Customer Reviews

Alexander: The Conqueror

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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

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.

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.

I enjoyed this book for not only it's terrific writing style but also of the excellent photographs of historical sites around the world, artifacts, and more. It's a terrific history lesson and some of the strategies Alexander used in battle were unbeliveable!! The book contains the sex lives of Alexander, Darius - his nemesis, and more. When Darius died Alexander acquired Darius's eunich a beautiful young man and they became intimate even as Alexander had a wife. There is a lot mentioned about trysts and more. The main emphasis is on the battles and chase of Darius the coward and the ending is quite remarkable. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down until finished. I give this book my highest rating and highly, highly recommend it. You'll be glad you did. Other books I highly recommend are: Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Best of Robert E. Howard, Lord Samarcand, Two-Gun Bob, Blood & Thunder-The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard, One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Price, The Last of The Trunk by Paul Herman, and The Star Rover by Jack London that was a book REH read and to his mind it was like wine. Enjoy!

The greatest of the great. Laura Foreman wrote a truly great book about Alexander of Macedon. She covered the empire expansionist icon's life thoroughly and systematically. Beginning with Philip of Macedon's rise to power, Foreman chronicled Alexander's birth, his contemptuous relationship with his mother and father and his quest to rule the known world.

Foreman's chapters read like parchment from court scribes who followed the Greece's foremost ruler across the Mediterranean to the monsoon-soaked inland of India. Chapter by chapter, the reader learns how Alexander motivated infantry soldiers and generals alike.

Arguably the world's first multiculturalist and unparalleled military and political strategist, Alexander found ways to have the men who fought with him to rise to heights greater than would seem possible. Foreman leaves no stone unturned as she details the upheavals in the ranks, events back home in Greece, Alexander's questionable marriage to Roxanne and his dubious connection with Hephaestion.

Astonishingly beautiful pictures accentuate this tale of one of the world's greatest leaders. It's an easy read, very informative and without a doubt it makes for either a coffee table book or a personal library keeper.

"It is a lovely thing to live with courage,and die leaving an everlasting fame". These are Alexander's words. Whether he was Greek or Macedonian, it does make a difference of course, but it does not change who the man was.The pictures, in this book are gorgeous.Having read so much and still reading about Alexander's life, I strongly feel that Greece and Macedonia were entertwined together,and it shall be so regardless of what we human say about old Macedonia and Greece.After all we are all God's creatures.
The cover of the book by itself is so stunning!!!!!

Before I begin my review id like to point out some inaccuracies from previous reviews listed here..First, there was no Greek nation in ancient times but Greek city-states...Athens Sparta Thebes Corinth and yes Macedonia...Ive read previous reviews where the authors claim that the the Greeks revolted under Macedoanian rule which is true...Greek city states greatly valued their independence even from other Greek city states..Such is the case between Athens and Sparta when they tried to dominate each other leading to the Peloponnesian War..It is natural that they would revolt..Claiming that because the other Greek city-states revolted against Macedonia as proof of Macedonians being a non-Greek people is false!!

Id like to ask or suggest some food for thought to my FYROM readers(Former YugoSLAV Republic Of Macedonia) or disbelievers that the MAcedonians were Greek these FACTS:

1)Why is there no evidence of a non-Greek Macedonian language?
the ancient Macedonians spoke Greek and had Greek names..
2)Where is this non-Greek Macedonian culture hiding?
All ancient Macedonian artifacts are Greek
Are we suppose to believe the that the ancient Macedoanians were not Greek and then one day out of the blue they said the hell with it let's be Greek? Lets speak Greek, worship Greek gods, write in Greek, structure our conquered territory based on Greek ideas and culture, setting up gymnasiums, theater, agoras..etc.. common on people!!! No conquerer has ever conquered a country or territory and then poof in an instant forgot his roots..I once heard someone use Rome as an example regarding its conquering of the ancient Greek city states and adopting Greek culture.Id like to point out that Rome never adopted Greek as its official language. Romans never adopted Greek names ( cicero ceasar aurelias are not greek)and most of all you can clearly see a distinction between Roman literature and Greek..

3)Why did Alexander idolize Greek heroes such as Achilles, why did he keep a copy of the Illiad around as if it were his bible written by another Greek Homer..How is Aristotle his tutor Greek and Alexander isnt when they are both Macedonians?


4) Why would the ancient Greeks place the home of their gods( Zeus Athena Poseidon etc) on MT OLYMPUS which is located in ancient Macedonia??
Does it make sense for a people to place their holy sites in a foreign land??? Doesnt anyone think logically anymore?

Todays inhabitants of FYROM are a mix of Bulgarians, Albanians, Gypsies.
Slavic people arrived in the Balkans in the 6th and 7th century AD...
It is LOGICALLY incorrect for these citizens to believe they are Macedonians...They are Slavs and there is ZERO evidence of the ancient Macedonians being Slavic!

Todays FYROM scholars have NO TANGIBLE EVIDENCE to claim that the ancient Macedonians were not Greek just revisionistic lies!


Furthermore,FYROM's former president Kiro Gligorov in the Toronto Star on March 15, 1992 said: "We are Macedonians but we are Slav Macedonians. That's who we are! We have no connection to Alexander the Greek and his Macedonia. The ancient Macedonians no longer exist, they had disappeared from history long time ago. Our ancestors came here in the 5th and 6th century (AD)."



In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Gyordan Veselinov, Macedonia's Ambassador to Canada said: "We are not related to the northern Greeks who produced leaders like Philip and Alexander the Great. We are a Slav people and our language is closely related to Bulgarian" and that "there is some confusion about the identity of the people of this country."

facts:
1)ancient macedonians worshiped the greek gods.There is no
evidence whatsoever in books written from Fox,Fuller,Green etc
of a "makedonian" god!
2)Alexandros and Philipos are greek names.If so-called "professors" like Gandeto,Borza cannot explain once and for all why they beared greek names then they are real amateurs.
(at least someone provide us with their "makedonian" names...!)
3)Alexander cultivated the greek culture in his entire empire.
This age is called the hellenistic period not the "Makedonian"
period.Why?I think it is obvious.
4)There is no book whatsoever written by a decent historian
in the 19th century claiming that the ancient macedonians where not greek.This whole nonesence whas a conspiracy from Tito to
claim greek teritory.This was aknowledged even from the NATO allies!
5)the so called "MaKedonians" have slavic origins.They
arrived almost 700 years after Alexander's death!!