About the Author

Geoffrey Parker is an honorary senior research fellow at the University of Birmingham. His books include "Sovereign City" and "Power in Stone," both also published by Reaktion Books. Brenda Parker is a former Lecturer in English literature and creative writing at the University of Birmingham. "

Reviews

"The second in the Lost Civilizations series, The Persians is also a compact, concise history of a whole civilization--from its nomadic origins in the first and second millennia BC to its new role as a tourist destination as modern-day Iran. . . . Tellingly, the book's useful chronology ends in 2001 with the destruction of the Twin Towers. Today, Iran's power and influence is far from waning."-- "Minerva"

"Anyone looking for a concise overview of Iranian history from pre-Islamic times to the present could do worse than consult this elegantly written volume, part of a series on the rise and fall of civilizations. The authors devote fully half of the book to ancient Iran, which they see as both the world's first superpower and a model for the modern, postimperial world in its federalist tendencies. The book's focus is on Iran, but the Parkers occasionally branch out into the wider 'Persianate' universe, such as in a nice chapter on Central Asia, while offering illuminating digressions on poetry and gardens. . . . Recommended."
-- "Choice"