The Persian Wars

By: Herodotus

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Unquestionably, Herodotus has left mankind one of the world's greatest works of literature. The Persian Wars is part history, part geography, part anthropology...and completely entertaining. It possesses a charm that is legendary. But, over and above this, Herodotus has succeeded for all time in brilliantly expressing the conflict between the ideal of the free man defending his liberty within a state based on the rule of law, and that of the despot who bases his rule on brute force and whose subjects are considered slaves. In his writing we experience the impact of that great intellectual, moral, and ethical force that set the Greeks apart from the rest of the Ancient World. The Persian Wars is a magnificent epic of human triumph over the forces of tyranny, of the struggle over two diametrically opposed concepts of government...between which man must still choose today.

Public Domain (P)2013 Audio Connoisseur

Great story

Enjoyed the content and performance very much. Herodotus is like an anthropologist in his descriptions of the many cultures he covers.

very good if you skip through the geneologies

very good. skip through the genealogies and lists of different peoples. great read. very accurate and interesting a must-read if you're into history

Truly outstanding

I was throughly surprised by the clarity of this work. Truly a remarkable book. Always a great narrator.

Wonderful performance

Another winner by Charlton Griffin.
You, sir, should be knighted by the Queen.
All of these audiobooks by him are hits.

Excellent Audiobook Companion

I wanted an audiobook that matched my George Rawlinson translation of The History of Herodotus. Charlton Griffin's audiobook was excellent for that purpose. I was able to follow along with the text and hear smooth reading and consistent pronunciation of unfamiliar names and places. Below are corresponding reference points for each given audio chapter.

Chapter 1 - Essay by Edward M. Walker and George Rawlinson (I think this reading is from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica entry on Herodotus in the public domain)

Chapter 2 - Book 1 (Clio)
Chapter 3 - Line 72
Chapter 4 - Line 131

Chapter 5 - Book 2 (Euterpe)
Chapter 6 - Line 86
Chapter 7 - Line 135

Chapter 8 - Book 3 (Thalia)
Chapter 9 - Line 50
Chapter 10 - Line 97

Chapter 11 - Book 4 (Melpomene)
Chapter 12 - Line 69
Chapter 13 - Line 135

Chapter 14 - Book 5 (Terpsichore)
Chapter 15 - Line 75

Chapter 16 - Book 6 (Erato)
Chapter 17 - Line 61

Chapter 18 - Book 7 (Polymnia)
Chapter 19 - Line 47
Chapter 20 - Line 120
Chapter 21 - Line 170

Chapter 22 - Book 8 (Urania)
Chapter 23 - Line 93

Chapter 24 - Book 9 (Calliope)
Chapter 25 - Line 48