Mike's review of Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West
Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West by Tom Holland
Very readable and entertaining, this book tackles a fairly a topic that has been covered by many historians and attempts to give a balanced view of the events leading up to and following the war between Greece and Persia, as well as of course covering the war itself in detail. The striking thing about this one is that the Persians are given equal time and a fair treatment. It is all too tempting to dwell on the heroism of the Greeks defending their liberty in a series of dramatic episodes out of Herodotus. Instead both sides are shown, warts and all, and the considerable achievements of the Persians are given their due. A great antidote to books & films like Frank Miller's _300_ (which was a a lot of fun but totally detached from history).
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