Book Two Trailer
Down with the Qajars. Long Live Reza Shah. Listen to new chapters from January 29th. As we’re recording this, Iran is experiencing a wide range of issues. Both internal turmoil and external conflicts. But the fascinating…
The Lion and The Sun: A Modern History of Iran
The 2025 Signal Award winner for Best History Podcast, The Lion and The Sun: A Modern History of Iran from String Studios, explores a past defined by continuous striving for freedom and self-determination. This narrative history podcast moves beyond simple chronology to examine how the potent forces of faith, royal authority, democratic aspiration, and national identity have intertwined to shape the nation's complex journey to the present. Each episode is built on a foundation of meticulous research, delivered as a compelling story. The inaugural season, "Book One: The Qajars," focuses on a pivotal era, detailing the events and personalities behind the Constitutional Revolution that established Iran's first parliament. Listeners will hear a nuanced account of a society in profound transition, where modern ideas clashed with ancient institutions. The podcast carefully untangles these threads, revealing how decisions and movements from over a century ago continue to resonate deeply. It is an essential listen for anyone seeking to understand not just what happened, but why it matters today, offering clarity and context to a history that is often summarized but seldom fully grasped. Through this focused storytelling, the series provides a clear window into the forces that built a modern state.
Episodes
Book One – Special Episode: Arabistan (2)
Reza Khan’s army marches toward Arabistan, Khaz’al tries to unite local tribes against the government and the battle for Arabistan reaches its breaking point. This is part two of a special episode of The Lion and the Sun…
Book One – Special Episode: Arabistan (1)
A defiant Sheikh, a province rich in oil, and Reza Khan’s push to unify a fractured Iran. The story of Arabistan and how one local tribe became the biggest threat to Persia. This is a special two-part episode of The Lion…
Book One – Ep.10: Brave New World
In the season finale of the podcast, Reza Khan aims for total control, the young shah flees his country and Iran braces itself for a brave new world. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok or X (Twitter).For early access to epis…
Book One – Ep.9: The Coup
A new player emerges in Persian politics…How a journalist and a military lieutenant orchestrated the 1921 coup d’état and how Reza Khan gained control of Iran’s military and became an influential player in the government…
Book One – Ep.8: APOC
The biggest oil field the world had ever seen, a foreign military occupation and a socialist revolution in the north. As Russia’s influence wanes, Britain seizes control of Iran’s newfound oil wealth and expands its infl…
Book One – Ep.7: The Great War
As the great war breaks out in Europe, Persia is turned into the ultimate proxy battleground. The story of the First World War and how British, Russian, and German forces competed for control in Iran. Follow us on Instag…
Book One – Ep.6: Russian Roulette
An old king tries to reclaim his throne, the United States sends help for the country’s finances, and Russia invades Iran. The complicated history of Iran and Russia and how the Russian influence impacted Iran’s democrac…
Book One – Ep.5: Battle of Tehran
Two constitutionalist armies arrive at the gates of Tehran and Mohammad Ali Shah prepares the capital of Iran for an all-out war. How the battle of Tehran reshaped the future of democracy in Iran and how the country was…
Book One – Ep.4: The Bombardment
How Mohammad Ali Shah laid siege to the parliament building, ending Iran’s brief experiment with democracy. Discover the story of the Majlis bombardment and the Iranian guerrilla warfare to reclaim their hard-fought free…
