Review – The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden

It’s been a long time since I read any Conn Iggulden, and that was his Caesar books, although I didn’t quite finish the series (yet). Not because it was bad (it was terrific), just too many books, too little time. When I saw The Falcon of Sparta at my library, I decided it was time to reacquaint myself with one of historical fiction’s finest.

Things haven’t really changed, he’s still one of the best.

This is a somewhat more obscure entry than say, Caesar or Genghis Khan, but it is an interesting one nonetheless. The pass of Thermopylae is almost myth, the Battle of Marathon is done and the Thirty Tyrants have been overthrown in Athens. Persia and Greece have a modicum of peace, but there is always mistrust. When the current Persian king dies, that peace is about to be shattered.

The story is told from the perspective of three men: Cyrus, second son of the dead Persian King; Clearchus, a Spartan General; and Xenophon, an Athenian noble and disciple of Socrates.

When Cyrus’ father dies, his brother’s first act as king is to name Cyrus a traitor and have him executed. Cyrus’ mother intervenes and he escapes to the far reaches of the Persian empire, where he amasses an army, built on the back of his much admired Greeks, to claim the throne he now believes to be his. All three main characters are exiles of a kind, and it is interesting that said exile appears to make them more proud of where they came from.

Clearchus is the leader of Cyrus’ army, a veteran Spartan who who became a mercenary. He is a fine counterpoint to the prince, who is racked by doubt at every step of the way, and relies greatly on the council of his friend, who rarely fails in his advice or military strategy.

Xenophon made the mistake of backing the Thirty. He was treated with much disdain after they were overthrown, and was lucky to escape with his life. After some counsel from Socrates, he chose to enlist with Cyrus. His skills with horses set him apart early, and he got something of a front row seat for most of the campaign. Silent for much of the early part of the book, he comes into his own towards the end.

This story probably doesn’t go as you’d suspect. I was (pleasantly, in a way) surprised at some of the  twists and turns, and the battles were of course epic. But the real thing I enjoyed about this story was the future it suggested. Greece was at a time of great change, but this little known campaign set the stage for a time to come. The camaraderie building amongst the various Greek factions hints at the Greece that rises from the end of the city states, and sets the nation on a path to it’s real Golden Age at the hands of Alexander the Great.

Gotta be 5/5 stars. And I need to read more from this guy.