Book excerpt: Of all the great civilizations of the ancient world, that of Persia is one of the least understood. Josef Wiesehfer, one of the most respected scholars of the ancient world, provides here a comprehensive survey of the Persian Empire under Achaeminids, the Parthians and the Sassanians. By focusing on the primary Persian sources--written, archaeological and numismatic evidence from Persia--he avoids the traditional Western approach which has tended to rely so heavily on inaccurate and sometimes prejudiced Greek and Roman sources. Part of the freshness of this book comes from presenting a historical discussion of Persia from a Near Eastern perspective. A comprehensive social, political and cultural history of ancient Persia, Wiesehfer's book provides important new material for specialists while being fully accessible and appealing to general readers interested in the ancient world.