Persian Fire - by Tom Holland (Paperback)

About the Book

Holland's new work describes the very first "clash of empires" between East and West. Revealing extraordinary parallels between the ancient world and the present, this history takes in the entire sweep of the Persian Wars.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"Ambitious....a sweeping popular account that seems destined to become a classic." --The Seattle Times"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." --Sunday Times"Holland has a rare eye for detail, drama, and the telling anecdote. . . . A book as spirited and engaging as Persian Fire deserves to last." --The Telegraph

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.