...

“While we w...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Kash rated it 1 of 5 stars

I am disappointed in this book. I have read most of the actual sources of this book. This is the authors phd thesis turned into a book and so it is just not very factual or correct. Hearsay and lots of hogwash... Of course America has been under attack from Iran for 32 yrs but author fails to understand why. And he fails to realize the depth of hatred the Iranian regime has for the west. A great topic ruined by a horrible book...

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Nov 23, 2012 Keith rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is amazingly in depth, and it explains in detail the 30 year conflict that the U.S. has had with Iran. Although it is technically since we put the Shah in power that is where the problem started. But regardless it describes that occurrence and many others that have led to the situation that we currently face as a nation today.

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Jan 06, 2013 D.C. Hampton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well written and with extensive research, this is an important book for anyone seeking to understand U.S.-Iran relations and the Middle East in general. In spite of a great deal of detail, the author manages to tell the ongoing story of this difficult relationship in a very readable andnunderstandable way. Highly recommended.

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Mar 08, 2013 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, middle-east, nonfiction

An excellent scholarly and even-handed account of US-Iran relations since the 1970s, with most emphasis on Reagan years. Critical of both sides, and especially poor decisions by the Americans, it also covers military actions undertaken by both sides (and covert ones as well) as Iran struggled with Iraq and to gain hegemony in the region, with the US protecting its intewests and that of its local allies. Some of his research came as a surprise to me and I learned quite a bit. This would be requir...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

I only got about halfway through this book before I had to put it down. The subject matter is fascinating but the authors style of writing is very dry and didn't hold my attention well.

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Mar 27, 2013 Adam rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book provided an excellent view on the U.S. and Iran's difficult relationship. This book was informative and a great read. I stayed up late to finish it.

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Sep 20, 2012 Do10271 rated it 3 of 5 stars

The history of this conflict is worse than I had thought. Unbelievable that this much information could be compiled.

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Dec 02, 2012 Elizabeth Managan added it

This is a really informative and readable account of our misadventures with Iran, with some great use of primary research. I knew very little about the Tanker war before this, to which the book devotes a great deal of space.

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Oct 10, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was very useful in a couple of ways 1) it gave an excellent broad picture of US-Iran interactions and the major players involved and 2) it introduced a concept that isn't talked about to much these day: Iran's regional and naval strategy. I think the 2nd part is useful for thinking about possible courses of action when dealing with Iran in the future.
The book is somewhat biased, as most political histories are, but overall very useful and well-written, worth the read for anyone who is...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Panos rated it 3 of 5 stars

Quite informative and well balanced.

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Jan 10, 2013 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to start off with the disclaimer that i know the author. That said, Dr. Crist writes a very readable and very factually accurate account of the chess game we've played with Iran over the last 30 years. It did open my eyes, no pun intended, to how blind we've both been to each other's overtures and how convoluted a game it is, neither side willing to show weakness or admit wrong. We have to find a way to sit down with each other, or this is going to end with blood.

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Nov 02, 2012 Kirill rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best books I've ever read on the Middle East, with the most thorough research, and definitely the best on US - Iran relationship. If you want to understand anything about the coming war with Iran, you have to read this.

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