--- product_id: 268677616 title: "Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings" price: "47326CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 5 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/268677616-shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # Penguin Classics prestige Top 25 in Middle Eastern & Epic Poetry 100+ pages new translation Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings **Price:** 47326CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📚 Unlock the timeless saga of Persia’s kings—where history meets legend in every page! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings - **How much does it cost?** 47326CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/268677616-shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Top-Ranked Epic:** Ranked in the top 25 for Middle Eastern and Epic Poetry—join the literary elite. - • **Expanded Edition:** Over 100 pages of fresh, newly translated text enrich the timeless epic. - • **Literary Prestige:** A Penguin Classics edition, trusted by discerning readers worldwide. - • **Cultural Deep-Dive:** Explore pre-Islamic Iran’s myths, heroes, and philosophy in one definitive volume. - • **Masterful Translation:** Dick Davis’s acclaimed prose-verse blend brings ancient Persia vividly to life. ## Overview Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings, translated and expanded by Dick Davis, is a Penguin Classics edition that offers over 100 pages of new text. This masterful prose-verse translation narrates the epic story of pre-Islamic Iran, blending myth, history, and philosophy. Highly ranked in Middle Eastern and Epic Poetry categories, it’s a must-have for history buffs and literary connoisseurs seeking to connect with one of the world’s greatest literary treasures. ## Description Dick Davis, "our pre-eminent translator from the Persian" (Washington Post) has revised and expanded his highly-praised translation of Ferdowsi's masterpiece, including more than 100 pages of newly translated text. Davis's elegant combination of prose and verse allows the poetry of the Shanameh to sing its own tales directly, interspersed sparingly with clearly-marked explanations to ease along modern readers. Among the greatest works of world literature, this prodigious narrative, composed by the poet Ferdowsi in the late tenth century, tells the story of pre-Islamic Iran, beginning in the mythic time of creation and continuing forward to the Arab invasion in the seventh century. Review: A evolução da civilização Pérsia, originalmente em poemas e ilustrado através de pinturas - Os historiadores e os amantes de História devem ler o magnífico livro Shahnameh (0 Persa Livro dos Reis), escrito pelo poeta persa Abolqasem FERDOWSI. 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. ## Features - Penguin Classics ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #20,428 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #18 in Middle Eastern Poetry #23 in Epic Poetry #56 in European Poetry | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 467 Reviews | ## Images ![Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81bBGFTezwL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A evolução da civilização Pérsia, originalmente em poemas e ilustrado através de pinturas *by R***A on 3 July 2021* Os historiadores e os amantes de História devem ler o magnífico livro Shahnameh (0 Persa Livro dos Reis), escrito pelo poeta persa Abolqasem FERDOWSI. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Epic *by A***E on 2 August 2019* I love shahnameh. This is the only affordable paperback version on Amazon. ## 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 --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/268677616-shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/268677616-shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-07-11*