Fascinating Lecture by Stephen Kinzer on Iranian History

This lecture by Stephen Kinzer was filmed at Barrington Public Library on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. This program was sponsored by East Bay Citizens for Peace.

The US is engaged in an epic confrontation with Iran. The reasons for its failure are deeply tied to Iranian history. Kinzer explains why foreign powers have such difficulty bending Iran to their will.

Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent who has covered more than 50 countries on five continents. His articles and books have led the Washington Post to place him “among the best in popular foreign policy storytelling.”

Kinzer spent more than 20 years working for the New York Times, most of it as a foreign correspondent. His postings in Nicaragua, Germany, and Turkey placed him at the center of historic events and, at times, in the line of fire.

Kinzer’s ten books seek to uncover the roots of global conflict. Among them is “All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror.” He is now a Senior Fellow at the Watson School for International and Public Affairs at Brown University and writes a world affairs column for The Boston Globe.