Ferdowsi

Abu al-Qasem Ferdowsi (940–1020 CE), one of Iran's greatest poets, versified the ancient legends of the Persian Book of Kings (Shahnameh) in verse over one thousand years ago. It is the longest poem written by a single poet. A combination of myth and history told over a series of 50,000 elegant couplets, Ferdowsi dedicated thirty-three years of his life to...

Vividly translated and lushly illustrated, this edition of the Persian epic Shahnameh is fully illuminated for new audiences. Ferdowsi's classic poem Shahnameh is part myth, part history—beginning with the legend of the birth of the Persian nation and its tumultuous history. It contains magical birds, superhuman heroes, and centuries-long battles. Written over 1,000 years ago, it was meant to protect...