Fuller's long-anticipated study of Iran is as original and enlightening as expected. After an introductory review of Iranian political culture, Center of the Universe provides a detailed assessment of Iranian relations with the country's many neighbors-Iraq, the Persian Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Russia and the Soviet Union, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan. He also covers the Arab-Israeli conflict. The final chapters consider the Iranian global vision, relations with the United States, and the future course of Iranian foreign policy.
Two aspects make Center of the Universe stand out. First, it teaches you about a host of significant but neglected issues. Fuller's study is about the only place to learn about such subjects as the radical improvement in Turkish-Iranian relations right after World War I, the disruptive potential of Azeri nationalism, or the Iranian admiration for Japan's achievement. Fuller has something to teach Middle East specialists about even the most familiar subjects. Second, Fuller writes with an uncommon discipline. He does not leave all this new information hanging, but ties it down, always drawing specific implications from it for both Iran and the United States, many of which are novel. For this achievement, praise is not due to the author alone: in effect, he is showcasing a much-underrated genre, U.S. diplomatic and intelligence analysis. Fuller proves that government employees at their best have much to teach academics and journalists.
