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Quick answer: The best books on the Persian Empire tell the story of the Achaemenid kings who built the ancient world’s largest empire. Start with Persians: The Age of the Great Kings by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, The Persian Empire by Lindsay Allen, Ancient Persia by Matt Waters, From Cyrus to Alexander by Pierre Briant and the Shahnameh by Ferdowsi.
In the 550s BC, Cyrus the Great united the Medes and Persians and conquered Lydia and Babylon, founding the Achaemenid Empire. Under Darius I and Xerxes it stretched from Egypt and Greece to the Indus River, the largest empire the world had yet seen. The Persians built royal roads, a postal system and the magnificent palace at Persepolis, and they ruled a huge diversity of peoples with surprising tolerance. For a long time their story was told mainly by their Greek enemies, especially Herodotus. Alexander the Great conquered the empire in 330 BC, but later Persian dynasties rose again. The books below include modern histories that tell the Persian side, ancient sources, biographies, novels and Iran’s great epic.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persians: The Age of the Great Kings | Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones | History | The best modern introduction |
| The Persian Empire | Lindsay Allen | History | A clear overview |
| Ancient Persia | Matt Waters | Short history | A concise history |
| From Cyrus to Alexander | Pierre Briant | History | Serious readers |
| Ancient Persia | Josef Wiesehöfer | History | From Cyrus to the Sasanians |
| Sasanian Persia | Touraj Daryaee | History | The later Persian empire |
| Xerxes: A Persian Life | Richard Stoneman | Biography | The king who invaded Greece |
| Forgotten Empire | John Curtis and Nigel Tallis (editors) | Illustrated history | Visual learners |
| The Histories | Herodotus | Ancient history | The Greek view |
| Thermopylae | Paul Cartledge | Narrative history | The famous battle |
| The Greek and Persian Wars 499–386 BC | Philip de Souza | Military history | A quick overview |
| Shahnameh | Ferdowsi, translated by Dick Davis | Epic poem | Iran’s national epic |
| Creation | Gore Vidal | Historical novel | Literary fiction fans |
| The Persian Boy | Mary Renault | Historical novel | Romantic fiction |
| Gates of Fire | Steven Pressfield | Historical novel | Military fiction fans |
1. Persians: The Age of the Great Kings by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
Llewellyn-Jones tells the history of the Achaemenid Empire from the Persian point of view, using Persian sources. It’s lively and eye-opening.
2. The Persian Empire by Lindsay Allen
Allen, a British Museum curator, explains the empire’s history, art and administration with many illustrations. It’s accessible and reliable.
3. Ancient Persia by Matt Waters
Waters’s concise history of the Achaemenid Empire is clear and up to date. It’s ideal for students and beginners.
4. From Cyrus to Alexander by Pierre Briant
Briant’s monumental history is the standard scholarly work on the Achaemenid Empire. It’s huge but authoritative.
5. Ancient Persia by Josef Wiesehöfer
Wiesehöfer covers Persian history from the Achaemenids to the Sasanian Empire. It’s a valuable survey.
6. Sasanian Persia by Touraj Daryaee
Daryaee tells the story of the Sasanian Empire, which rivaled Rome from AD 224 to 651. It’s clear and informative.
7. Xerxes: A Persian Life by Richard Stoneman
Stoneman’s biography of Xerxes looks beyond the Greek view of him as a tyrant. It’s thoughtful and balanced.
8. Forgotten Empire by John Curtis and Nigel Tallis (editors)
This British Museum exhibition book shows the art, objects and palaces of the Achaemenid Empire. It’s beautifully illustrated.
9. The Histories by Herodotus
Herodotus is the main ancient source on the Persian Wars and the Persian kings, though he wrote from a Greek point of view. The Landmark edition is excellent.
10. Thermopylae by Paul Cartledge
Cartledge tells the story of the 480 BC battle and its long legacy. It’s short and illuminating.
11. The Greek and Persian Wars 499–386 BC by Philip de Souza
Part of Osprey’s Essential Histories, this short book covers the wars between Greece and Persia with maps and illustrations.
12. Shahnameh by Ferdowsi, translated by Dick Davis
Ferdowsi’s Book of Kings, completed around 1010, tells the legends and history of Persia’s kings and heroes. Davis’s translation is beautiful and readable.
13. Creation by Gore Vidal
A Persian diplomat, grandson of Zoroaster, travels from Persia to India and China in the 5th century BC. Vidal’s novel is witty and erudite.
14. The Persian Boy by Mary Renault
Told by a Persian at the court of Darius III who becomes Alexander’s companion, it shows the fall of the empire from the inside.
15. Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield
Pressfield’s novel of Thermopylae is told from the Spartan side, but it shows the might of Xerxes’s army vividly. Content note: battle violence.
Tips for Reading About the Persian Empire
- Start with Llewellyn-Jones. He tells the story from the Persian side.
- Remember the sources. Much of what we know comes from the Greeks.
- Look at the art. Persepolis reliefs show the empire’s diversity.
- Read about Cyrus. The Cyrus Cylinder is famous for its message of tolerance.
- Don’t stop with Alexander. The Parthians and Sasanians carried Persian power on.
- Try the Shahnameh. It shows how Iranians remembered their past.
Related: best books on Alexander the Great and best books on Ancient Greece.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best book about the Persian Empire?
Persians: The Age of the Great Kings by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones is the best modern introduction, and From Cyrus to Alexander by Pierre Briant is the scholarly standard.
Who founded the Persian Empire?
Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 550s BC.
How big was the Persian Empire?
At its height under Darius I, it stretched from Egypt and Thrace to the Indus Valley, the largest empire the world had seen.