Persian Fire
Jun 2007 · Sold by Anchor
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38 reviews
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About this ebook
A “sweeping popular account” (The Seattle Times) of how Athens and Sparta withstood an assault from the Persian Empire in the cradle of Western civilization, from the acclaimed author of Rubicon and co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is History
“Excellent. . . . There is an even handedness in Holland’s treatment of both Greek and Persian cultural riches that is rare in popular accounts of these wars.” —The Sunday Times (London)
In the fifth century B.C., a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece.
The story of how their citizens took on the Great King of Persia, and thereby saved not only themselves but Western civilization as well, is as heart-stopping and fateful as any episode in history. Tom Holland’s brilliant study of these critical Persian Wars skillfully examines a conflict of critical importance to both ancient and modern history.
“Excellent. . . . There is an even handedness in Holland’s treatment of both Greek and Persian cultural riches that is rare in popular accounts of these wars.” —The Sunday Times (London)
In the fifth century B.C., a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece.
The story of how their citizens took on the Great King of Persia, and thereby saved not only themselves but Western civilization as well, is as heart-stopping and fateful as any episode in history. Tom Holland’s brilliant study of these critical Persian Wars skillfully examines a conflict of critical importance to both ancient and modern history.
A “sweeping popular account” (The Seattle Times) of how Athens and Sparta withstood an assault from the Persian Empire in the cradle of Western civilization, from the acclaimed author of Rubicon and co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is History
“Excellent. . . . There is an even handedness in H...
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Ratings and reviews
38 reviews
Hasan Alizadeh
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January 11, 2015
I knew the persian people and specially Iran government ain't clear and troublesome lately.yes you right but... it's injustice if we pretend whole of history they having same problem!
3 people found this review helpful
William Lawrence (damianvincent)
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September 20, 2022
Opened new doors of history for me. I've never really read too much on the Achaemenid or Persian empire, beyond the basics you pick up by reading the great Greek Classics, so there were a lot of stories in here I wasn't totally, or very well versed in at all. But the wonderful story telling and narrative history Tom Holland brings to his books, and in this one in particular, pulled me into the story immediately and fueled a new desire to tackle this new chapter of history for me!
A Google user
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Holland tackles the clash of civilizations with details that show how civilizations change, become less brutal, advance and then return to our barbaric roots.
About the author
Tom Holland is a historian of the ancient world and a translator. His books include Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic, Persian Fire, In the Shadow of the Sword, The Forge of Christendom, and Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar. He has adapted Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, and Virgil for the BBC. He is a winner of the Classical Association prize, awarded to “the individual who has done most to promote the study of the language, literature and civilization of Ancient Greece and Rome.” He lives in London with his family.
Tom Holland is a historian of the ancient world and a translator. His books include Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic, Persian Fire, In the Shadow of the Sword, The Forge of Christendom, and Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar. He has adapted Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides...
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