---
product_id: 28560401
title: "Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics)"
price: "¥9389"
currency: JPY
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/28560401-shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings-penguin-classics
store_origin: JP
region: Japan
---

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

**Price:** ¥9389
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics)
- **How much does it cost?** ¥9389 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/28560401-shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings-penguin-classics)

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## Description

desertcart.com: Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics): 9780143108320: Ferdowsi, Abolqasem, Davis, Dick, Nafisi, Azar: Books

Review: A Rich Book that Keeps on Giving - The Shahnameh is an amazingly text of massive scope. It begins in legendary prehistory and continues to the Arab Conquest of Iran. Along the way you will meet complex, compelling characters who are often locked against each other in a tragic trajectory. Despite its didactic elements, the Shahmaneh offers plenty of moral ambiguity and elicits sympathy for both rising heroes and those whose stars have started to wane. The text is primarily concerned with masculine spheres, but it still features powerful and complex women from queens, to advisors, to assertive lovers, to warriors on the battlefield. The Shahmaneh also highlights the vast cultural diversity of Greater Iran. While I do not read Farsi myself, all my friends who do assure me that Davis’ is the English translation to go with, and I can vouch that it is a joy to read. Whether you are interested in pre-modern literature, the cultural heritage of Greater Iran, or just enjoy a good read, I can not recommend this highly enough.
Review: A compelling work in a felicitous translation. A great pleasure. Elucidates the history covered and our times. - this is an expanded edition of Davis's earlier excellent translation. more of quite a very good thing. it is a delight to read and invites total immersion in this historical and literary world. as a general reader i was entranced by Ferdowsi's universe and Davis's language. this work elucidates the history of the entire vast region and period in a way which provides great pleasure in the work itself, admiration for its ethical and aesthetic universe, and better understanding of today's shifting alliances and dreadful conflicts (as well as circumstances in our own parlous times and characters in our own deplorable politics.) Davis's fine introduction mentions that it was impossible to include the entire work in this edition and, pressed by this stricture, the decision to leave out some of the moral minutiae (as being of less interest to contemporary readers.) certainly we could all benefit today from contemplation of moral teachings and from access to more of Ferdowsi's compelling work in Davis's felicitous and seemingly transparent translation.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #76,168 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #12 in Middle Eastern Poetry (Books) #37 in Ancient & Classical Poetry #63 in Epic Poetry (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (488) |
| Dimensions  | 5.5 x 1.77 x 8.81 inches |
| Edition  | Expanded |
| ISBN-10  | 0143108328 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0143108320 |
| Item Weight  | 1.76 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 1040 pages |
| Publication date  | March 8, 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

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Rich Book that Keeps on Giving
*by D***R on January 3, 2021*

The Shahnameh is an amazingly text of massive scope. It begins in legendary prehistory and continues to the Arab Conquest of Iran. Along the way you will meet complex, compelling characters who are often locked against each other in a tragic trajectory. Despite its didactic elements, the Shahmaneh offers plenty of moral ambiguity and elicits sympathy for both rising heroes and those whose stars have started to wane. The text is primarily concerned with masculine spheres, but it still features powerful and complex women from queens, to advisors, to assertive lovers, to warriors on the battlefield. The Shahmaneh also highlights the vast cultural diversity of Greater Iran. While I do not read Farsi myself, all my friends who do assure me that Davis’ is the English translation to go with, and I can vouch that it is a joy to read. Whether you are interested in pre-modern literature, the cultural heritage of Greater Iran, or just enjoy a good read, I can not recommend this highly enough.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A compelling work in a felicitous translation. A great pleasure. Elucidates the history covered and our times.
*by P***5 on June 18, 2017*

this is an expanded edition of Davis's earlier excellent translation. more of quite a very good thing. it is a delight to read and invites total immersion in this historical and literary world. as a general reader i was entranced by Ferdowsi's universe and Davis's language. this work elucidates the history of the entire vast region and period in a way which provides great pleasure in the work itself, admiration for its ethical and aesthetic universe, and better understanding of today's shifting alliances and dreadful conflicts (as well as circumstances in our own parlous times and characters in our own deplorable politics.) Davis's fine introduction mentions that it was impossible to include the entire work in this edition and, pressed by this stricture, the decision to leave out some of the moral minutiae (as being of less interest to contemporary readers.) certainly we could all benefit today from contemplation of moral teachings and from access to more of Ferdowsi's compelling work in Davis's felicitous and seemingly transparent translation.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Persian mythology + mirror for princes + history...
*by Z***B on March 2, 2023*

...what's not to love? at nearly 1000 pages, and having finished it a couple weeks ago, I'm looking forward to returning to this work. I like some stories better than others, but on the whole it's quite the feast. and while almost every sunrise was described artfully, I don't think one was described the same... Ferdowsi is a master of language and is legendary for good reason, and Dick Davis has rendered it so enjoyably with this expanded translation.

## Frequently Bought Together

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

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*Product available on Desertcart Japan*
*Store origin: JP*
*Last updated: 2026-03-19*