The collection includes transcripts of interviews recorded with 62 individuals in the making of Iran and the West from the USA, Iran, the UK, France, Germany and other countries. The interviews examine relations between Iran and countries of the West, 1979-2009. The collection also contains footage on DVD of the recorded interviews, as well as documentaries, press cuttings, and published works gathered in the research and production of the documentary.Subjects covered by the interviews include: the Iranian Revolution, 1979; the fall of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, 1979; the holding of US Embassy staff as hostages, 1979-1981; the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988; the Lebanon hostage crisis, 1982-1992; the Gulf War, 1990-1991; the assassination of Afghan military leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, 9 Sep 2001; the terrorist attacks in the USA, 11 Sep 2001; Iranian involvement in Afghanistan; the labelling of Iran as part of an 'axis of evil', 29 Jan 2002 and the Iran nuclear programme.Individuals interviewed include Javier Perez de Cuellar, Secretary-General of the United Nations, 1982-1991; Roland Dumas, Minister of Foreign Affairs, France 1984-1986 and 1988-1993; Joseph Martin 'Joschka' Fischer, German Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister, 1998-2005; Ambassador Amir Aslan Afshar, Chief of Protocol at the Imperial Court of Iran, 1979; Ali Afshari, member of the Office to Foster Unity, National Islamic Student Association in Iran, 1999-2004 (coordinator of Khatami's student political campaign, 1996-97, student leader of demonstrations, Jul 1999); Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, President of Iran, 1980-81; Queen Farah Pahlavi, Queen of Iran, 1959-1979; Adm Kamal Habibollahi, Commander of the Imperial Iranian Navy, 1975-1979; Abbas Jadidi, Iranian wrestler; Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, Iranian cleric and former adviser to Ayatollah Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini, 1985-89; Gen Mohsen Rafiqdoust, Commander, Minister for Revolutionary Guard, 1982-89; Gen Mohsen Rezaee (also Mohsen Rezai), Commander in Chief of the Revolutionary Guard, 1981-1997; Mohsen Sazegara, Khomeini's press officer in Paris, October 1978-February 1979; Sadeq Tabatabai, negotiator with the USA for Khomeini 1978-1979, Government Spokesman 1979; Ebrahim Yazdi, Foreign Minister of Iran 1979; Ardeshir Zahedi, Iranian ambassador to the USA, 1959-1962 and 1973-1979, Iranian ambassador to Britain, 1962-1966, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1966-1973; Ambassador Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, 2003-2007; Sir Geoffrey Adams, British Ambassador to Iran, 2006-2009; Margaret Beckett, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 2006-2007; John Sawers, British Ambassador to Egypt, 2001-2003, Special Representative for Iraq, 2003; Political director of British Foreign and Commonwealth office, 2003-2007; British Ambassador to the United Nations 2007-2009; Jack Straw, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 2001-2006; Michael Williams, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Special Advisor on the Middle East, 2006-2007; Madeleine Albright, US Secretary of State 1997-2001; Ambassador John Bolton, US Under Secretary of State, Arms Control and International Security, 2001-2005, US Permanent Representative to UN, 2005-2006; Zbigniew (Kasimierz) Brzezinski, US National Security Advisor, 1977-1981; James Earl 'Jimmy' Carter, US President, 1977-1981; Warren Christopher, Deputy US Secretary of State 1977-81; US negotiator for the release of the US embassy hostages held in Iran, 1980-81; US Secretary of State, 1993-1997; Ambassador Richard Haass, Special Assistant to United States President and National Security Council Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs, 1989-1993; Director of Policy Planning, US Department of State 2001-2003; Martin Indyk, US Ambassador to Israel 1995-1997 and 2000-2001; Assistant Secretary of State, Near East, State Department 1997-99; Walter Mondale, USA Vice-President, 1977-1981; Adm John Poindexter, US National Security Advisor 1983-1986; Brent Scowcroft, National Security Advisor to US Presidents 1974-1977 and 1989-1993; George Shultz, US Secretary of State 1982-1989; Commander Gary Sick, Principal Adviser on Middle East Affairs, US National Security Council, 1977-81; Yusuf Allawai Bin Abdullah, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Oman; Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of Russia, 2000-2008, Prime Minister of Russia 1999 and 2008- ; Javier Solana, European Union Secretary-General and High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, 1999-; Sheikh Subhi al-Tufayli, follower of Iranian Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini, first Secretary-General of Hezbollah, 1989-1991.

Papers of Barrie Pitt relating to military history, 1940-1991, including draft of book Special Boat Squadron by Pitt, annotated with corrections; draft of book Crucible of War: Western Desert 1941 by Pitt, annotated with corrections; transcripts of radio and television broadcasts on the First and Second World Wars including transcripts of the BBC 1 series 'Grand Strategy' on the Second World War, 1972; scripts and other papers relating to the BBC TV series, 'The Great War', 1964 and transcripts of 'European Service: General News Talk' 26 Jun 1964-20 Aug 1964; correspondence chiefly on the subject of historical research; photographs of Malta during the Second World War; copy photographs used by Pitt to illustrate his books and articles, chiefly photographs of the North African Campaign, to illustrate Pitt's book Crucible of War: Western Desert, 1941, also photographs of Adolf Hitler, Albrecht Kesselring; Sicily, 1943 and aerial warfare, Malta, 1940-1943; papers used for research including press cuttings, magazines and magazine cuttings, offprints of articles and correspondence notably on the subject of Europe 1900-1914 and the Middle East; papers relating to Basil Liddell Hart including photographs, draft articles by Liddell Hart, copies of Liddell Hart's correspondence and press cuttings; draft papers by Eric Dorman O'Gowen and related correspondence and copies of British History Illustrated.