The ruins of Persepolis evoke the best-known events of ancient Persia's history: Alexander the Great's defeat of Darius III, his conquest of the Achaemenid empire, and the burning of the great palace complex at Persepolis. However, most of the history of ancient Persia remains as mysterious today as it was to contemporary Western scholars. Compared to the world-famous Alexander, the many wars won by the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanian empires, and their revolutionary military technology,have been almost forgotten in the sands of the East.

In its day, Persia was a superpower to rival Greece and Rome, and conflict between them spanned over a millennium. Through these wars, and trade, these foes learnt from each other, not only adopting elements of military technology, but influences in the arts, architecture, religion, technology and learning. In this beautifully illustrated book, Dr Kaveh Farrokh narrates the history of Persia from before the first empires, through their wars with East and West to the fall of the Sassanians. Healso delves into the forgotten cultural heritage of the Persians, spread across the world through war and conquest, which, even after the fall of the Sassanians, continued to impact upon the Western world.

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Dr Kaveh Farrokh has been researching the military history and technology of Persia for two decades. He obtained his PhD in 2001 from the University of British Columbia, where he specialized on the acquisition of Persian languages. He has given lectures and seminars in the University of British Columbia and has written articles for various journals. He is the author of Elite 110: Sassanian Elite Cavalry AD 224-642. He is currently acting as historical advisor on a film project titled Cyrus the Great, and will be appearing in a History Channel documentary on the Persian Empire in October 2006. The author lives in Vancouver, Canada.

“Dr. Kaveh Farrokh's Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War, is the definitive work in the field. This Osprey Publishing effort combines the scholarship of Dr. Edwin Yamauchi's Persia and the Bible and Dr. Lindsay Allen's The Persian Empire with a readability accentuated by beautiful maps and photography which bring academic data and precise historical analysis into play with the majestically artistic. Put simply, it is a masterpiece and reference work which will stay on the shelf ofthe interested generalist and specialized scholar for decades to come.” —Mark Dankof, Republic Broadcasting Network

“This is an excellent well-illustrated survey of an important period, useful for students and a general readership alike. It deals not only with military matters, but also more broadly with political developments in Persia. My students have consulted it with profit.” —Geoffrey Greatrex, University of Ottawa

“This beautifully illustrated book will no doubt serve as a useful companion for all those interested in the military history of the pre-Islamic Middle East... Useful maps, photography and color plates make this a handsome and desirable volume; it will be of interest to students and scholars alike.” —Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, University of Edinburgh (Department of Classics)

“Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War is perhaps on of the finest books that has been produced from Western publishing houses, in this case Osprey Publishing... For the first time, we see a clearly written history book that outlines the relationship between these Iranian achievements to the wars that took place between the Greco-Roman world and ancient Persia...this book draws on excellent research that has received little mention; not to mention previously un-translated Greco-Romanhistorical sources.” —Professor Nikoloz Kacharava, MD, PhD, The University of Georgia in Tbilisi, Member of Academy of Sciences in Georgia, Active Member of New York Academy of Sciences

“In this beautifully illustrated book, Dr. Kaveh Farrokh narrates the history of Persia from before the first empires, through their wars with East and west to the fall of the Sassanians.” —Paul Houston, 300spartanwarriors.com

“...those with an interest in this period of history or the military will find it an invaluable resource. Indeed, those pursuing degrees associated with these fields may find It on their required reading lists.” —Timothy Baghurst, The Traveler

“... a book for all who have ever been curious about the 'other' view on Persia, not from the Western standpoint rooted in Greece, but from the traditions of the Persians themselves... Meticulously researched and documented... I have recommended it to many and am also using it here at Stanford not only for research but also in a course ... There is not only no better book on Perisan warfare, it is carefully and sensitively written with great verve and love of history. I much appreciate howthe research and analyses of texts showed Achaeminid, Parthian and Sassanid military accomplishments, often to the astonishment of Greeks and Romans and beyond. I notice from excellent reviews that other scholars agree.” —Patrick Hunt, Stanford University (Classics)