The Shadow Commander

Soleimani, the US, and Iran’s Global Ambitions

By: Arash Azizi

Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Until his assassination by US drone strike in January 2020, commander Qassem Soleimani was one of the most powerful men in Iran and the military spearhead for Iranian foreign policy, enacting the wishes of the country's Supreme Leader in the region. A widely popular but also feared maverick operator, he helped to establish the Islamic Republic as a major force in the Middle East, with interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. This was a long way from where he began as a youth, living on the margins in a country ruled by a monarch supported by the United States.

In this engaging account, historian Arash Azizi examines Soleimani's life, regional influence, and ambitions. The Shadow Commander breaks new ground through interviews with Iranians, Afghans, Iraqis, and Syrians who knew Soleimani for years, including his personal driver, the aides who accompanied him to his Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin, and his brother. Ultimately, Azizi uses the story of this one important figure to make sense of the global ambitions of Iran, a country whose actions are much talked about but seldom understood.

©2020 Arash Azizi (P)2020 Tantor

Great story, but narration let it down a bit.

Very well written and researched book, which I'd recommend to anybody interested in Middle East geopolitics. But I felt the book was a little let down by the choice of narrator who really struggled with the pronunciation of a lot of Iranian names of individuals/ places etc.

This book is excellent. So is the narrator.

The negative criticism here has been presented, as far as I’m concerned, without any more substantiation than personal opinion. The book is thorough, well written and clear. I believe that the author has given a good account of the man, his times and the personalities and places that were so much a part of his life. I do not feel that the title is misleading and the reader is treated to what I feel is a necessary discussion about the powers, people and events that shaped the region and provided the stage for the general and his career. The accusation of outright plagiarism was made in one of the reviews here without proof and I have found no other accusation like it anywhere else. As for the narrator: although he is criticized for the mispronunciation of words in another review here, he is in fact, clear, easy to understand and his pronunciations of names, places, events, etc. are entirely correct. While this is not an in depth biography of the man, the title of the book never suggested that it was. That book has yet to be written. This work, however, gives the best account of the man that I know of here in the west and is well worth the time invested.

Rather disappointing

This book is neither a historical account nor a biography, but a journalistic account of Iranian ambitions and plans with focus on a specific player where details are available. The author has a fair understanding of events, places and people. However, on occasions material is simply patched together, for example chapter 11 which covers events in many countries in an incredible haste. The finale is very short, and seems to suggest the guy was killed because his ego got the best of him aiming to run for president - again based on a newspaper article by someone the author seems to regards highly. Interesting and easy read though.

Questionable pronunciation

Somehow the narrator butchers pronunciation of “Quds” and “Muhammad” but pronounces “Khamenei” perfectly. Not acceptable.

Outstanding Story

This book captures the strategic relevancy of a leader who could have become the president of Iran.

More ME history then Soleimani history

I found this book to be light on details about Soleimani’s role in events. Mostly it was a book about middle eastern history with only a little about Soleimani role. I get that a lot of his involvement might be difficult to assess but that is why I wanted to read this book, to find out. Unfortunately it seems more like a run down about open sources (which isn’t much) then some in-depth reporting with sources close to Soleimani.

Who assassinated Soleimani?

I was hoping to hear more about the people behind his assassination. This version provided the common story reported in national media. I believe that the assassination was agreed upon between Washington and Tehran due to the rise of his popularity in Iran and the threat of a military coup by the IRGC.

Title a little misleading

Good book, a bit more generic than what I was looking for. It was more of a contemporary history of Iran than with some parts about Soleimani , rather a specific focus on Soleimani as the title implies.

Soleimani’s biography. The review of 1979 revolution.

Very informative,fair and accurate. Very enjoyable to listen.i highly recommend listening or reading the book.

Poor mix of fiction and historical accounts

While I enjoyed this book, it was written based on a biased left-leaning and pro-Mujahadeen terrorist lens, using western views and ideological beliefs held by many of the so-called intellectuals in the US. This manifested into a mix of factual historical information, made-up information (e.g., there were zero confirmed Iranian origin drones in Yemen for the Houthis, and zero evidence of even indirect support for suicide attacks anywhere by Shia Muslims), rhetoric, and unconfirmed stories. Read/listen at your own risk but do not accept this as non-fiction.