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

True Persian history

I love how thorough the author is and points our the Western biase towards Persia because their history was told by the Greeks. This is well researched. My only criticism is that I wish he'd had help from native Farsi speakers on some of the pronunciations.

So good I read it twice

This book is a must for any history buff! Such finese in capturing the essence of a truly great empire that westerners know next to nothing about. I’d say it’s an introductory course that would be incredible to introduce to younger audiences to elevate their understanding of world history, since we usually only get a glimpse and only from the conquerors POV. I have come away with such a better idea of how the Middle East and Iran itself has evolved over time and a newfound respect for the Persians.

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.

Well-written Valuable History

A good knowledge of the Persians is vital to understanding ancient history. This is a great place to start. Based on careful research, good historical imagination (in the best sense), and realistic analysis, the author provides a corrective both to the Herodotan view that the Persians were oppressors determined to destroy Greek culture or an entirely peaceful and beneficial presence to their subject peoples. Very highly recommended.

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 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.

An excellent listen

The content of this book was excellent. I consider it a must-listen for anyone interested in ancient history. In addition, the author’s narration was so high-quality that I mistakenly believed that it was a professional narrator and not the author reading the book.

Fascinating

Any glimpse into these ancient hierarchies is fantastic we observe a commonality that cropped up in all great kingdoms in that it always is the best interest those who would be king that they themselves were chosen and anointed by ~~fill in god of choice—- and that quasi fact always best suited them perhaps that will always be the case
Super interesting and wonderful reader too!