'At once a stern critique of American foreign policy and a concise, colorful, and compelling modern history of Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. A former journalist for The New York Times and The Boston Globe, Kinzer is a masterful storyteller. His cast of characters leaps off the page... Kinzer makes a compelling case... that the road to peace in the Middle East runs through Ankara and Tehran, not Jerusalem.' - NPR.org; 'Kinzer re-imagines the world and America's role in it.' - Robert Lacey, author of Inside the Kingdom; 'Stephen Kinzer is a journalist of a certain cheeky fearlessness and exquisite timing. In his new book he's ahead of the game again. ... This book is a bold exercise in reimagining the United States' big links in the Middle East.' -The Huffington Post; 'Fresh and well-informed... Kinzer argues persuasively that despite their very different governments - one friendly and free, the other hostile and theocratic - both Turkey and Iran are host to vibrant democratic traditions that make them natural long-term partners of the United States... [A] lively, character-driven approach to history.' - The Washington Post