The Achilles Trap

Steve Coll’s The Achilles Trap is an extraordinary investigation into the U.S.–Iran relationship through the figure of Qassem Soleimani. Coll draws on extensive interviews, intelligence documents, and field reporting to reveal how miscalculation, secrecy, and mutual distrust shaped decisions on both sides. The book moves between Washington and Tehran with equal authority, balancing geopolitical analysis with intimate portraits of the individuals who wield power. Coll’s prose is measured but gripping, turning complex diplomacy into a narrative of tension and consequence. He demonstrates how small choices escalate into international crises. It is masterful, meticulous political writing of the highest calibre.