An Ambassador's Wife in Iran

Titre

En An Ambassador's Wife in Iran

Fr Une femme d'ambassadeur en Iran

Type

Travelogue (chronological outlier, 20th c.)

Identifiant

ISBN 9780396078814 ; LCCN 80025090

Auteur.e.s

Helms, Cynthia (Cynthia Ratcliff)

Contributions

Helms, Richard M. (1913–2002) (husband; U.S. Ambassador to Iran, 1973–1977; former Director of Central Intelligence)

Résumé

En Memoir by Cynthia Helms, wife of Richard Helms — former Director of Central Intelligence, appointed U.S. Ambassador to Iran by Richard Nixon from 1973 to 1977 — recounting her four years of embassy life in Tehran during the final years of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's reign, immediately preceding the Islamic Revolution and the 1979-1981 hostage crisis at the same embassy she had inhabited. English-born, Helms studied Persian language and history at Tehran University during her posting and travelled extensively through Iran, producing an account combining diplomatic social life, glimpses of the Shah and Empress Farah at court, and independent observation of Iranian culture, history, and daily life. Published by Dodd, Mead in 1981, shortly after the revolution and hostage crisis had transformed the U.S.-Iran relationship the book records from within, the index confirms sustained engagement with religious and cultural terms — Ayatollah, Khomeini, Imam, Islamic, mosque, mullahs, prayers, religion, religious leaders, Shi'ite, shrine, tradition — alongside sites including Mashhad, Persepolis, Pasargadae, and Susa. Helms later also published Favourite Stories from Persia (1982). Of relevance for the study of the elite diplomatic and social context immediately preceding ta'zieh's dramatic political re-emergence during the revolution, Helms's insider embassy perspective — visible in her book's own index listing of "mullahs" alongside "Shahbanu" and "Savak" — captures the final years of the Pahlavi court's ambivalent relationship to the Shi'i religious establishment on the very eve of its overthrow.

Fr Memoire de Cynthia Helms, epouse de Richard Helms — ancien directeur de la CIA, nomme ambassadeur des Etats-Unis en Iran par Richard Nixon de 1973 a 1977 —, relatant ses quatre annees de vie d'ambassade a Teheran durant les dernieres annees du regne de Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, immediatement avant la Revolution islamique et la crise des otages de 1979-1981 dans la meme ambassade qu'elle avait habitee. Nee en Angleterre, Helms etudia la langue et l'histoire persanes a l'Universite de Teheran durant son sejour et voyagea largement a travers l'Iran, produisant un recit alliant vie sociale diplomatique, apercus du Shah et de l'imperatrice Farah a la cour, et observation independante de la culture, de l'histoire et de la vie quotidienne iraniennes. Publie chez Dodd, Mead en 1981, peu apres que la revolution et la crise des otages eurent transforme la relation americano-iranienne que le livre consigne de l'interieur, l'index confirme un engagement soutenu avec des termes religieux et culturels — Ayatollah, Khomeini, Imam, islamique, mosquee, mollas, prieres, religion, chefs religieux, chiite, sanctuaire, tradition — aux cotes de sites incluant Mashhad, Persepolis, Pasargades et Suse. Helms publia plus tard egalement Favourite Stories from Persia (1982). D'un interet pour l'etude du contexte diplomatique et social elitaire precedant immediatement la reemergence politique spectaculaire de la ta'zieh durant la revolution, la perspective d'initiee d'ambassade de Helms — visible dans le fait que l'index de son propre livre liste « mollahs » aux cotes de « Shahbanu » et « Savak » — saisit les dernieres annees du rapport ambivalent de la cour pahlavie a l'etablissement religieux chiite, a la toute veille de son renversement.

Edition

Dodd, Mead and Company, New York

Date

1981 (events 1973–1977)

Langue

En

Citation bibliographique

Helms, Cynthia. 1981. An Ambassador's Wife in Iran. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company.

Référence

Amazon

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