Ancient Persia from 550 BC to 650 AD

Of all the great civilizations of the ancient world, that of Persia is one of the most remarkable but least understood.

This is a study of the country's origins and why it collapsed so dramatically with the Arab invasions of the seventh century.

Josef Wiesehofer, provides a comprehensive survey of the Persian Empire under the Achaeminids, the Parthians and the Sassanians.

By focusing on the primary Persian sources - written, archaeological and numismatic evidence from Persia - he avoids the traditional Western approach which has tended to rely so heavily on inaccurate, and sometimes prejudiced, Greek and Roman sources.