Persian Empire

[The Czar]

I have lately become fascinated with the late Roman and Byzantine empires. Really anything from the reign of Augustus to the fall of Constantinople in the 15th century.

I've read a lot of HF on the period(s), as well as some straight history, and I have decided I need to do some more reading into the "villains", i.e. the various "barbarian" tribes, and more importantly, the Persians.

Now obviously, the Persian or Parthian empire existed for a long time, so no one book, HF or Straight history, is going to cover the waterfront.

The only HF i've found that deals with the Persians much is Creation by Gore Vidal.

Anybody got any recommendations? Either HF or straight history is fine.

[marklord]

I am currently reading (well listening to the audiobook) Harry Sidebottom's Fire in the East, which covers the war between the Romans and the Sassanids. There's a bit about the Persian culture in there, not in depth, but might be enough to feed your hunger for all things Persian.

I would recommend Vidal's Julian if you are into the Late Roman period. I don't remember there being a lot on the Persians though, but I read it a while ago now so can't recall specifics.

[annis]

We have a thread somewhere about the Persia/Parthian Empires if I can find it...

Here it is
http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5446

Tom Holland, who wrote the non-fiction book Persian Fire has recently written another called In the Shadow of the Sword (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/9188586/In-the-Shadow-of-the-Sword-by-Tom-Holland-review.html)which might be of interest.

I''ve just been reading Christian Cameron's novels Killer of Men and Marathon, Books 1 & 2 in his Long War series - excellent on the origins of the Pelopponesian War between Greece and the Persian Empire and its progress.

Also enjoyed Nick Brown's The Siege (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Siege-Agent-Rome-Nick-Brown/dp/1444714856) -set during the Palmyrian Rebeliion against Rome.

Recommended as a reference: Jona Lendering's Livius website- an excellent resource for subjects relating to the ancient world
http://www.livius.org/persia.html

[annis]

Nearly forgot one which has come out recently- Manda Scott's Eagle of the Twelfth (http://forwinternights.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/rome-the-eagle-of-the-twelfth-by-m-c-scott/) - may have been mentioned in the previous list. Also Alfred Duggan's Winter Quarters - two aristocratic young Gauls join Caesar's army as auxiliary cavalrymen and later take part in Crassus' doomed Parthian campaign.

[R.W.Ware]

Scott Oden's Memnon
Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire

Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia Edited by J.E Curtis and N. Tallis (http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Empire-World-Ancient-Persia/dp/0520247310), Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West
by Tom Holland (http://www.amazon.com/Persian-Fire-First-Empire-Battle/dp/0385513119), The Persian Boy by Mary Renault (http://www.amazon.com/The-Persian-Boy-Mary-Renault/dp/0394751019).

Also, I have it on good authority:
Shadows in the Desert by Dr. Kaveh Farrokh (http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Desert-Ancient-General-Military/dp/1846031087/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348772928&sr=1-1&keywords=Shadows+in+the+Desert+by+Dr.Kaveh+Farrokh ) and The Persian Empire by J. M. Cook. (http://www.amazon.com/Persian-Empire-Hb-JM-Cook/dp/1566191157/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348773020&sr=1-1&keywords=JM+Cook%27s+The+Persian+Empire)

[Antoine Vanner]

Winter Quarters by Alfred Duggan tells of the adventures of a Gaulish mercenary who is involved in the doomed campaign against the Parthians by Crassus, the luckless third member of the First Triumvirate. With the exception of a small cavalry force which escaped under the command of Cassius (later assassin of Julius Caesar), Crassus's entire army was surrounded at Carrhae, in modern Iraq, and forced to surrender. Crassus killed himself - which was poetic justice, since he had put down the rebellion of Spartacus with great brutality, but it was hard on the rank and file. Duggan describes the campaign, and its aftermath, well.

[Helen_Davis]

BUMP

Any novels about the queens of Persia? I'm really interested in fiction about them, if it exists in English...

[Margaret]

There's a YA novel by Susan Fletcher, Shadow Spinner, about a girl who becomes a servant to Sheherezade, which is set in Persia. I've reviewed it (http://www.historicalnovels.info/Shadow-Spinner.html) at HistoricalNovels.info.

[Helen_Davis]

There's a YA novel by Susan Fletcher, Shadow Spinner, about a girl who becomes a servant to Sheherezade, which is set in Persia. I've reviewed it (http://www.historicalnovels.info/Shadow-Spinner.html) at HistoricalNovels.info.

Thanks Margaret!