The importance of Professor Theda Skocpol's essay ought to be underlined. So far, more than a dozen books and hundreds of articles have appeared on the Iranian Revolution. Almost all of them are works either by policyoriented analysts, by experts on Iran, or by participants mostly as incumbents in Iranian politics. Professor Skocpol's essay is one of the rare attempts by a scholar of revolutions to discuss the Iranian revolution comparatively, with reference to other revolutions in modern history. I hope that this article marks only the start of her interest in Iran; I also hope that other students of revolution will follow her example. For, whatever one's view of the Islamic movement that overthrew the regime of Shah Mohammed Riza Pahlevi, one cannot deny that an event of lasting historical significance has occurred in South-West Asia.