The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant
"The best biography of the year, Axworthy’sThe Sword of Persiahas rescued Nader Shah from obscurity and created not only a brilliant human portrait of tyranny, conquest, cruelty and insanity but also a superb introduction to Iran itself which makes this book not just a beautifully-written compelling work but one that is also utterly relevant today."--Simon Sebag Montefiore"a very successful [biography.  Michael Axworthy knows his Persia...and he writes well: this is an excellent story, very ably told."--David Morgan,Times Literary Supplement"Michael Axworthy has done an outstanding job of trying to understand what moved Nadir...the result is a book that is informative and a pleasure to read, for specialists and non-specialists alike. Thanks to the author’s deft handling of the subject, Nadir as a person becomes real and his actions become understandable...well researched...this a great book and an excellent read that you can even take to the beach."--Willem Floor,Middle East Journal"both scholarly and highly readable from start to finish...valuable for both specialists and graduate students of history...this new volume presents a wealth of information hitherto unknown and offers some fresh and unique interpretations on the rise and reign of Nader Shah Afshar."--George Bournoutian,American Historical Review"I have read this book with considerable pleasure and admiration...Axworthy has taken account of the latest research, contributed to that himself, and produced a book that will be welcomed by specialists and the wider history minded public."--Charles Melville, Pembroke College, Cambridge"Nader Shah has been too long neglected, and Michael Axworthy's The Sword of Persia provides new and valued insight into his critical role in Iran's 18th-century history."--Professor Gene Garthwaite, Dartmouth College"This is, without any doubt, a valuable book.  Axworthy gives a fascinating picture of Iran in the 18th century and provides a key to the better understanding of many of the issues after Nadar Shah relating to the Zand and Qajar eras."--Professor Sadegh Zibakalam, Tehran University