Rostam

Rostam is Iran's greatest mythological hero, a Persian Hercules, magnificent in strength and courage. As re-counted in the tenth-century Book of Kings (Shahnameh) by the poet Ferdowsi, he was an indomitable force in ancient Persia for five hundred years, undergoing many trials of combat, cunning, and endurance. Although Rostam served a series of often-fickle kings, he was always his own man, committed to the greater good of Iran. His adventures are some of the best loved of all Persian narratives and remain deeply resonant in Iranian culture.

Rostam: Tales of Love & War from Persia's Book of Kings begins with the birth of Rostam's father Zal and ends with Rostam's death. The tales tell of the love between Zal and Rostam's mother, the Kaboli princess Rudabeh; of Rostam's miraculous birth, aided by the magical bird Simorgh; of Rostam's youth and the selection of his trusty horse Rakhsh; of his affair with Princess Tahmineh, the birth of their son Sohrab, and, after Sohrab grows into a mighty warrior himself, the tragic confrontation between father and son. The tales conclude with Rostam's war against demons, his seven trials, his rescue of Prince Bizhan, and finally his battle, both intellectual and physical, with the ambitious and religiously driven prince Esfandyar.

Praise for Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings, translated by Dick Davis (from which Rostam is a selection):

"One of the Top Ten Best Books of the Year"-- Washington Post Book World

"Dick Davis' translation possesses the simplicity and elevation appropriate to an epic but never sounds grandiose; its sentences are clear, serene and musical." --Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World

"An exquisite blend of poetry and prose"--The New York Times Book Review


Genre: Fantasy

"Davis's wonderful translation will show Western readers why Ferdowsi's masterpiece is one of the most revered and most beloved classics in the Persian world." - Khaled Hosseini