Gr 7-10--Full of black-and-white maps, pictures, and intriguing boxed quotes from original sources and academic works, this clear, lively, easy-to-read history breathes life into its subject. Starting with a time line and an introduction explaining how Persia came to be portrayed, historically, as a villain because of its wars with the Greeks, Nardo traces the Persian empire from the Iranian migration (circa 1200-900 B.C.) to modern times (a very brief half page with just a mention of the Shah and Ayatollah Khomeini). Annotated and indexed, the text concludes with a selection of books for further reading and an annotated bibliography. One quibble, and it's a minor one, is with a sidebar in which Herodotus describes some remains at a battle site. He observes that the skulls of the Persians were thinner and far more fragile than those of the Egyptians, and gives a reason. Nardo offers no more explanation for his inclusion of this quote than it is "bizarre but fascinating." Fascinated but confused readers may be left doubting the accuracy of Herodotus's report, but still wondering, "Could it be?" Nevertheless, this title is a suitable addition.
Herman Sutter, Saint Pius X High School, Houston, TX
Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Take care,
By Nick Welman (Eindhoven, NBr Netherlands) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Persian Empire (World History Series) (Library Binding)
Please take care - this is a book aimed at schools and libraries and the information is often abbreviated to serve the needs of pupils writing assignments. It is not really a book suitable for the interested reader who is building up a personal library at home.Having said that, I must admit the overall scope of the book is excellent. It presents a well-balanced view on ancient Persia and it shows understanding of ancient Persian culture. (Nardo does not fall into the trap of being misguided by the abundance of anti-Persian propaganda in our Greek sources.) Every now and then the book presents a nice quote or a nice detail which is complementary to other more elaborate books - but in general there is little that warrants your interest in the long run. One warning should be given regarding the illustrations. Many of them are drawings - impressions of ancient Persia by modern artists. Whether they will provide you with a vivid or accurate picture of ancient Persia, is doubtful at least. Images of genuine Persian art (or photographs of remaining monuments) are few - which is a great pity. If you already possess some works on ancient history or ancient Persia in specific, this book will be a dissapointment. If you really need only just one, short, reliable overview of ancient Persia, you might want to have a go at it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fine Historical Writing for Young People,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Persian Empire (World History Series) (Library Binding)
Don nardo is perhaps the best historian of ancient cultures writing for students with no previous background in this area. Like his other books about the ancient world, this one is clear, concise, lively, and filled with interesting facts and anecdotes. Those who already know the basics will want to move on to more scholarly volumes. But this is a good starter course on the subject.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely Informative,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Persian Empire (World History Series) (Library Binding)
This is an extremely informative volume even though it is aimed at young people. The author presents an excellent synopsis of the subject and treats the Persians fairly, without the usual Western bias seen in so many other books about this ancient realm, pointing out both the strengths and weaknesses of its people and institutions.
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