A history of Persia. de Sykes, Brigadier-General Sir Percy - 1921

Second edition. Macmillan. London. 1921. 2 volumes. Crown 8vo. xxvii, 563pp. Frontis., 87 further plates, of which 3 are colour, 3 folding maps in text, a further large folding map in rear pocket; xix, (1), 594pp + adverts, frontis., 97 further plates, one of which is coloured folding, folding map in text, two further folding maps in rear pocket. Original publisher's decorative cloth, gilt, rubbed and worn to extremities. Toning to eps. Teg. Heffer & Sons booksellers plates to fep of each volume.

Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes KCIE, CB, CMG, RGS Patron's Gold Medal (1867-1945) soldier, diplomat, explorer, eminent orientalist and author.

"It describes in considerable detail the geography, legends and history of Persia from the earliest times of Elam and Babylon. A Persian bibliophile has described it as "probably the best history of the country we have today in any language other than Persian" (Ghani, p. 363)." Encyclopaedia Iranica.

From the Preface to this Second Edition: "During the six years that have elapsed since the first edition of this work was published, much has happened in Persia…this history is thereby brought up to date. But the new chapters constitute only one part of the work. The other has been to revise the entire text of the first edition in the light of subsequent exploration and study."