Persians

The Age of the Great Kings

By: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Narrated by: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

A stunning portrait of the magnificent splendor and enduring legacy of ancient Persia

The Achaemenid Persian kings ruled over the largest empire of antiquity, stretching from Libya to the steppes of Asia and from Ethiopia to Pakistan. From the palace-city of Persepolis, Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes, and their heirs reigned supreme for centuries until the conquests of Alexander of Macedon brought the empire to a swift and unexpected end in the late 330s BCE.

In Persians, historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones tells the epic story of this dynasty and the world it ruled. Drawing on Iranian inscriptions, cuneiform tablets, art, and archaeology, he shows how the Achaemenid Persian Empire was the world’s first superpower—one built, despite its imperial ambition, on cooperation and tolerance. This is the definitive history of the Achaemenid dynasty and its legacies in modern-day Iran, a book that completely reshapes our understanding of the ancient world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (P)2022 Basic Books

Critic reviews

“There is a long legacy of misinformation around ancient Persian empires, the lives of its leaders, and greater Persian society. However, by examining the artifacts and monuments that remain, historian Llewellyn-Jones brings forth a view of ancient Persia that is rich in tradition and historical significance.”—Library Journal

“Immersive… Llewellyn-Jones expertly illuminates the decentralized, multicultural nature of the Achaemenid empire and offers valuable perspective on the modern Middle East, where the great kings of ancient Persia still feature in Iran’s national self-image. This is a valuable contribution to the understanding of ‘history’s first great superpower.’—Publishers Marketplace

“This is an engaging, pacy account of the Persian Empire which is based on a rich range of sources. Going right up to the use of Cyrus the Great in modern Iran, the ‘Persian Version’ on which Professor Lloyd-Jones focuses has much to tell us about how different cultures create history and use it to tell their stories.”—Helen King, professor emerita, Classical Studies, The Open University

Excellent read!

This is a thorough examination of Persian (Achaemenid) history challenging traditional Western assumptions. The author brilliantly acknowledges how Greek sources inform our understandings of Persian history while tactfully preferencing the rich source materials of cuneiform tablets, inscriptions, and other archaeological sources.

Divided into three sections, the first and third detail Achaemenid history using a narrative chronological approach demarcated by each king’s reign. The second section focuses on Achaemenid culture. Readers can listen to just sections 1 and 3 for a more narrative reading of Persian history. However, when read in totality, section 2 is a nice reprieve helping to contextualize Achaemenid culture. Having this understanding prior to reading section 3 better situates the subsequent dynastic squabbles that would ultimately lead to the empire’s conquest.

I would strongly recommend this book.

So enlightening!

As a history teacher, who delivers a large unit about the golden age of Greece, this book proved incredibly valuable. I have always taught the history of the Greeks without giving sufficient due to the Persian empire because I simply have not had enough exposure to the subject. In the case of this book, I find a treasure trove of tantalizing facts and stories that have already enhanced my unit on the Greeks. There is also much thought-provoking perspective delivered by the author, which will continue to shape my curriculum in coming years as I revisit this work, and further explore ancient Iran.

A welcomed review of the Persian Empire

I was looking for a book with this contente.

The author collects various sources about the empire: inscriptions, greek accounts, clay tablets, etc... To flesh out a narrative of persian history.

It also discusses the administration of the empire.

A good pick if you are interested in Persia.

Great narrative

Informative, interesting and enlightening. As an Archaeologist researching the time period, found this writing informative, fascinating and understandable. Well worth the read.

A must read

This has been the best book I have read on the topic of Persian Acheminid history. The author does an exceptional job in relying on evidence based research. I specially enjoyed learning about the personalities that dominated the king court: I hope the author proceeds with work on the Parthians and Sassanids as well. Thank you

Great read for anyone who wants a serious look at Persian history

A sober but fascinating exploration into the history of the worlds first superpower. As with all history, take with a grain of salt, but still excellent. I picked this up after reading Tom Holland’s “Persian Fire” and if that was the intro course, then this was the advanced course and I’m glad I read them both.

Good History and Historiography

Good counter to the multiple Histories on Classical Greece.
It’s hard to see the Persians when most of our sources on them are Greek.
This book attempts to amend that. The author is clearly passionate about the topic and this shows in his book.
I wanted a good book on the Persian Empire in Audible format and that is what this book is.

Wonderful review of history

This was a fantastic narration of a wonderfully written history. I thoroughly enjoyed it throughout.

Well written and performed history of the dynasty

I particularly liked the use of new archeological information to inform or deny aspects of older histories. Book also has a dramatize verve

good but not great

The information given is great and given well. The book comes off as somewhat apologist at times however. There is very much a sense of "yeah well the west did worse things than the Persians." There is a definite feeling that history is one-sided when it comes to the Persians and I mostly agree with that. But to paint them as a peaceful empire is a little too revisionist for me.
Sure they didn't force their own beliefs on conquered peoples but make no mistake they were conquered. The Persians violently absorbed their neighbors and we're brutal in their ability to keep there subjects in line and in Empire. Not really a peaceful way of doing things.