Making a modern, historically accurate account of events that occurred 450-500 years before Christ is no easy task, and neither is compiling the information into a fascinating narrative for a wide audience. Tom Holland has accomplished both in his book Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West, an engaging account of the Persain War against Greece.
There are few historical periods more shrouded in myth and legend than the Persian War, especially the famous stand of the "300 Spartans" in the Thermopylae pass. It's easy to find exaggerated or romanticised portrayals of the events of the Persian War, but as Holland points out in his preface:
As is so often the case, the truth is both messier and more intriguing than
the myth (xviii)
In other words, 300 this ain't.
Holland goes beyond merely relating the story of Thermopylae, Marathon, or Salamis. Instead, he relates the entire history of Persia, Sparta, and Athens (in that order) each from their founding to just before the fateful clash. In this way, the reader recieves a valuable context with which to understand the famous battles that would go down in history. You see, the war between Persia and Greece was not simply a conflict of interest between neighbors; it was a monumental collision between two groups of people whose culture, government, language, and basic perspective were so fundamentally different that they hardly seemed the same species.
Over time, the Persian perspective would be adopted into subsequent Near Eastern empires including the Muslim Caliphate whose influence continues strongly to this day. Meanwhile, the Greek influence is so overt in the cities of Europe and the United States that it barely needs mentioning. Were it not for the Greeks' seemingly impossible expulsion of the Persian armies and navies from Europe, there may not have been a "Western history" at all.
So the material is relevant to us today, but is it a good read? You betcha'. Holland has a knack for giving illustrative anecdotes that give the whole thing a very human, down to earth feel. He also fully explains the immediate importance of each major event in the fifty year confrontation that helps the reader fully appreciate the importance of the events. It's far superior to the dry list of names and dates most people associate with history texts. Persian Fire has history, drama, action, war, politics, honor, betrayal, and a big bibliography. What's not to like?
Smarty Pants Sez: Persian Fire is highly recommended, especially for the amateur historian/classicist.
Caveats: This is history, and although Tom Holland is a great story teller, things don't always turn out the way you want. Be aware of this as you read.
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