Customer Reviews

Macedonian Warrior: Alexander's Elite Infantryman

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

It seems as though most sources on the Alexandrian conquests focus on Alexander's enemies, Alexander's cavalry, or Alexander. The infantry rarely receive any attention, but as in any army, they formed the backbone of his fighting forces and he could not have waged his wars without them. This book focuses solely on them, detailing their origins, tactics, and even their personal lives. This book also helps to clear up the identity of the hypastists. Christa Hook's plates are also wonderful.

I was quite impressed with the quality of the book. Not all used books are this good.

The dealer was great. The price I paid was good but the booklet is kind of thin for full price. The information seemed solid and extended my knowledge on this topic which I admit was and is very limited.

The text is adquate, but it's pretty hard to forgive sub-par illustration in an Osprey title. Christa Hook's work is relentlessly dreary. I was never enamored of Angus McBride's moody take on the Macedonian army in Osprey 148 (The Army of Alexander the Great), but aesthetically it's still superior to what is to be found here.

This is the first review I'm writing and it's because I have to voice my dissapointment. Maybe I had wrong expectations.
When buying this book I was hoping it would put a little more focus on the battle tactics of the phalanx, its manoeuvers, strengths, weaknessess, etc. Unfortunately this covers only a very small section of the book. There is not a single battle map to be found inside. In fact only three battles are described very briefly in text. To be fair, the author does state that actual archeological evidence on the battle tactics of the macedonian phalanx is sparse. Nevertheless I would have liked at least some more speculation/educated guessing to be added deduced from information available on similar formations in history.
Instead the book focuses on equipment, organisation and everyday life of the soldier.
Furthermore the title of the book should be taken literally: It is very focused on the time of Alexander the Great.

Conclusion: If you are looking for battle tactics dont buy this book!

I've just received this book today, and while not having the chance to read it yet, have to comment upon the abominable illustrations contained inside. First, I'm a professional illustrator and also a collector of Osprey books since the 1970s. The prime reason why I've always delighted in adding new volumes to my collection has been the wide range of accomplished illustrators for the series. The fine paintings enhanced the text and photos, transporting you back in time to the era chosen in the volume.

The attempts at illustration inside Macedonian Warrior left me with major disappointment, as they are clearly a very low point for an Osprey publication. Student work politely describes Christa Hook's sorry efforts. For me, Angus McBride was always the top Osprey illustrator; on his worst day his work is eons ahead of Ms Hook's, which glaringly displays her lack of knowledge of anatomy, composition, color, technique, and the one critical element necessary for a historical artist, drama. Her stuff is just plain flat and the colors are muddy, as if scrubbing around large amounts of paint could disquise her lack of ability to render detail. The inside cover describes Christa Hook's work as being sought after worldwide by collectors. Quite possibly embarrassed family members taking them from public view.

I'll keep it on my shelf with my other editions for reference, weighing my initial decision to excise the pages of, ahem, "illustration", with a brand new X-Acto blade.

A sad state indeed, Osprey Publications; for shame.

Besides the fact that as an active wargamer i was expecting to see something better on the issue of painted pictures which are not good, i also despise the fact that the author tries hard to impose his personal belief that Macedonian warriors were something different than the rest of the Greek warriors of that time era. While in Persia, Alexander or Eumenes later, might have used translators to give their orders to Persian or Scythian mercenaries, but all in all, the rest of the Greeks could well understand his words and orders since he had have Greek culture and education and was speaking Greek ofcourse.
I wonder how would the author feel if i would equally say that an American citizen from Kentucky could not understand a visitor from Oxford because they speak a different language?
I was expecting something better on the basis of objective information and not biased beliefes of modern times.