Xenophon's Cyrus the Great: The Arts of Leadership and War

Xenophon

Apr 2007 · Macmillan + ORM

About this ebook

Cyrus, a great Persian leader, was so widely and memorably respected that a hundred years later, Xenophon of Athens wrote this admiring book about the greatest leader of his era. Larry Hedrick's Introduction describes Cyrus and his times.

Among his many achievements, this great leader of wisdom and virtue founded and extended the Persian Empire; conquered Babylon; freed 40,000 Jews from captivity; wrote mankind's first human rights charter; and ruled over those he had conquered with respect and benevolence.

According to historian Will Durant, Cyrus the Great's military enemies knew that he was lenient, and they did not fight him with that desperate courage which men show when their only choice is "to kill or die." As a result the Iranians regarded him as "The Father," the Babylonians as "The Liberator," the Greeks as the "Law-Giver," and the Jews as the "Anointed of the Lord."

By freshening the voice, style and diction of Cyrus, Larry Hedrick has created a more contemporary Cyrus. A new generation of readers, including business executives and managers, military officers, and government officials, can now learn about and benefit from Cyrus the Great's extraordinary achievements, which exceeded all other leaders' throughout antiquity.

Ratings and reviews

I'm not used to reading of ancient things in such modern prose but it was very well done. I especially appreciated the succinct applications.

Interesting story with a lot of useful concepts that can be applied to life and business.

About the author

Larry Hedrick, a former Air Force officer, is a military historian who lives in Seattle. The study of Xenophon of Athens has been one of his lifelong passions.