The Persians is a succinct narrative of Iranian history from the time of Cyrus the Great in 560BC to the present day.* A succinct narrative of Iranian history from the time of Cyrus the Great in 560BC to the present day.* Traces events from the rise of the Persian empire, through competition with Rome and conquest by the Arabs, through to the re-establishment of a Persian state in the sixteenth century, and finally the Islamic Revoltuion on 1979 and the establishment of the current Islamic Republic.* Uses the most recent scholarship to examine Iran's political, social and cultural history.* Focuses on rulership as a central theme in Iranian identity.* Also shows how land, language and literature relate to Iranian identity.