Rostam: Tales of Love & War from Persia's Book of Kings (Hardcover)

~ Abolqasem Ferdowsi (Author), (Translator) "Now I shall tell an astonishing tale, taken from the stories our ancestors told..." (more)
Key Phrases: royal farr, massive mace, musky hair, White Demon, King Kavus, Kay Qobad (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Rostam is Iran's greatest mythological hero, a Persian Hercules, magnificent in strength and courage. As re-counted in the tenth-century Book of Kings (Shahnameh) by the poet Ferdowsi, he was an indomitable force in ancient Persia for five hundred years, undergoing many trials of combat, cunning, and endurance. Although Rostam served a series of often-fickle kings, he was always his own man, committed to the greater good of Iran. His adventures are some of the best loved of all Persian narratives and remain deeply resonant in Iranian culture.

Rostam: Tales of Love & War from Persia's Book of Kings begins with the birth of Rostam's father Zal and ends with Rostam's death. The tales tell of the love between Zal and Rostam's mother, the Kaboli princess Rudabeh; of Rostam's miraculous birth, aided by the magical bird Simorgh; of Rostam's youth and the selection of his trusty horse Rakhsh; of his affair with Princess Tahmineh, the birth of their son Sohrab, and, after Sohrab grows into a mighty warrior himself, the tragic confrontation between father and son. The tales conclude with Rostam's war against demons, his seven trials, his rescue of Prince Bizhan, and finally his battle, both intellectual and physical, with the ambitious and religiously driven prince Esfandyar.

Praise for Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings, translated by Dick Davis (from which Rostam is a selection):

"One of the Top Ten Best Books of the Year"-- Washington Post Book World

"Dick Davis' translation possesses the simplicity and elevation appropriate to an epic but never sounds grandiose; its sentences are clear, serene and musical." --Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World

"An exquisite blend of poetry and prose"--The New York Times Book Review

"Davis's wonderful translation will show Western readers why Ferdowsi's masterpiece is one of the most revered and most beloved classics in the Persian world"--Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner

About the Author

ABOLQASEM FERDOWSI was born in Khorasan in a village near Tus, in 940. There are various stories in medieval texts describing the lack of interest shown by the ruler of Khorasan, Mahmud of Ghazni, in Ferdowsi's great epic the Shahnameh, to which he had devoted most of his adult life. Ferdowsi is said to have died around 1020 in poverty and embittered by royal neglect, though confident of his and his poem's ultimate fame.

Dick DAVIS lived for eight years in Iran (1970-78), as well as for periods in Greece and Italy. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Professor of Persian at Ohio State University, and now considered the greatest translator of Persian poetry.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Mage Publishers; 1st Hardcover Ed edition (March 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933823119
• ISBN-13: 978-1933823119
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #890,827 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars well written, September 9, 2007

By	neshaneh "eyes" (Sweden) - See all my reviews

I bought this for my son.
Living in Sweden he knows a little about his country Iran. And since the place is by now a hostage of islamic fundamentalism,he mostly turns away from Iran. Reading Rostam was a turning point for him.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rostam - A MUST HAVE, April 4, 2007

By	R. Santos "RobNaz" (22201) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a great library addition for anyone that is familiar with Ferdowsi. And if you're not familiar - this is a good one to start with.