Customer Reviews
Great popular history - By: lexo1941, 02 Aug 2008 
I greatly enjoyed Tom Holland's 'Rubicon', full of juicy gossip about those naughty Romans but also genuinely respectful of the little that was worthwilein their legacy. 'Persian Fire' is a bit different, being a retelling of a storyin which the stakes were considerably higher. If the Persians had conquered Greece, there is no doubt that the history of Europe would have ended up being very different. Not necessarily very much worse, just not the same. The Greeks would not have been allowed to develop the way that they did; the histories of philosophy, literature, drama & political theory would undoubtedly have been seriously affected. Whatever we may feel about the Romans (and I personally am not a huge fan of the Roman Empire), the Greek defeat of the Persians is something that played a big partin making Europe & Asia the way they are today.
I was fairly new to this subject, although I've since read about itin more detail, & I can say that this is an excellent introduction for anyone who doesn't even know that once upon a time a massive Persian army attempted to conquer Europe via Greece. Holland does a fine job of establishing the earlier history of the Persians & how they came to be launching the ill-fated expeditionin the first place. He is aware that good popular history needs to be fun, & so he isn't scared of reporting some of the more lurid rumours of the time, such as the one about the Spartans' supposed penchant for heterosexual sodomy - although he does mentionin footnotes when any given story happens to be of dubious credibility. The descriptions of battles are admirably clear, except when - asin the battle of Salamis - it's not at all clear what actually happened, &in those cases Holland is frank about the difficulties. His enthusiasm is infectious, his style is clear & novelistic & his scholarship is sound. There are of course more detailed & in-depth histories than these, but they aren't always for the popular reader. This is the first popular retelling of the Greco-Persian wars for years, & it has deserved all its success.
Vivid account - By: William Podmore, 24 Jul 2008 This fine book tells the story of an earlier war between East & West. In the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, the terrorist states Athens & Sparta. As Holland points out, "even the mightiest empires can suffer from overstretch."
He mordantly notes, with a passing hit at the British state's `special relationship' with the declining USA, "There was no greater source of self-contentment for a subject-nation, after all, & no surer badge of its continued servitude, than to imagine that it might have been graced with a special relationship with the king."
Fantastic - By: Adam Graham Malster, 08 Jul 2008 
A truly excellent book. Holland has a real talent for bringing the characters to life. He makes the events of two thousand years ago immediate & exiting by connecting them to the Western language, culture & politics of today. The book buildsin impressiveness throughout the reading. The beginning chapters on the Persians are fascinating. The chapter on Sparta was amazing. The description of the characters & political intrigues of Athens was magnificent. Holland's portrayal of Thermopylae & Salamis however, were just perfect. I feel as if I were really there. This book has made me go back to read more about ancient Greek history. If you haven't already done so check out his other book Rubicon which is fantastic too. Well done Mr. Holland, I can't wait to read your next book.
Very good but... - By: Grand Dizer, 25 May 2008 If you enjoyed the style Rubicon was writtenin then you'll enjoy Persian Fire's style too: very readable, well researched popular narrative history. This book will certainly keep you entertained & I reckon it is very informative too. I don't share some of the other reviewers' comments about Holland writing with a bias.
The one thing that I would draw attention to is that if you read this book because you are curious about Persian history (like I did) then you might be a bit dissappointed. Whilst it will certainly give you much information about the Persian empire & will run through the time of Cyrus & Darius, the book is more about Greek history than Persian. Basically beware of the title; I was expecting this to be more about the Persian empire.
The book is about the conflict between the Persians & the Greeks but the author is obviously more comfortable with & more knowledgable about Greek history than Persian history. Nevertheless its still an excellent book - just don't be swayed by the title. Enjoy!
Accessible and authoritative history - By: Nikolaos, 01 May 2008 A superb & thoroughly enjoyable read.
The author is a gifted writer, conveying the events with immediacy & elegance, as well as obviously having a passion for the subject & knowing it inside out- it's not often you find these traitsin an author.
Highly recommended.
