"In the past few decades Achaemenid history has established itself as an exciting and multi-facetted area of study and research. Thanks to many academic publications looking at aspects of the empire or indeed cover the history in its entirety, the subject has become accessible to students and graduates, while concise histories offer non-specialists and general readers a way into the subject. Several recent exhibitions on ancient Persia, some of them travelling across the globe, have brought the splendour of the Persian court, the immensely rich art found across its territories and in the far corners of the empire, to life. Most recently, a magisterial sourcebook on the Persian empire written by Ame lie Kuhrt has given the academic community an invaluable tool to learn about the wealth of written sources on Achaemenid Persia"--