Praise for James Buchan:'James Buchan writes like a dream' -- The Times 'A succinct elegant book, written in an easy, conversational tone which never makes its big ideas or profound implications seem intimidating' -- Sunday Telegraph 'James Buchan's elegant prose sparkles on the page' -- New Statesman 'Combines deft broad strokes with intricate details, shading in apparent dry subjects with innumerable and delightful anecdotes' -- The Economist

James Buchan studied Persian at Oxford University and first visited Iran in 1973. His books, both fiction and non-fiction, have won leading literary prizes and been translated into fifteen languages, including Arabic and Persian