Summary: Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the epic poem the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, the 'Book of Kings', which has been at the heart of Persian culture for the past 1000 years. It recounts a legendary history of Iran from the dawn of time to the fall of the Persian Empire in the 7th century, depicting battles, romances, family rifts and the struggle between good and evil. The poem has been referred to as the identity card of the Persian people. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Narguess Farzad, Senior Fellow in Persian at SOAS, University of London; Charles Melville, Professor of Persian History at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge and Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis, Curator of Middle Eastern Coins at the British Museum.
