Xenophon's Cyrus the Great: A Comprehensive Guide to Leadership and War Strategy

andy: Larry Hedrick does a phenomenal job of making you feel like Cyrus himself is speaking to you. I also enjoy the fact that the book is written by Xenophon, who lived closed to that time period. The lessons are very simple and easy to understand too.

United States on Aug 21, 2023

Ojand Freydooni: Great read, inspiring, not too hard to understand, condition was good, and I believe it came fast. What is really odd though is the author says the name of Cyrus's wife is Amatia but when I googled, it says Cassandane. I was sad when I finished the book, I wanted to read more. Cyrus I think was a great man.

Canada on Jul 27, 2021

David Steenburg: As someone who loves Scripture, I have admired Cyrus and his benevolence. While I do not know how accurate Xenophon's account is, the ideas that reflect his Athenian background and his education under Socrates are timeless. It is inspiring to see how virtue and decency never lose the ring of truth across time and cultures.

Canada on Jun 23, 2021

Chandra Shekhar: It's such an insightful book. Proves how to be humble and powerful at the same time. Great book to read.

India on Mar 10, 2019

Lloyd Moore: This is one of those books that presents material in such a way that it seems obvious after reading, yet this only alludes to the great story-telling of the author. Once I started reading this I found it difficult to put back down. A fascinating insight into leadership, which steers clear of other recommended titles in this genre, such as Sun Tzu's The Art of War, and presents a leader with a high degree of emotional intelligence. Well done.

United Kingdom on May 10, 2017

Paul Dunn: This is an excellent story about leadership and how to be a great and successful leader, whilst lifting others up with you. No wonder it has stood the test of time

Australia on Mar 18, 2017

John W. Pearson: I'm often asked to recommend my top leadership or management book. So, almost on autopilot, I hit play and blather the following:

"It's impossible to pick one leadership book. Everyone's at different levels of experience and need. That's why you need 20 management buckets--and dozens of niche leadership books. Blah...blah...blah."

Then (gulp) this past January I read and reviewed  The Practical Drucker: Applying the Wisdom of the World's Greatest Management Thinker , by William A. Cohen. Here is Peter Drucker's response to that question: "the first systematic book on leadership--the Kyropaidaia by Xenophon, himself no mean leader of men--is still the best book on the subject."

Kyropaidaia (or Cyropaedia) was also known as Cyrus the Great (c. 580 - 529 B.C.). Cyrus founded the Persian Empire in the sixth century B.C. by uniting the Medes and the Persians, the two original Iranian tribes. His empire "extended from India to the Mediterranean Sea and was the most powerful state in the world until its conquest two centuries later by Alexander the Great."

What did Drucker see in this remarkable figure? "The great Persian's astonishing military successes...

United States on Jun 11, 2014

R. Haeckler: I became interested in Cyrus the Great after reading my daughter her history lesson from Susan Wise Bauer's "Story of the World, book 1". In Bauer's version Cyrus's grandfather was told his grandson would grow up to take the throne from him, so he sent him off to be killed as an infant. Instead he was raised in the country by a shepherd who had a barren wife. He converted to Judiasim at an early age and his future was shaped by his belief in one God.

In this version (and I don't know who is to blame - Xenophon or Hendrick) he often refers to the lessons he learned from his father, the King, and his youth hunting with the "peers" - i.e. people of the highest social class. Which is it? Raised by a shepherd as a commoner or in a life of privelege? Because it makes a huge difference on the rest of the story. He was a hero of the common man, saving peasants from becoming involved in the battles, etc. This book puts a very elitist spin on the entire story - he does these things because he is the best of the best and has such great virtue that he learned from his father the king.

Other than that, and the fact the vocabulary seems suited to a Junior High reader rather than...

United States on Jan 09, 2008

Larry HedrickLarry Hedrick: As the editor of "Xenophon’s Cyrus the Great," I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about my version of this remarkable ancient classic. The foremost management guru of recent times, Peter F. Drucker, read my manuscript before it was published, and he wrote this endorsement for use on its dust jacket: “’Xenophon’s Cyrus,’ the first book on the subject, is still the best book on leadership."

Here’s a touch of background: Cyrus, the founder of the Persian empire, was an enlightened monarch who flourished 2,500 years ago. A century later, Xenophon of Athens so admired Cyrus’ methods that he preserved them in history’s first full-fledged treatment of wise and heroic leadership.

This book presents its leadership lessons in the context of an epic story--the story of a vast power struggle. In narrating the events of Cyrus’ life, Xenophon shows you, the reader, how to conduct meetings, become an expert negotiator, deal efficiently with allies, communicate by appealing to the self-interest of your followers, encourage the highest standards of performance, insure that your organization has the benefit of specialists, and prove that...

United States on May 23, 2006