The Foreign Service Journal, January 2005

How is it that a city of 60,000, beset by mayhem and vice, can be described as glorious? Limbert squares that cir- cle nicely with a description of Shiraz as a bundle of contradictions: a violent, unstable place full of drunkards and “bloodthirsty hypocrites” but also a “tower of saints” where holy men prayed, fasted and nourished the poor, and an “abode of knowledge” where scholars studied Islam and where the arts, especially poetry, were generous- ly encouraged. It is the wonderful treasury of Persian poetry that means most to the modern reader. It is astounding that Hafez and others could produce a body of such ironic, skeptical, astrin- gent and truthful work in the midst of such a chaotic century. The disparities of the society and the longevity of a few stabilizing families no doubt gen- erated a sort of tolerance and a seen- it-all attitude that made the achieve- ment possible. This book is based on extensive research in Persian sources. It is not what one would call an “easy read,” and, as the author points out, the Persian names and titles are as daunt- ing as a Russian novel, if not more so. (He has helpfully provided a guide to Persian nomenclature.) Neverthe- less, the effort pays off and the expo- sure to Persian poetry is a double div- idend. The texts are in Persian with English translations. One memorable example comes from Sa’adi, Hafez’s compatriot, and serves as the author’s modest disclaimer of infallibility: “If they take Jesus’ ass to Mecca, When it returns it is still an ass.” This book is dedicated to Terence O’Donnell. For those of us fortunate enough to have lived in Iran in the 1950s and 1960s and to have enjoyed Terry’s generous personality and his subtle understanding of Iran, as evi- denced in his fine books, Garden of the Brave in War and Seven Shades of Memory , it was a delightful bonus to encounter his name again.  Franklin J. Crawford is a retired Foreign Service officer who served in Hong Kong, Turkey, Iran, Sri Lanka and Washington, D.C. As consul in Isfahan from 1957 to 1960, he was fortunate to have Shiraz in his con- sular district. J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 57 B O O K S u