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Title: Scholarly Overview of Persian History
Review: Wiesehofer has written a good overview of Persian history from the founding of the Achaemenid empire until the Arab conquest. Despite the great timespan of his work he is able to provide many interesting details and insights. He accomplishes this by avoiding a strict chronological approach. Sections are devoted to the various empires such as the Parthians, and, within these sections, chapters deal with subjects such as religion or classes in society. I especially appreciated the chapters on sources which explicitly describe our sources for the various eras. Because of Wiesehofer's approach this book is not at all a popular history. I would not recommend it to someone who does not already have a familiarity with the history of Persia. At times the book can be quite technical and assumes a fair knowledge on the part of the reader. However, if you have a familiarity with ancient Persia and wish to learn more about it, I heartily recommend this book.
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