The Army of Alexander the Great (Men at Arms Series, 148) [Paperback]

Nicholas Sekunda (Author), Angus McBride (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: March 26, 1992

When Philip II ascended the throne in 359 BC, Macedonia was in danger of being engulfed by wild barbarian tribes to the north and wily Greek cities to the south. Philip had to expand the power of the throne or be swallowed up: the creation of a powerful army was imperative. When his son, Alexander, inherited his kingdom at the age of 20, he also inherited an army which was truly unrivalled. The Macedonians were veterans of battle, well equipped and eager for conquest. Add to this Alexander's supreme gifts as military commander and it is little wonder they achieved so much.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author

Nicholas Sekunda was born in 1953. After studying Ancient History and Archaeology at Manchester University, he went on to take his Ph.D. in 1981. He has taken part in archaeological excavations in Poland, Iran and Greece, participated in a research project on ancient Persian warfare for the British institute of Persian Studies. He has published numerous books and academic articles, and is currently teaching at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology in Torun, Poland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (March 26, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850455391
• ISBN-13: 978-0850455397
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #735,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Some severe problems...., December 21, 2004

By 

Jeffrey F. Bell (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Army of Alexander the Great (Men at Arms Series, 148) (Paperback)

These Osprey books usually are pretty accurate.... But this one is a rare exception. The order-of-battle information is OK, but when it comes to clothes and weapons of Alexander's troops, Sekunda is off in left field. He relies almost exclusively on the so-called "Alexander Sarcophagus". This was carved for a Phoenician client-king by imported Greek artists, and the protrayal of Macedonian troops on it seems to have been strongly affected by old Greek artistic conventions, e.g. "heroic nudity". Sekunda can't quite bring himself to believe that Macedonian infantry fought stark naked, but he does accept other features of these carvings that are strongly contradicted by the literary sources. The worst error is his claim that Alexander's infantry all used the old "Argive" or "hoplite" shield, which would make it impossible for them to use both hands to hold their long pikes. The illustrator has neatly dodged this issue by showing all the Macedonians fighting with only their swords in skirmishing or urban-warfare scenes. If you really want to know how Alexander's troops looked, find a copy of Duncan Head's ARMIES OF THE MACEDONIAN AND PUNIC WARS (1982) with has a much more complete treatment based on a variety of sources.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An area that desperately needs more researchers!!, May 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Army of Alexander the Great (Men at Arms Series, 148) (Paperback)

The army of Alexander would seem to be an excellent topic for a book. Yet, this is the only one in existence that documents colours as well as weapons/tactics etc. The art is quite superb. A unique book, delving into an area that despeartely needs more researchers!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This Osprey doesn't hold the measure!, May 23, 2006

By 

Tom Fils "Military Reader" (Malmo, South Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Army of Alexander the Great (Men at Arms Series, 148) (Paperback)

This Osprey doesen't have the quality as former Osprey books i have read.
The author don't have the right sources to write a book upon the subject.
Theres are lots of remarkable errors in the book.
For example no companion cavalryman in the platesfights with armour on, and no pictures showing infantry with sarrisas(5m long spears) the weapon the Macedonians whas become famous with.
The worst errors in the plates are soldiers hunting nude.
Personally i like Angus McBride but this is not one of his better illustations.
And for the writer, Nick Sekunda, his writng is terrible.

I am very disappointed about this book.
I had such high expections on this book becuse it is a so important subject.
Alexander was that important subject, and im sad to now that we now so little about him, and espcially his fighting forces.

Gustav Fils