The Devil We Know - by Robert Baer (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A frighteningly prescient look at Iran's unchecked growth as a hidden superpower, and the threat the nation will soon pose to the United States--and the world.

"The most important book on the Middle East to appear in many years"--Thomas Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Intelligence Wars

As ex-CIA operative Robert Baer masterfully shows in The Devil We Know, Iran has maneuvered itself into the elite superpower ranks by exploiting Americans' false perceptions of what Iran is--by letting us believe it is a country run by scowling religious fanatics, too preoccupied with theocratic jostling and terrorist agendas to strengthen its political and economic foundations.

The reality is much more frightening.

Baer mixes on-the-ground sleuthing and interviews with key players to demonstrate that Iran, far from being a wild-eyed rogue state, is a rational actor--one skilled in the game of nations and ruthlessly effective at thwarting Western colonialism. For U.S. policy makers, the choices have narrowed: either cede the world's most important energy corridors to a nation that can match us militarily with its asymmetric capabilities (which include the use of suicide bombers)--or deal with the devil we know. The alternative--to continue goading Iran into establishing hegemony over the Muslim world--is too chilling to contemplate.

Review Quotes

"A masterpiece . . . Baer's brilliant analysis of Sunni versus Shia, Arab versus Iranian, and Christian versus Muslim is shocking, revealing, and provocative. Baer lifts the veil of Western media hype and challenges the simplistic solutions offered by 'experts' whose vision is blurred by the past. Through his knowledge, long-term experience, and ability to assess the changing landscape of this vital region, he not only shatters the foundations of conventional thinking, but also offers a practicable blueprint for turning things around."--John Perkins, author of the New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

"The most important and original book on the Middle East to appear in many years. Baer's subject is the growing power of Iran; his goal is ending the pattern of American failure; his message is that we've been backing the wrong horse. This is a book McCain and Obama should ponder."--Thomas Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Man Who Kept the Secrets and Intelligence Wars

"The Devil We Know, Bob Baer has once again peered into the future and has brought back uncomfortable truths that won't satisfy any partisan. But his book does force us to do something that, unfortunately, doesn't come naturally to the chattering classes. Think."--James Risen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration

"An important text studded with keen insights into a nation about which America remains dangerously misinformed."--Kirkus Reviews

"Timely and provocative . . . adds an important perspective to a crucial international debate."--Publishers Weekly

"Challenges conventional wisdom . . . [a] timely and provocative analysis."--Denver Post

About the Author

Robert Baer is the author of two New York Times bestsellers: Sleeping with the Devil, about the Saudi royal family and its relationship with the United States; and See No Evil, which recounts Baer's years as a top CIA operative. See No Evil was the basis for the acclaimed film Syriana, which earned George Clooney an Oscar for his portrayal of Baer. Baer writes regularly for Time and has contributed to Vanity Fair, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. He is considered one of the world's foremost authorities on the Middle East.