Written 2 500 years ago and as fresh as a daisy. Herotodus is even-handed (or gives a good impression of even-handedness) and gives us gossip from the Persian side and the Greek sides (I say sides as many of the Greeks were on both sides from time to time, and any looked capable of changing).

There are fantastic descriptions of the massing of the Persian army, giving a sort of roll-call of all the ancient peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and an insight into the realpolitik of the ancient world. I was also fascinated to learn which rivers ran dry as the Persian army reached them and drank their fill. ( )