This young people's version of some of the most famous stories from Herodotus focuses primarily on the Persian Wars – most notably the battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis. This is a very accessible volume for young people (and makes a great read-aloud) collecting many of the most interesting stories from Herodotus and presenting them in a suitable format for children (some of the content in the unabridged Herodotus have mature themes). The stories provide a nice overview of the Persian Wars, a backdrop of Greek stories to get a fuller sense of the culture and make great tales in-and-of themselves; filled with thoughtful ideas, strange characters and good discussion material.

The book is llustrated with charming black and white figures modeled after images on Greek pottery.