Macedonian Warrior: Alexander's Elite Infantryman [Paperback]

Waldemar Heckel (Author), Christa Hook (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Warrior | Publication Date: April 25, 2006

During the reigns of Philip II and Alexander the Great, the Macedonian Army (the phalangites) were reformed and drilled into an invincible fighting force with unique tactics and weaponry. The Macedonian warrior during his service would march over 20,000 miles in the most diverse climates and terrains, fighting in four of the epoch battles of the time. This book examines their initial training, rise to an elite unit under Alexander the Great, and eventual defeat at the battle of Pydna, 168 BC. The daily life, weaponry, experience, and motivations of these men are detailed, using primary sources and anecdotal material.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Insights into the real lives of history's fighting men, packed with full colour illustrations, highly detailed cutaways, exploded artwork of weaponry and armour, and action-packed battle scenes.

About the Author

Waldemar Heckel is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Calgary, Canada. His publications include numerous articles on the history of Alexander the Great. Together with John Yardley he has produced the Penguin edition of 'Quintus Curtius Rufus: The History of Alexander' (1984) and most recently, 'Livy: The Dawn of the Roman Empire' for Oxford World's Classics (2000).

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841769509
• ISBN-13: 978-1841769509
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #541,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > History > Europe > Macedonia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mighty Fine By Me., May 19, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: Macedonian Warrior: Alexander's Elite Infantryman (Paperback)

After reading an initial review of this book on this site I was a bit hesitant to waste my $15 but I went for it anyway. I am sure glad that I took a chance. The book is excellent. Very little has been written about Alexander's foot soldiers (cavalry was his specialty) and what exists from 2000+ years ago is plagued with contradictions and inaccuracies. It is nice to see a modern text try to explain/sort out some of the confusion. I wish the book would have been longer- maybe a future project for the author?

I found nothing wrong with the artwork and was pleasantly suprised with some of the details which were visible in her plates. Angus McBride is my favorite artist with Osprey but I would easy purchase another book with Ms Hooks illustrations.

My only complaint is the way that the author-and many other historians- ends his history of the Macedonian foot soldier with their defeat by a Roman army at Pydna in 168BC. The Macedonian phalanx of 168BC was a shadow of the great formation that Philip and Alexander used to conquer the known world. The 150 years between Alexander and the Romans was not well spent by Macedon and the Diodochi and a decay of tactics and improvements took place. Alexander the Great was a military visionary with a flexible force always in flux. He adapted his forces to meet the demands of both the enemy and the terrain. Others "borrowed" his armies, lands, and power but the real Macedonian warrior died in the summer of 323 when Alexander passed away in Babylon.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The elite, March 30, 2007

By 

Nadia Azumi - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Macedonian Warrior: Alexander's Elite Infantryman (Paperback)

A book that details the infantry,as well as the entire history, and army of Alexander the Great.The pictures and explanation of the army,the sarissas,the terminology,not to mention the physical impact is very well written.
You can certainly visualize the battles and what the soldiers went through looking and reading at this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars oppossing opinions, May 19, 2006

By 

R. Jones (Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Macedonian Warrior: Alexander's Elite Infantryman (Paperback)

For many of us who are fans of the Osprey series books, Angus Mcbride's uninspired illustrations in the previous Macedonian books are thankfully updated in this volume on the subject. Contray to earlier criticisms, Christa Hook's illustrations give a realistic feel to the images drawn. They are very life like, and are exactly what I was hoping for in the illustrations on the Macedonian imfantry.

I for one am glad to see that the old school, blocky and oftimes cartoony images of McBride's are being updated. I am not an illusrator, but my work with ancient arms and armour has made me long desire a decent representation of the equipment used by the Macedonian soldiers. I hope that people will also attmept to read the body text to draw a conclusion on the material covered, as well to better understand what it is the plates are illustrating. There are many new ideas about the function and effectiveness of Alexander's army presented in this volume that are sure to please and perhaps spark debate amoung lovers of macedonian arms.