Alexander: The Conqueror [Hardcover]

Laura Foreman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2004

No individual has made his mark on the world more profoundly than Alexander the Great, the young man who, through war, diplomacy, and Machiavellian means, expanded his empire to include most of the known world--all before he died at age thirty-three. A remarkable man whose path crossed with some of the most influential people, places, and events of all time, Alexander began his combat training at age seven, studied philosophy with Aristotle at age thirteen, kept a copy of Homer's Iliad under his pillow until his death, and introduced Greek and oriental cultural influences throughout his vast empire.Alexander: The Conqueror follows the progression of his conquests through the Near East and Central Asia to the Indus Valley, and introduces Alexander's family, the personalities of his generals, and the cultures of the lands he conquered. Author Laura Foreman examines the complex character of Alexander as student, friend, lover, military genius, and emperor, and explores the many unsolved mysteries surrounding his life: Who did Alexander turn to in passion and for comfort? Was Alexander a careful, amiable mastermind or a drunken brute? Could Alexander have been responsible for his father's murder?Gorgeous landscape photography, numerous images of ancient art and artifacts, and informative, beautifully crafted maps complement the narrative, offering a visual feast along with a lively, insightful narrative of Alexander's life of conquest and intrigue.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alexander the Great studied philosophy with Aristotle, became king when he was 20, defeated the undefeatable Persian empire five years later and, by the time of his death at age 32, had explored and claimed "the boundaries of the known world." Perhaps history’s most powerful and revered military leader, the Macedonian king receives more royal praise in this new biography by Foreman (Cleopatra’s Palace and Napoleon’s Lost Fleet). Given that existing historical sources on Alexander come several hundred years after his death, and that there is "poor evidence documenting" Alexander’s life, Foreman reasonably extrapolates on the available facts. She begins with the political upheaval and omens surrounding his birth, the rivalries and alliances within his family and his precocious boyhood, during which he cultivated a love affair with Homer’s Iliad as well as with the "sword, javelin and bow." In his ensuing years, Alexander is portrayed as being prone to bouts of aloofness, drunkenness and murderous vengeance; at the same time, he displays more superhuman behavior, manhandling the Oracle at Delphi and slashing the Gordian Knot ("What difference does it make how I loose it?"). Yet the bulk of the text is devoted to what the conqueror did best—conquering. Foreman’s well-written narrative follows Alexander’s trek through the Near East and Central Asia, giving the reader a play-by-play account of his battles, victories, strategies and military brilliance. Generously interspersed with impressive color photos of maps, art and ancient artifacts, the book is a fun read for those who aren’t bent upon serious scholarship.
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Review

"A beautiful picture book...a handsome volume, elegantly produced and modestly priced." -- Tiles Literary Supplement 10/8/04

"A generously illustrated introduction to Alexander's life and times...written in a sprightly, reader-friendly style." -- Boston Globe 12/12/04

"A lucid, concise account." -- USA TODAY

"Crisply written, this polished history succeeds on several levels." -- Library Journal

"Excellent research...Through flowing prose, maps, photos, art, and artifacts, you'll examine the life of a controversial, great legend." -- Lovin' Life News December 2004

"Transports readers back to the age of the sail." -- Booklist

"[Foreman's] book is marvelously (and literally) attractive. Beautiful color photographs enhance every page." -- Claremont Review of Books, Winter 2005-06

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 212 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1St Edition edition (August 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306812932
• ISBN-13: 978-0306812934
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,572,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( A ) > Alexander the Great

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great all around book-not too deep and outstanding photos, September 2, 2004

By 

Hannibal "hannibalcarthage" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alexander: The Conqueror (Hardcover)

I have been studying/collecting books on Alexander for many years and this one ranks up there as one of my favorites. I was not sure what to expect from this book since there were no customer reviews so I took a chance and got lucky. The book is not too thick and is divided into interesting chapters/topics. Most of the information covered is standard Alexander lore but hidden throughout are tasty nuggets of little known facts about Alexander and his life. Details on military exploits and the battles seems a bit light but I do not think that the author planned to cover these like a military textbook. One can always pick up Green's classic or many other options for these details.
What really makes this book stand out are the photos. This book is PACKED full of gorgeous photographs and illustrations that I have never seen before in any book on Alexander. Due to the current situation in the Middle East few Westerners will ever see the sites of Persia and Afghanistan. This book gives one the chance to catch a glimpse of the lands Alexander added to his kingdom. I have been to Greece a few times and the pictures made me long for another trip to the Agean in the near future. The only negative I can find with the book is the inclusion of a comment/sticker from Oliver Stone. Doing a movie on Alexander does not make one an expert. I am sure this was done because of his upcoming movie on Alexander the Great. Hollywood has already ruined a classic tale with "Troy". Let us hope that Stone's production will not repeat this. Buy this Book!
Hannibal

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lavishly illustrated review, August 5, 2009

By 

Metallurgist (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Alexander: The Conqueror (Hardcover)

This is a 200-page, lavishly illustrated, review of the life of Alexander the Great. Half the pages are devoted to color illustrations, but many of them are little more than filler. While pretty, I do not consider that pictures of modern day Cyprus or Tyre add much to the text. Likewise there are innumerable pictures of medieval paintings of events from Alexander's life that show him as the artist envisioned, mostly in medieval dresses, which I also think add very little. Subtract the pictures and you are left with less than a 100-page summary of the life of Alexander the Great. Fortunately, this summary is quite readable and comprehensive. In addition to the linear progression of the history, there are interesting one and two page inserts covering topics such as: Alexander and the Iliad, the Macedonian Army, the Death of Philip, the Delphic Oracle, the Gordion Knot, and the Burning of Persepolis, which round out the story.

I think that this is a good choice if you are looking for a good, clear-cut, review of the life of Alexander. All the major points are covered, as well as many minor ones. The author clearly points out where there is some controversy, or alternate versions of the history. All aspects of Alexander's life are covered, not just the heroic and favorable ones. This is, however, not the book for you if you want a detailed discussion of the battles that he fought. All the major ones, as well as some minor ones, are covered, but not in the level of detail that is typical of a military history book (which this book is not). This is a great introduction to Alexander, and because of the pictures it is also a nice coffee table book, with more meat than most books of this type, but not as much as some may desire.

13 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Macedonian Specialist, November 22, 2004

By 

Balkans Reader (Canberra) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alexander: The Conqueror (Hardcover)

Eugene Borza is a specialist in ancient Macedonian studies and his latest work is a testimony to that. He is of the majority of scholars who now reject the claims that Macedonians were Greek in light of the ever growing evidence to support the fact that the ancient Macedonian population was a distinct ethnic group in the Balkans.