Customer Reviews

Persian Fire

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Ancient history is usually dry, slow, and difficult to relate to, but not this time. In "Persian Fire," Tom Holland does a remarkable job of telling the story of the conflict between the Greeks and the Persian Empire. The book starts with an intro to the Persian Empire and its origins with Cyrus, and then Darius, and Xerxes. The next sections deal with the Spartans and then the Athenians. The book goes on to tell of the multiple conflicts between the Greeks and the Persians as the Persian Empire sought to conquer the West and the Greeks fought for survival. Everything about the book is masterfully done. It is scholarly but at the same time accessible for the average history buff. For a work of history, this book is surprisingly a page turner. If you ever had an interest in reading ancient history, this is a wonderful place to start. Highly recommended.

Tom Holland creates an extremely engaging and quick paced narrative through a genuinely fascinating period of early history. I was inspired to read the book by the Frank Miller film "300". Whilst the book is a far more studious portrayal of the remarkable events of the Battle of Thermopylae, the bare facts themselves create much of the same tension and energy.

Holland's book takes us from the start of the great Persian empire (a story quite as improbable and remarkable in itself) from the conquests of Cyrus the great, and through the equally astonishing reign of Darius, to the time of Xerxes, and thence to the Greco-Persian wars. Holland also fills in the back story on the Greeks, but almost assumes that his readers are likely to either know a bit about the Greeks, or be more interested in the compelling story of the Persian empire's rise. But both back stories lead inexorably to the Greco-Persian wars themselves, and the clash of these two remarkable early civilisations.

Whilst probably too superficial for serious historians, an extremely entertaining read for the rest of us.

Wonderful introduction to ancient Greek and Persian history. Incredibly accessibly, with lots of great pictures of locations, artefacts and maps. The key highlights of this book are really brought to life by the expert writing of Holland. A book everyone should read.

Throughout the book, the author glorifies the greeks, and refers to Persians as barbarians. This is not exactly an account of history from a neutral point of view.