Here are the stirring tales of pre-Islamic kings and heroes and of the conflict between Ormuzd, god of goodness and light, and Ahriman, god of darkness and evil.

For century after century the Persians waged war against their traditional enemies the Turanians and out of this struggle came inspiring stories of valor and heroism. The great warrior Rustem, whose feats included overcoming demons and dragons and tragically slew his own son in battle, is only one of the legendary heroes whose exploits are celebrated here.

Drawing on the first half of Firdausi’s epic poem Shah-Nama—the King-Book—Barbara Leonie Picard has retold some of the myths and legends of ancient Persia. Victor G. Ambrose’s illustrations capture the spirit of the tales which are rich in character and incident.

Barbara Leonie Picard was born in England in 1917 of mixed German-Venezuelan and French parentage. A longtime resident of Lewes, Sussex, England, she died in 2011 at the age of 93. Several of her books were short-listed for the Carnegie Medal and were selected as Notable Children’s Books by the American Library Association.