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The Persians
Lost Civilizations
Series: Lost Civilizations
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
History enthusiasts interested in ancient civilisations and empire-building, and readers seeking to understand Persian culture and its enduring influence will find this book enlightening and accessible.
The captivating story of an advanced ancient civilization, the Persians.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Now available in paperback, The Persians tells the story of this cultured ancient civilisation, tracing the unique features of Persian life as well as their influence down the centuries.
During the first and second millennia BCE, a swathe of nomadic peoples migrated outward from Central Asia into the Eurasian periphery. One group of these people found themselves encamped in an unpromising, arid region just south of the Caspian Sea. From these modest and uncertain beginnings, they went on to form one of the most powerful empires in history: the Persian Empire. In this book, Geoffrey and Brenda Parker narrate the captivating story of this ancient civilisation and its enduring legacy to the world.
The authors examine the unique features of Persian life and trace their influence throughout the centuries. They discuss the environmental difficulties the early Persians encountered and how, in overcoming them, they were able to develop a unique culture culminating in the massive, first empire, the Achaemenid Empire. Extending their influence into the maritime west, they contended with the Greeks for mastery of the eastern Mediterraneanβone of the most significant geopolitical contests of the ancient world. The authors paint vivid portraits of Persian cities and their spectacular achievements: intricate and far-reaching roadways, an astonishing irrigation system that created desert paradises, and, above all, an extraordinary reflection of the diverse peoples that inhabited them.
'Anyone looking for a concise overview of Iranian history from pre-Islamic times to the present could do worse than consult this elegantly written volume, part of a series on the rise and fall of civilizations. The authors devote fully half of the book to ancient Iran, which they see as both the world's first superpower and a model for the modern, postimperial world in its federalist tendencies. The book's focus is on Iran, but the Parkers occasionally branch out into the wider "Persianate" universe, such as in a nice chapter on Central Asia, while offering illuminating digressions on poetry and gardens...Recommended.' - Choice
'The second in the Lost Civilizations series, The Persians is also a compact, concise history of a whole civilisationβfrom its nomadic origins in the first and second millennia BC to its new role as a tourist destination as modern-day Iran...Tellingly, the book's useful chronology ends in 2001 with the destruction of the Twin Towers. Today, Iran's power and influence is far from waning.' - Minerva
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The Persians
Now available in paperback, The Persians tells the story of this cultured ancient civilisation, tracing the unique features of Persian life as well as their influence down the centuries. During the first and second millennia BCE, a swathe of nomadic peoples migrated outward from Central Asia into the Eurasian periphery. One group of these people found themselves encamped in an...PaperbackSold Out -
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
'The Persians offers a compact, concise history of a remarkable civilisation from its origins to its role in modern Iran,' notes Minerva Magazine. Choice recommends it as an "elegantly written volume" perfect for anyone seeking an overview of Iranian history from pre-Islamic times to present.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781789146899
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 February 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Illustration: 51 illustrations, 41 in colour
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 138.0mm
Height: 216.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 208
About the Author
Geoffrey Parker is the Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Political Geography and Geopolitics at the University of Birmingham. His previous books include Geopolitics: Past, Present and Future; The Geopolitics of Domination from the Ottoman Empire to the Soviet Union; and The Logic of Unity.
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