Customer Reviews

Alexander: Sands of Amon v. 2

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am about half way through reading the last of the three books in the "Alexander" trilogy. "The Sands of Ammon" delves deeper into Alexander's journey to conquer the world and we are taken from Macedonia to the gates of the Persian Empire. Unfortunately, I have to say, the second book, while an integral part of the series, was not as interesting as the first book, "Alexander: Child of a Dream". I admit at times some of the writing was corny, particularly the cheesy "love scenes". In any case, the book is still fairly enjoyable, and if you are like me and plan to read all three books, this is a must. I found Alexander's nemesis Memnon of Rhodes an interesting character in the book and I wish the author spent more time developing his character. All I know is Alexander sure had his fair share of the local women (and boys for that matter) which he conquered as well.

Regardless of some of the cheesy writings, the book still does manage to get deep into the mind of Alexander and his fellow Macedonian soldiers. I feel I dont have too much to write about since I am almost finished with the third book, which as a teaser (sorry, you will have to wait for the review) is far more interesting and tends to close the loop on this adventure. Enjoy.

Few authors can be better equipped to write about the history of ancient Greece and Rome than Valerio Massimo Manfredi. Professor of archaeology at the university of Milan, he has carried out many excavations and expeditions in the Mediterranean region. He has produced many factual books on historical matters, mainly military and has still found the time to write several novels and this is one of the best of them.

This book is the second of a triology about probably the greatest warrior and general who has ever lived, bearing in mind that Alexander died at an age when most men are only just starting to make their mark in life. Alexander is of course one of histories most colourful and well know character. Even people with little or not interest in ancient history will have heard of Alexander, a charismatic and larger than life figure.

In this second novel the author turns his attention to Alexander's Persian campaigns focussing on the battles between Alexander's forces and the rival general Memnon of Rhodes. Alexander knows in his heart that his superior troops will carry the battle but he can't help feeling admiration for his opponents courage.

The sudden death of Memnon from a mystery illness makes for an anticlimactic end to their battles but allows the conqueror to claim Barsine, the beautiful wife of Memnon. Alexander's next challenge is to face the Tyrian navy as they attempt to block his advance into Egypt . . .

The series Alexander fictionally chronicles the life of Alexander the Great. The author uses the historical basis of Alexander's exceptional life to create a realistic and enthralling narrative of the life of one of the world's greatest conquerors. By interweaving historical fact, educated opinion, and the author's own vivid imagination, the reign of Alexander the Great is brought to life with compelling realism.

The novels engage the reader and powerfully recreate the world of Alexander, in much the same way as Robert Graves manages in I, Claudius. The series is remarkable in that it so completely and unnoticeably infuses the narrative of Alexander's life with ubiquitous references to historical events and practices. The reader is never left wondering at the plausibility of the plot or doubting the veracity of the historical content. The author has managed to build so naturally and believably the world and culture of the time that the novel can be read like a history or as a straight forward narrative.

This series offers another perspective to the teaching of history but is enjoyable also simply for the engaging storyline. Extremely well written, the series powerfully recreates the life of Alexander the Great of Macedon and will immerse the reader in this ancient period.

The Sands of Ammon is the second volume of the trilogy which tell us the conquers of the greek cities of Asia and Phoenicia by Alexander and his troops from the Persians, the battle of Issos where for the first time both armies encountered, the crowning of Alexander as pharaoh of Egypt, the founding of Alexandria and the search of the true at Siwa oasis oracle. The siege of Halicarnassus and Tyro are very descriptive and the dialogues help us to understand more of Alexander and his close collaborators personality, ambition and dreams.

I had a hard time deciding whether to give this three or four stars, but in the end, it wasn`t that bad. Mary Renault is a bit truer to the facts, especially in her history of Alexander, but this book still makes an interesting read. Some of the ideas are a bit far-fetched, but readers should keep in mind that this is first and foremost, a "novel". It:s main object is not to present a historically perfect Alexander, for which you had better consult other sources, but to provide an interesting story for those not so interested in the exact facts. It will still give you a fairly accurate idea of the life and times of Alexander though. I would recommend it for someone not too critical who just wants a good book to read.

This second book of the trilogy is just as fun to read as the first one was. It opens ancient history to our understanding.

I found not just this book, but all three in the series to be intriguing and mind-grabbing. I finished all three novels in less than 3 weeks! The books are held as close to historical fact as possible, with some room for author opinion. I would recommend this book to anyone who is the slightest bit interested in history, because by the end, you will be so involved with every character that you will love, grieve, and celebrate with them all.

If you like GREEK History, this book series is a must. The Sands of Ammon is great. This is a 3 part series and it catches from part Volume I. Excellent BUY.

In the four year interval since reading 'Child Of A Dream', the first book in Valerio Manfredi's Alexander trilogy, I have perhaps become more critical of historical novels than I was before, for I am giving this book only two stars, whereas the first review I wrote of Manfredi's work garnered 3.

The Sands of Ammon is a continuation of the story of Alexander the great as he begins his conquest of Asia, accompanied by his most trusted friends and advisors. Alexander encounters one of his most admirable foes, Memnon, in battle as he seeks to conquer a greater territory than his father before him. Many famous battles of Alexander's quest are chronicled here, though after one or two of them, they all seem to just melt together into one bloody mess.

Like other reviewers, perhaps I should blame the translation rather than the original author. But regardless of where the blame belongs, I found this installment in the trilogy to be of the amaturish, pedestrian writing style that I so hate in modern literature. Instead of finding a way to weave historical fact and research into the story, each mention of an historical tradition or point of fact is presented in the manner of 'I thought back to learning that in such a situation....' or 'I remembered hearing that...' rather than just having a character undertake the action or complete the task...show rather than tell. This, along with the use of modern idioms and coloquialisms such as 'get a move on' most times is enough of an incentive for me to discontinue reading a story, no matter what the subject. However, I have such a like for Alexander and for Greek history that I plodded through to the end.

I likely will need another four years before I read the final installment, The Ends Of The Earth, if I read it at all.

I suppose I'm jaded; having read Mary Renault's trilogy first...as she's a tough act to follow. However, I find myself increasingly disappointed with Manfredi (having begun and quickly abandoned his 'Spartan' not long ago) as he's been quite prolific in writing about one of my favorite topics...hopefully other translations are better performed and make for a better read. If this trilogy is an example, however...I'm not holding out much hope.

The first book showed us Alexander's youth. The third book shows us Alexander's fall and demise.

The Sands of Ammon show us Alexander at the peak of his glory. Amazing conquests, astounding battle tactics and engaging characters make this book very enjoyable.

Events on this book confirm why Alexander is not only called "the Great", but why he is said to be the greatest military genius ever.