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  • Persian Fire

  • The First World Empire and the Battle for the West
  • By: Tom Holland
  • Narrated by: Andrew Sachs
  • Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (31 ratings)

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Persian Fire

By: Tom Holland
Narrated by: Andrew Sachs
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Publisher's Summary

In 480 BC, Xerxes, the King of Persia, led an invasion of mainland Greece. Its success should have been a formality. For 70 years, victory, rapid, spectacular victory, had seemed the birthright of the Persian Empire. In the space of a single generation, they had swept across the Near East, shattering ancient kingdoms, storming famous cities, putting together an empire which stretched from India to the shores of the Aegean. As a result of those conquests, Xerxes ruled as the most powerful man on the planet. Yet somehow, astonishingly, against the largest expeditionary force ever assembled, the Greeks of the mainland managed to hold out. The Persians were turned back. Greece remained free. Had the Greeks been defeated at Salamis, not only would the West have lost its first struggle for independence and survival, but it is unlikely that there would ever have been such an entity as the West at all.

Tom Holland's brilliant new book describes the very first "clash of Empires" between East and West. Once again he has found extraordinary parallels between the ancient world and our own. There is no competing popular book describing these events.
©2005 Tom Holland (P)2005 Time Warner AudioBooks
  • Abridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
Greece Middle East Ancient Civilisation
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Critic Reviews

"Incendiary stuff. Sparkling insight and no less sparkling writing." (Independent)

"Excellent." (Sunday Times)

What listeners say about Persian Fire

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Kane

So damn good I listened to it twice

I’ve listened to three of Tom Holland’s books now - “Rubicon”, “In the Shadow of the Sword” and this, “Persian Fire”, and without a moments hesitation I hold this as my favourite of the three.

“Persian Fire” contains all the fascinating informative historical details relevant to the time and place, like one will find in Rubicon and “In the Shadow...”, but unlike those two books, which cover hundreds and hundreds of years and include myriad short stories about various characters through time, Persian Fire is firmly rooted ( at least for the most part) in one time: circa late 4th century BC, one place: Greece, and one epic and fast-paced story: The Persian Empire’s attempt at invading and taking Greece and the Greek’s (largely Sparta and Athens) attempt to defend their country. I found it to be a truely cracking story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Greg Sale

Fabulous

The only criticism I have is to myself not keeping track of all the Greek names, I had to listen to a few sections a couple of times, very enjoyable.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Katherine Juestel

Would, am sure, been better

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Wished it were the unabridged version. This writer/subject is too good to cut out any portions.

Would you be willing to try another book from Tom Holland? Why or why not?

Most definitely, and have,

What three words best describe Andrew Sachs’s voice?

Rich, distinct, appropriate.

Did Persian Fire inspire you to do anything?

Yup. Look for the unabridged version.

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2 people found this helpful

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