---
product_id: 50138996
title: "Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics)"
price: "25466 Ft"
currency: HUF
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.hu/products/50138996-shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings-penguin-classics
store_origin: HU
region: Hungary
---

# Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics)

**Price:** 25466 Ft
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics)
- **How much does it cost?** 25466 Ft with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hu](https://www.desertcart.hu/products/50138996-shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings-penguin-classics)

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## Description

Buy Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics) Illustrated by Ferdowsi, Abolqasem, Davis, Dick (ISBN: 9780143108320) from desertcart's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

Review: An Absolute Delight - Davis says in his excellent introduction (but don’t try to read it before reading the text unless you are already an aficionado of Persian history and literature) that he is writing for the general reader. Well that’s me and he has done a cracking job. At first his gentle, rhythmical apparently simplistic style can seem naïve, until as the centuries of years and pages pass you start to get the wisdom of the philosophy of the text which somehow goes with the beguiling rhythms of the speech, somewhat like a long fairy tale spoken out loud from a rocking chair. I felt I had learned a huge amount of the spirit, the culture and the wisdom of ancient Persia. This ancient poem (mostly translated into poetical prose) tells the story of Persia from more than a thousand years BC up until the triumph of Islam, and indeed commences with a creation myth. It was written perhaps based on written and oral records about 1000 years ago at a time when there was a particular interest in pre-Islamic culture. The author Ferdowsi speaks with a voice representing the religion of the time – pre-Zoroastrian or Zoroastrian. For reasons that Davis is unable to entirely explain it misses out the great Persian Emperors any student of ancient history is familiar with, like Cyrus, Xerxes etc – Davis thinks the author Ferdowsi was spellbound by the history of Eastern Persia/Western Afghanistan which especially the earlier part actually covers. It does include a fascinating account of Alexander (called Sekander), which account as Davis mentions divides the earlier accounts of fantastic heroes most notably Rostam and the later more modern and morally ambiguous more historical tales of the Sasanid kings. All these tales are however told with relish for the drama inherent in them. The Persian style appears to be one of delight in this world – the women, the wine, the countless jewels and wealth - but at the same time religious devotion and brief but profound meditations on morality descend on us typically at the end of every adventure. This book is a great delight, and anyone who likes a good tale and has an interest in Persian history is in for a treat.
Review: I like it - A very nice copy of the shahnameh

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | 7,098 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 15 in Epics 19 in Classical, Early & Medieval Poetry 84 in Poetry & Drama Criticism |
| Customer reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (476) |
| Dimensions  | 13.97 x 4.5 x 22.38 cm |
| Edition  | Illustrated |
| ISBN-10  | 0143108328 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0143108320 |
| Item weight  | 797 g |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 1040 pages |
| Publication date  | 7 July 2016 |
| Publisher  | Penguin Classics |

## Images

![Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81bBGFTezwL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Absolute Delight
*by C***N on 3 November 2019*

Davis says in his excellent introduction (but don’t try to read it before reading the text unless you are already an aficionado of Persian history and literature) that he is writing for the general reader. Well that’s me and he has done a cracking job. At first his gentle, rhythmical apparently simplistic style can seem naïve, until as the centuries of years and pages pass you start to get the wisdom of the philosophy of the text which somehow goes with the beguiling rhythms of the speech, somewhat like a long fairy tale spoken out loud from a rocking chair. I felt I had learned a huge amount of the spirit, the culture and the wisdom of ancient Persia. This ancient poem (mostly translated into poetical prose) tells the story of Persia from more than a thousand years BC up until the triumph of Islam, and indeed commences with a creation myth. It was written perhaps based on written and oral records about 1000 years ago at a time when there was a particular interest in pre-Islamic culture. The author Ferdowsi speaks with a voice representing the religion of the time – pre-Zoroastrian or Zoroastrian. For reasons that Davis is unable to entirely explain it misses out the great Persian Emperors any student of ancient history is familiar with, like Cyrus, Xerxes etc – Davis thinks the author Ferdowsi was spellbound by the history of Eastern Persia/Western Afghanistan which especially the earlier part actually covers. It does include a fascinating account of Alexander (called Sekander), which account as Davis mentions divides the earlier accounts of fantastic heroes most notably Rostam and the later more modern and morally ambiguous more historical tales of the Sasanid kings. All these tales are however told with relish for the drama inherent in them. The Persian style appears to be one of delight in this world – the women, the wine, the countless jewels and wealth - but at the same time religious devotion and brief but profound meditations on morality descend on us typically at the end of every adventure. This book is a great delight, and anyone who likes a good tale and has an interest in Persian history is in for a treat.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I like it
*by B***A on 29 November 2025*

A very nice copy of the shahnameh

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lovely translation of an epic story
*by S***E on 20 February 2021*

Heard so much about this on Art of Persia curios to learn more. The translation has such a good flow a pleasure to read

## Frequently Bought Together

- Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics)
- The Conference of the Birds (Penguin Classics)
- The Mirror of My Heart: A Thousand Years of Persian Poetry by Women

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*Product available on Desertcart Hungary*
*Store origin: HU*
*Last updated: 2026-01-29*