In this volume, Vanessa Martin makes a groundbreaking contribution on the dynamics of the Iranian Revolution and the Islamist revival especially relevant in the context of the debate arising out of Iran's recent elections. Political Islam and its recent violent bi-products first became the focus of international attention following the success of the 1979 Iranian Revolution led by the Ayatollah Khomeini. This extraordinary book is the first to analyze the ideological roots of an Islamic state as conceived by Khomeini. Martin finds much of the inspiration behind Khomeini’s political thinking being influenced by western sources.