Book Review

The Epic of Life

According to the Armoured Commander

Mahya Hafizi
Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

2023-6-27

The Epic of Life was written by Dr. Amir Hossein Farshad based on the memoirs of the second brigadier general Mohammad Rezaei and published by Sureh Sabz Cultural and Art Institute and publication. The emblem of the "Foundation for the Preservation and Publication of Sacred Defense Works and Values and Army Ground Forces" is also seen next to the publisher's emblem. The book was released in 2022 in 5000 copies and the price of Two Hundred Thirty Thousand Tomans.

This book has 532 pages, 10 chapters, preface and pictures. Brigadier General Dr. Kiumars Heydari, commander of the army's ground forces, has mentioned the insecurity after the war in the preface. And according to the Supreme Leader's words, he has considered the publication of historical and literary works, including oral history, memoirs, etc., necessary for the awareness of the new generation.

In the preface, the author narrates how the project started on one of the days of October 2018. He has written: “After numerous meetings with the person in charge of Qazvin Oral History in the Foundation for the Preservation and Publication of Sacred Defense Works and Values, I came up with two persons to carry out an oral history project: Amir Brigadier Sirous Lotfi and Amir Brigadier Mohammad Rezaei. Amir Lotfi was sick and died in November of the same year. Finally, it was agreed to take action on the memories of Amir Rezaei in the form of oral history. The first interview session started on Sunday October 10, and the result was 1520 minutes of interview and One Hundred Forty-Two Thousand words. The interviews lasted until the beginning of 2019. During 2019 to 2020, the interviews were transcribed and then compiled after supplementary meetings and approval by the narrator.” Then some notes for readers have been brought: “Oral history is different from memoir writing. But most readers think they are the same. Some publishers of such works also offer memoirs in the form of oral history. Some consciously offer oral history interviews in the form of novels and stories; while oral history is considered a research-oriented topic.” the narrator, Second Brigadier General Mohammad Rezaei, has dedicated the book to the martyrs and appreciated the book production staff.

In the first chapter, the narrator has introduced himself, his teenage years and his observations in 1978. In addition, he has explained the spirit of the revolution oin those days; from revolutionary graffiti in high school to the victory of the revolution and receiving diploma in September 1978. In this chapter, he has described his going to the front and admitting in officer’s university. From page 45 onwards, there are questions and answers in conversation form.

What has come in chapter two was interviewed on November 11, 2018, after the funeral of the late Lotfi. In this chapter, the readers get to know the structure and equipment of the army. The history of the tank has been discussed, dating back to archaic war chariot. In fact, after the Second World War, the advanced generation of tanks was created. After that, the reason behind naming the Army Day was clarified.

The third chapter, interviewed on December 02, 2018, deals with some information about Nasr-1 Operation.

The fourth chapter also covers Nasr-2 Operation. Subjects including the tank, difficulty of the military field, and combat engineering were talked, and ended with the concerns of fueling and planning.

The fifth chapter was dedicated to the introduction of narrator to 16th Armored Division of Qazvin. And the successes of the 16th Armored Division in procurement of military equipment and weapons, as well as sanctions were discussed. Due to the non-help of other countries, they were forced to repair some tanks and... Then, the narrator has talked about the hot homemade meal, which was better than canned beans in that situation.

In the sixth chapter, the introduction of narrator to the 16th Qazvin Armored Division, and starting a family were narrated.

The seventh chapter is about the defense lines of the front line, dangers, memories, etc. The content of this chapter is more interesting for people who have been on the front, and it seems a bit specialized for the general audience.

The eighth chapter includes the events of 1990, the events of Iraq's attack on Kuwait and the return of POWs. At the time of POW’s release, the narrator had been one of members of border guard unit. He has told memories about the health test of the POWs at the border, and compliance with security and quarantine measures.

The ninth chapter interview was conducted on January 31, 2019. In this chapter, the operation in the east, commanding the Khash Brigade, and receiving the rank of Amir have been covered. The problems of doing mission in Sistan and Baluchistan, such as the possibility of the encroaching of Afghan Taliban upon Iran, drug trafficking, and the ethnic and religious debates, were also mentioned in this chapter.

The tenth chapter is the narrator's memoirs about commanding the 16th Armored Division of Qazvin. In this chapter, he has expressed the actions taken for developing the tanks, and services for military families. About the military equipment, he said: "In times of peace, we sweat so that blood is not spilled in times of war."

The final part of the book is photos, acknowledgments and references.