Makers of History: Cyrus the Great Paperback – May 29, 2014

This is part of an exceptional series of biographies from the wonderful school of historians of the mid-nineteenth century, in this case by the brothers John and Jacob Abbott. I hope that I will be forgiven for posting this review at various titles I have read.I would like to quote Abraham Lincoln's letter to the brothers, for it is incredibly powerful."I want to thank you and your brother for Abbott's series of Histories. I have not education enough to appreciate the profound works of voluminous historians, and if I had, I have no time to read them. But your series of Histories gives me, in brief compass, just that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have."Some may be put-off by the oftentimes long background stories, which can get somewhat tangential to the subject. Jacob especially seems prone to this. However, I find the Abbott's bios fascinating even when they get carried away and wander a bit too far from home. As a true history lover, it is hard to loose me.As for judgments and opinions, yes, the Brother's Abbott give them freely and without reservation. While some will no doubt consider their views dated, please keep in mind that these books were written practically two centuries ago, when people thought very differently. In most cases, however, I find their ideas to be timeless, and in this sense, quite refreshing. If only today's historians could write so passionately and sensitively.

I’ve always been interested in this great historical figure due to the prophecies of him by name in Isaiah 44-45 recorded over 200 years before Cyrus was born. This overview of his life was an easy read & gives a good sense of the culture & customs prevalent at the time. Highly recommended for anyone looking to do deeper study around the Biblical accounts of this time

Like the other books from this author, anyone interested in acquiring a basic level of knowledge about significant historical figures will find what they're seeking in Abbott's biographies.

It’s a great good. A very good introduction to Cyrus and the beginning of a great empire. Thank you for this book.

The font of paperback version is so small that is impossible to read comfortably. I'm not commenting on the content.

I cannot help but write a review about this, though it does not affect the book.There are not very many things that seem more difficult to accomplish than failing to catch a typo on the SPINE of a book. Save the cover itself, the spine is the most obvious place to locate an error before spending money on printing hundreds or thousands of copies.This "Timeless Classics" published version of Jacob Abbott's biographies is, according to the spine, "Cyprus the Great."That's all I have to say. Maybe I am picky, but that type of thing really annoys me.

Abbott sets forth a very interesting historical account that will be sure to satisfy any and all readers in search of good literature. One that I enjoyed thoroughly.

It is a good read to start a person out on Persian History, and you cannot beat the Kindle price! Thanks, Amazon!

Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC to 530 BC) was the king who ended the Babylonian Empire and established the Persian Empire c.539 BC. According to the Bible (which calls him Darius) he captured the city of Babylon shortly after Belshazzer's Feast to fulfil the "writing on the wall". Jacob Abbott uses the writings of Herodotus (440 BC) and Xenophon (c. 390 BC) to throw some light upon the life and times of Cyrus. The resulting book is highly readable and instructive in places. However it should be remembered that men like Herodotus and Xenophon wrote history to record what was said and what was believed. They did not always let facts get in the way of a good story. In fact they liked nothing more than a good story that would entertain their readers. The other problem, from the point of view of a modern historian, was that written records were scant at that period so Herodotus and Xenophon got much of their information orally from the descendants or Cyrus and his contemporaries. The result is a portrait of Cyrus as a noble, talented, dashing young man who became a wise king and heroic soldier: not really a warts and all account. However the section on the complex relationship between Croesus and Cyrus is interesting and may well contain more than a grain of truth. All in all, bearing in mind that the kindle edition is free, this is a very useful research tool. It is also fairly short. It needs to be read with a degree of scepticism though. Recommended to all students of Middle East ancient history.

Written in the Augustine style, this book reflects the era in which it was written. It's a great read, and the author actively encourages their readers to consider the extent to which the sources can be trusted. Targeted I guess at teen-agers of the day, it nonetheless makes interesting reading for even such ancient folk as myself.

Love it

I liked it and would recommend it to any one who is interested in Cyrus the Great. Keep in mind that this book was written years ago and therefore might be outdated. I suggest that readers read books that are more currant. You never know if some historian or archaeologist might have found new information on Cyrus the Great.

The language of the day is a joy to read! The story is well told and pulls you in!