Ancient Persia

Rating:
Summary: An intersting book
Review: A well researched book however the author seems to be confused with Zoraoastrainism and suffice to say that he refers in many places to Zoroastrian 'gods' while the religion is montheistic believing in Ahuramazda or the Wise Lord.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books on this topic
Review: This book by J.Wiesehoefer, who is an expert especially on achaemenid and parthian history, tries to look at Persia in a different way than many earlier scholars did. He does this by questioning the information the Greek and Roman historians give about Ancient Iran - how realistic is the picture these sources draw? Where the Persians really nothing more but enemies? Were they really as decadent and despotic as most ancient authors indicate? This book is full of usefull information - go get it.

Rating:
Summary: Much Overrated
Review: This is not a history of Ancient Persia but rather a set of essays on just a few topics: "The Testimonies" (i.e. the historical sources); "The King and his Subjects"; and "Everyday Life".
Basically, apart from the Bisutun relief (text available at http://www.avesta.org/op.htm) and the Persepolis Texts (R. T. Hallock, Chicago 1969), nearly all the sources are Greek or Latin upon which the author relies despite the contrary assertion given by the publisher on the flyleaf. It's not the ancient Greek and Roman writers that the author attempts to discredit but rather the modern writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Better to read "The Persian Empire" by J. M. Cook or "A Political History of the Achaemenid Empire" by Muhammad A. Dandamaev.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books on this topic
Review: Wiesehofer has written a good overview of Persian history from the founding of the Achaemenid empire until the Arab conquest. Despite the great timespan of his work he is able to provide many interesting details and insights. He accomplishes this by avoiding a strict chronological approach. Sections are devoted to the various empires such as the Parthians, and, within these sections, chapters deal with subjects such as religion or classes in society. I especially appreciated the chapters on sources which explicitly describe our sources for the various eras. Because of Wiesehofer's approach this book is not at all a popular history. I would not recommend it to someone who does not already have a familiarity with the history of Persia. At times the book can be quite technical and assumes a fair knowledge on the part of the reader. However, if you have a familiarity with ancient Persia and wish to learn more about it, I heartily recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Scholarly Overview of Persian History
Review: Wiesehofer has written a good overview of Persian history from the founding of the Achaemenid empire until the Arab conquest. Despite the great timespan of his work he is able to provide many interesting details and insights. He accomplishes this by avoiding a strict chronological approach. Sections are devoted to the various empires such as the Parthians, and, within these sections, chapters deal with subjects such as religion or classes in society. I especially appreciated the chapters on sources which explicitly describe our sources for the various eras. Because of Wiesehofer's approach this book is not at all a popular history. I would not recommend it to someone who does not already have a familiarity with the history of Persia. At times the book can be quite technical and assumes a fair knowledge on the part of the reader. However, if you have a familiarity with ancient Persia and wish to learn more about it, I heartily recommend this book.