Alexander the Great: The Brief Life and Towering Exploits of History's Greatest Conqueror--As Told By His Original Biographers [Paperback]

Tania Gergel (Editor), Michael Wood (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2004

Inspired in his leadership, fearless in battle, and boundless in his ambition, Alexander the Great was worshiped as a god during his lifetime, and his legend has only grown since- he remains in the forefront of the public imagination with no fewer than two upcoming major motion pictures devoted to his life. Inheriting his father's empire at the age of twenty, Alexander resolved to expand it, and by the time of his death at thirty- two, his empire covered most of the known world-from Greece to India-encompassing two million square miles. Comprising selections from the writings of Arrian, Plutarch, and Quintus Curtius Rufus, this definitive biography of the greatest conqueror in history features an introduction on Alexander's enduring legacy by acclaimed British television personality Michael Wood.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Wood is the writer and presenter of many critically acclaimed series on television, including In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great and its accompanying book.
Tania Gergel teaches Greek and Latin language and literature at King's College, London. She co-translated The Greek Sophists for Penguin Classics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142001406
• ISBN-13: 978-0142001400
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #652,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( A ) > Alexander the Great
  • #46 in Books > History > Europe > Macedonia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "GREATEST" OF THE "GREAT", February 9, 2006

By 

Michael A Neulander "Political Philosophy" (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alexander the Great (Paperback)

Alexander the Great, was born on or around July 20, 356 B.C.E., and is my favorite personality to read about in history. To me he is the whole package general, statesman, conqueror, and philosopher. The smartest man who ever lived, Aristotle, tutored him. Alexander conquered more of the known world than any other figure in history, accomplishing all this before he dies at the ripe old age of 33. Some people called him conqueror and violent overlord. Some other called him civilizer and even God! All of them yet, called him "The Great". He was the first man in modern history that took this name, "The Great"! Even as a young boy, he shows great promise.

Curtius' work is the oldest extant work available and based on eyewitness accounts. He does a better job than most in explaining the battle scenes, and seems to be more balanced in his admiration and criticism of Alexander then any of the other early biographers. I love his Bucephalus Story, and I recount it here so you get a flavor of the promise this young Alexander shows.

The legend begins with Philoneicus, a Thessalian, bringing a wild horse to Philip for him to buy. None of the hands was able to handle it, and Philip grew upset at Philoneicus for bringing such an unstable horse to him. Alexander, however, publicly defied his father and claimed that he could handle the horse. The bet between Philip and Alexander was that if Alexander could ride the horse, Philip would buy it, if not, Alexander would have to pay the price of the horse, which was 13 talents, an enormous sum for a boy of Alexander's age to have.

Alexander apparently noticed that the horse had been shying away from its own shadow, and so he led it gently into the sun, so that its shadow was behind it, all the while stroking it gently and whispering into its ear, (Alexander seems to be the original horse whisperer). Eventually the horse let Alexander mount him, and Alexander was able to show his equestrian skill to his father and all who were watching. The incident so impressed Alexander's father, King Philip that he told the boy "Look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of you, for Macedonia is too little for thee". He named the horse Bucephalus, which means Ox head, and rode it across Asia, founding a city in its honor in India after its death. This story gives you an inkling about the man.

This book is a must read for students of Alexander, I also recommend Plutarch's and Arrian's work. Contemporary writers, J.F. C. Fuller and Tarn. Most of Alexander's greatest military traits are in the area of military logistics and to understand his genius in this area I highly recommend reading, "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army," by Donald W. Engels.

As a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The life of a conqueror, August 12, 2005

By 

Michael Bond (Shawnee, OK United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alexander the Great: The Brief Life and Towering Exploits of History's Greatest Conqueror--As Told By His Original Biographers (Paperback)

Born in Macedonia in 356BC Alexander The Great changed the political face of the Middle East to such an extent that the present age is affected. He only lived 32 years but created an Empire that spanned 1000's of miles and included many cultures. He was tutored by Aristotle and raised to be a king. He toppled Darius of Persia, conquered the surrounding areas and invaded India. When he took on a task, he stayed with it with dogged determination. He was a brilliant battlefield tactition and motivator of men.

The story of his life was recorded by the classic biographers, Arrian, Plutarch and Curtius. In this book, Michael Wood presents Alexander's story by compiling the different accounts in chronological order. There is very little additional text, editorial, background, etc. Sometimes, he interjects comments where the original accounts vary (due to the biases of the biograhpers). This is a simple book to read and understand. It is an excellent resource for someone who wants an introduction to Alexander.

The map, list of sources and gloassary of main characters are quite helpful.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dump the movies, read this instead, November 20, 2004

By 

Kirk H Sowell (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alexander the Great: The Brief Life and Towering Exploits of History's Greatest Conqueror--As Told By His Original Biographers (Paperback)

Or watch the movies and read this as well. This is a great little book that contains excerted translations of the three ancient biographies of Alexander, written by Plutarch, Arrian and Quintus Curtius Rufus, all Roman writers. The book is edited so that it forms a continuous narrative throughout Alexander's life. Aside from archeological finds, these three ancient writers are the sole sources of reliable information on the historical Alexander. The introduction by Wood is useful.

I do have to note that I find it odd that on the Amazon page under "Language Notes" it says "Latin, English," since there is no Latin here. The original texts were in Latin, but they are not reproduced here.