India, June 21 -- Israel launched a missile attack on Iran's military and nuclear sites last Friday. Its stated intent is to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has since retaliated. Tehran has refused to discuss its nuclear programme while under attack. Meanwhile, it is speculated that the US will join Israel in bombing Iran's underground nuclear facilities. This week, we recommend Iran: A Modern History, by Yale University scholar Abbas Amanat. Peppered with anecdotes, the book interweaves narrative with analysis and commentary on the culture, society, and politics of early-modern and modern Iran. The book covers Iran's strong poetry tradition, secularisation of education and the courts of law from 1921 to 1979, dynastic changes, civil wars, revolutions, foreign occupation, arts, religious traditions, and influence on its neighbourhood. Amanat helps the reader understand how the religious establishment seized control of Iran in 1979 and has maintained power since....