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Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Keith Hockton, FRAS, is a publisher, podcaster, writer and author based in Penang, Malaysia. He is South East Asian Editor for International Living, a lifestyle based magazine. He lectures internationally on history and Malaysia and is passionate about making history fun and accessible to all. Keith is a Fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
His published books include:
• Atlas of Australian Dive Sites - Travellers Edition (Harper Collins Australia, 2003).
• Penang - An inside guide to its historic homes, buildings, monuments and parks (MPH Publishing, 2012; 2nd Edition 2014; 3rd Edition 2017).
• Festivals of Malaysia (Trafalgar Publishing, 2015).
• The Habitat Penang Hill: a pocket history (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Alana and the Secret Life of Trees at Night (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Penang Then & Now: A Century of Change in Pictures (Entrepot Publishing, 2019; 2nd Edition 2021)
• Bersama Lima - Five Together (Entrepot Publishing, 2022)
Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Persia
Persia, the land of kings and legends, was a marvel of human achievement, blending unparalleled innovation, cultural sophistication, and vast empire-building. Stretching from the Mediterranean to the Indus Valley, the Persian Empire was a beacon of connectivity, uniting diverse peoples under the revolutionary rule of Cyrus the Great and his successors. Its engineering feats, like the sprawling Royal Road, facilitated trade and communication across continents, while the opulence of Persepolis stood as a testament to its artistic and architectural genius. Unlike many ancient empires, Persia championed tolerance and cultural exchange, fostering a golden age of ideas where Zoroastrian philosophy, monumental art, and advanced governance flourished. This was an empire that not only shaped the ancient world but also laid the foundation for modern concepts of administration, diplomacy, and diversity. Persia wasn’t just great—it was the very blueprint for greatness itself.