Review of Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West by Tom Holland

This book review is written by Eugene Kernes

Book can be found in:
Genre = History, Empires

Intriguing Connections = 1) Get To Know The Peoples Of The World (Persian Empire), 2) War, 3) How Is Sovereignty Is Gained And Lost?

Elaborate Description

'Persian Fire' tells the history of Persia, Greece, and their interaction with each other. The author does not stick to a particular type of history such as just looking at the social side of the empires or just the political/military side, the author writes about the empires from a multitude of perspectives which gives the book depth and breadth. The explanations of strategies used in the political and military realms strengthens the value gained by studying the empires. The best part of the book is that it gives a balance between anecdotal accounts and the general theory behind the junctures. The book is packed with details and the density at which the author presents the details sometimes weights against the reader. The difficulty with so many details is that it becomes slightly difficult to judge the transition from one topic to another. Another difficulties in the book come about not knowing which time period the author is discussing.

Book Details

Edition ISBN:  9780307279484
Pages to read:   385
Publication:     2007
1st Edition:      2005
Format:            Paperback

Ratings out of 5:
Readability    5
Content          5
Overall           5