The book's purpose, say the editors, is not to retell or embroider the Iran-contra story but to place it in the context of long-established and consistent U.S. policy. Their interpretation of that policy is revisionist in the sense that they see it as driven by corporate interests (i.e., in the Middle East, by the oil companies) and intent on smashing Third World nationalist movements, notably in the Arab region. Not all the contributors pay strict attention to that theme, and there are some interesting pieces, especially on the Israel-Iran connection and on Israel's role in the Iran-contra affair.