Thursday, February 25, 2010

Nonfiction Monday: The Ancient Persians by Virginia Schomp

We have been having trouble access different parts of Google so I could not post this on Monday. I know I am hosting next week too so I will have do all this on Sunday night and hopefully, I can get the Mr. Linky widget so that links can be posted rather quickly...

What Caught My Eye: I was just curious about the Ancient Persians. Also, it's an interesting cover and made wonder, "Who is that?" He looks very regal.

Why I Didn't Put It Down: The Ancient Persians by Virginia Schomp is part of a series called Myths of the World published by Marshall Cavendish. I really like books published by Marshall Cavendish and this one does not disappoint. Schomp's writing is very accessible and engaging. The book is filled with colorful images from the time period illustrating the different individuals and myths she focuses on. For example, on the chapter titled "Mythical Creatures," Schomp retells the tale of Rostam, a hero, and his horse, the image accompanying this chapter is a painting of Rostam riding his horse as they overcome a man ready to shoot an arrow at the horse and rider. She also included sections called "The Early Persians Speak" that features translated sections from texts from the period, like the Shahnamen, or "Book of Kings," which is the national epic story from Iran. Schomp also included a wonderful glossary that goes more into depth of the texts she refers to and a "Find Out More" section that contains a bibliography, website links and added notes.

Who Would I Recommend This To: People interested history, especially ancient times. Also those curious about the Persians.

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