Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
Persian Fire
- The First World Empire, Battle for the West
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows, Tom Holland
- Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Persian Fire
Buy Now for £16.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
In 480 BC, Xerxes, the King of Persia, led an invasion of mainland Greece. Its success should have been a formality. For 70 years, victory - rapid, spectacular victory - had seemed the birthright of the Persian Empire. In the space of a single generation, they had swept across the Near East, shattering ancient kingdoms, storming famous cities, putting together an empire which stretched from India to the shores of the Aegean. As a result of those conquests, Xerxes ruled as the most powerful man on the planet. Yet somehow, astonishingly, against the largest expeditionary force ever assembled, the Greeks of the mainland managed to hold out. The Persians were turned back. Greece remained free. Had the Greeks been defeated at Salamis, not only would the West have lost its first struggle for independence and survival, but it is unlikely that there would ever have been such an entity as the West at all.
Tom Holland's brilliant book describes the very first 'clash of Empires' between East and West. Once again he has found extraordinary parallels between the ancient world and our own. There is no competing popular book describing these events.
What listeners say about Persian Fire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Charles Bertoia
- 18-02-21
Excellent narrative history of the Persian Empire
As always, Tom Holland produced a magnificent narrative history. He lays out the development of two empires interwoven by geography and ambition.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nick Jarvis
- 07-03-21
Gripping from start to finish
Really interesting and brilliantly narrated. History told as a story. Awakened an interest in a period of history I knew little about. Highly recommend
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Diane
- 18-12-23
Persian history
Really enjoyed the viewpoint expressed in the book. Could al most be at the battles and see how they were won.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 29-01-22
Excellent
Brilliant prose brings the Persian's attempts to conquest Greece to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely listen again.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mr Michael V Baynham
- 13-12-23
Persian fire or Greek history?
Maybe it was inevitable that Greece history would feature so much as that is what we are all steeped in. Persian history is so foggy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chris I
- 29-09-22
Excellent history, brilliantly narrated
Excellent history of a pivotal period in history. Amazing how much we know about a period so long ago. Brilliantly narrated; a very enjoyable listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- carl crocher
- 27-03-24
First Tom Holland
The depth of detail, and the lessons were still learning from them today. Having heard many of these histories before, it's always interesting to hear another take, and find out something of the perspectives of the time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- frank carey
- 21-02-22
Persian fire
very good, what else can I say. A Greek and a Persian walk into a bar
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nicholas Bolton
- 03-05-23
Almost refunded, glad I didn’t.
I’ll be honest. The transition from the author reading the introduction to the main narrator at the start of chapter 1 was very jolting and I almost sought a refund.
At first, I found the narrator annoying and difficult to focus on. It felt like I was being read a story by a teacher or a parent rather than being presented with a serious history.
But…
once I adapted to his voice (and played it at 1.2x speed) I actually really enjoyed his narration. So if you have that experience too, bear with it.
As a history, it was fabulous. Holland has a beautiful ability to communicate serious history in an almost novelistic tone. For instance, his descriptions of battle scenes and characters clearly relies unashamedly on imagination, and is not told as dry, objective fact. He imagines the emotions and the sounds and smells and all this brings to life what is an incredible story.
In retrospect, I can see why this narrator was chosen since he too brings a storytelling feel to history.
Right, now onto the next Tom Holland book!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 18-12-23
a history of the World
encompassing the key players in a vital time of history, good coverage of background and a nice level of personal stories included.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!