Ancient Persia: from 550 BC to 650 AD
Of all the great civilisations of the ancient world, that of Persia is one of the most remarkable but least understood. That is a study of the country's origins and of why it collapsed so dramatically with the Arab invasions of the seventh century. Josef Wiesehöfer provides a comprehensive survey of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenids, the Parthians and the Sasanians. By focusing on promary sources - written, archaeological and numismatic evidenc from Persia - he avoids the traditional Western approach which has tended sto rely so heavily on innaccurate, and sometimes prejudiced, Greek and Roman accounts. Part of the freshness of Ancient Persia comes from presenting a historical discussion of Persia from a Near Eastern perspective. A comprehensive social, political and cultural history of ancient Persia, Wiesehöfer's work provides important new material for specialists while being fully accessible and appealing to anyone interested in the ancient world. | 
