Few non-fiction writers’ books fly off the shelves as fast as Tom Holland’s. He’s a renaissance man — an overused phrase, but merited in his case. He began professional life translating ancient classics for Radio 4 and is best known for his histories of the ancient world: Rubicon, Persian Fire and Millennium. This back catalogue has created the impression that Holland is a classicist; in fact, he studied English as an undergraduate and was studying for a PhD on Byron before leaving for London in his mid twenties.
The breadth of his learning and its grounding in literature make his books so accessible — and his after dinner speeches so memorable. His latest book is In the Shadow of the Sword, a sequel of sorts to his earlier histories of Persia and Rome. It begins in the 6th century AD in the Near East.
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