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The Armies of Ancient Persia: The Sassanians

(Paperback)


Publishing Details

Full Title:

The Armies of Ancient Persia: The Sassanians

Contributors:

By (Author) Kaveh Farrokh

ISBN:

9781399024815

Publisher:

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Imprint:

Pen & Sword Military

Publication Date:

8th August 2023

UK Publication Date:

30th August 2023

Country:

United Kingdom

Classifications

Readership:

General

Fiction/Non-fiction:

Non Fiction

Main Subject:
Dewey:

357

Physical Properties

Physical Format:

Paperback

Number of Pages:

504

Dimensions:

Width 156mm, Height 234mm

Description

Throughout most of the classical period, Persia was one of the great superpowers, placing a limit on the expansion of Western powers. It was the most formidable rival to the Roman empire for centuries, until Persia, by then under the Sassanians, was overwhelmed by the Islamic conquests in the seventh century AD. Yet, the armies of ancient Persia have received relatively little detailed attention, certainly in comparison to those of Rome. This work is the first of three volumes that will form the most comprehensive study of ancient Persian armies available. The Sassanians, the native Iranian dynasty that ousted their Parthian overlords in AD 226, developed a highly sophisticated army that was able for centuries to hold off all comers. They continued the Parthians' famous winning combination of swift horse archers with heavily-armoured cataphract cavalry, also making much use of war elephants, but Kaveh Farrokh interestingly demonstrates that their oft-maligned infantry has been much underestimated. The author, born in Athens, Greece, and expert in ancient Persian languages and military history, has been researching the military history and technology of Persia for a quarter of a century. He draws on the latest research and new archaeological evidence, focussing on the organization, equipment and tactics of the armies that dominated the ancient Middle East for so long. Cover may vary (La portada puede variar). AUTHOR: The author, born in Athens, Greece and expert in ancient Persian languages and military history, has been researching the military history and technology of Persia for a quarter of a century. He obtained his PhD in 2001 from the University of British Columbia, where he is now a lecturer. He is also Head of the Department of Traditions and Cultural History of the Waalm School of Cultural Diplomacy. He has written three previous books on Persian military history. The second, Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War (Osprey, 2007) has been translated into Russian and Persian, received the Best History Book Award of 2008 and was cited as among the top 3 history books of 2008 by the Independent Book Publishers Association in the USA.

Reviews

"[A] seminal work of original scholarship and highly recommended."-- "Midwest Book Review"
"The book is well researched, edited, organized and written [...] the result is a major work of scholarship that is long overdue."-- "HistoryNet"

Author Bio

The author, born in Athens, Greece and expert in ancient Persian languages and military history, has been researching the military history and technology of Persia for a quarter of a century. He obtained his PhD in 2001 from the University of British Columbia, where he is now a lecturer. He is also Head of the Department of Traditions and Cultural History of the Waalm School of Cultural Diplomacy. He has written three previous books on Persian military history. The second, Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War (Osprey, 2007) has been translated into Russian and Persian, received the Best History Book Award of 2008 and was cited as among the top 3 history books of 2008 by the Independent Book Publishers Association in the USA.

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