In August 1953, in a covert operation, the CIA and MI6 jointly overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran, Mohammed Mossadegh, installing the Shah in his place. Michael Luders illuminates the dark chain of cause and effect that flowed from this conveniently forgotten'original sin' of postwar Western interference, extending right up to the present day. Along the way he examines other ill-fated interventions, from Iraq to Afghanistan to Libya to Palestine, blowing apart the West's claim to the moral high ground and making a powerful case for a radical rethink.Already a bestseller in Europe, BLOWBACK is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand a region that remains at the heart of today's violent and disordered world.

Michael Luders is the author of several bestselling books about the Middle East. For many years he was DIE ZEIT's Middle East correspondent. He lives in Berlin.