TEHRAN – Four books on the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, which is known as Sacred Defense in Iran, have been published in English.

“Viva Kumayl”, “Hand in Hand with Rain”, “City of Blood: The Commander’s Account” and “You Know the Commander?” have translated and published in collaboration between Sureh-Mehr Publications and the Iran Language Institute.

“Viva Kumayl” written by Mohsen Motlaq, a war veteran who recounts his memories of the days he spent with Iranian soldiers and volunteers on the frontlines.

The book was originally published in 1991, three years after the end of the war. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei wrote a recommendation for the book at that time.

“The writing is scented with a rich aroma of sincerity,” the Leader wrote and added, “Due to its fine style of narration and satirical attitude, these memories are more readable than other written memories of the war; it should be translated.”

Co-written by Hedayatollah Behbudi and Morteza Sarhangi, “Hand in Hand with Rain” is a compendium of accounts of their visits to the warzones and Khorramshahr and Abadan, two Iranian cities hit by the war, a few months after the end of the war. The writers were praised by the Leader for the efforts they made in writing the book.

“City of Blood: The Commander’s Account” covers the remarks Ground Force Chief Brigadier General Ali Sayyad Shirazi made in a long interview with Saeid Fakhrzadeh about Iran’s military movements a few days before the liberation of Khorramshahr on May 24, 1982. The Persian version of the book has been edited by Ahmad Dehqan, one of Iran’s foremost war writers.   

Sayyad Shirazi was assassinated by the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) in 1999 while serving as the deputy chief of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff, the second-highest military office in Iran.

In “You Know the Commander?”, a number of commanders narrates memories about their comrade Hossein Kharrazi, one of Iran’s high-ranking commanders who was martyred during Operation Karbala 5 on the frontline at Shalamcheh on February 27, 1987. 

The book has been written by Marjan Fuladvand and is appropriate for teenage readers.

Photo: Four war books Sureh-Mehr has published in English.

MMS/YAW