The Wars of Alexander the Great [Paperback]

Waldemar Heckel (Author)

Book Description

Series: Essential Histories | Publication Date: July 25, 2002

The age of Alexander and his conquest of the Persian or ‘Achaemenid’ Empire, which had existed for over two centuries, represents a watershed in the history of the world. This book offers a fascinating insight into the achievements of one of the greatest generals ever known. Alexander's conquests are of profound significance. By perfecting the new weapons and tactics developed by his father, Philip II, and combining them with the use of specialist units and advancements in siege warfare, Alexander enabled the Macedonian kingdom to move beyond the restrictions of city-state armies and on to the stage of world conquest.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I am most favorably impressed by the Essential Histories series on the American Civil War. Written by four of the best historians of the military course of the war, these volumes provide a lucid and concise narrative of the campaigns in both the Eastern and Western theaters as well as penetrating analyses of strategies and leadership. Ideal for classroom use or fireside reading."

From the Publisher

This unique series studies every major war in history looking at all the aspects of war, from how it felt to be a soldier to the lasting impact of the conflict on the world around it.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (July 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841764736
• ISBN-13: 978-1841764733
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.3 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #809,868 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

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the new fan of Alex, give this book a try..., April 24, 2004

By 

Jonathan F. Keesecker (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wars of Alexander the Great (Essential Histories) (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this little morsel of history, so much so that I tried another another book from the Essential Histories series when reading on another topic.

Before mentioning the good/bad about the book I should say that I'm not typically a reader of history and I had little or no knowledge of ancient Greece.

What pleased me most about the book was that the first chapter or two set the scene for Alexander's conquests by talking about his father, the Macedonian Kingdom, and its relationship to the Greek states--this seemed lacking in many of the academics' books; likewise, the end of the book touches on what followed the power vacuum left by his death. at 90 pages it's a good quick read generally covering the course of Alexander's eastward journey, without going to much into the specifics of each military campaign. the pages are peppered with treats that make the book a fun read: anecdotes displaying Alexander's personality, short excerpts from original sources like Arrian and Plutarch, pictures and diagrams to understand battles, you name it. I also appreciated that the author was not totally flattering in recounting Alexander's doings (nobody's perfect).

The only downside for me was that I wanted a little more depth than this book offered. so I read this one alongside a lengthier history (Hamilton's Genius of Alexander the Great). but as someone who doesn't typically read history, I'm not sure I really needed the play-by-play for each battle anyway.

For the new fan of Alexander, give this book a try and then decide if you need to get more elsewhere.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Synopsis of History's Greatest General, July 8, 2010

By 

Mike Dillemuth (Virginia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Wars of Alexander the Great (Essential Histories) (Hardcover)

All in all, this book is very well written. The author, Waldemar Heckel, does a great job of condensing a large amount of history into less than a hundred pages.

He starts with a fairly complete history of the Greek and Persian wars. He continues with the rise of Macedon and the unification of the Greek peninsula. The author then discusses the ascension of Alexander after the assassination of his father, Phillip II. Amazingly, all this history is completed in the first third of the book.

The majority of the book is focused on Alexander's war against the Persians. In the end, Alexander's campaigns led to the death of Darius III and the destruction of his empire. Unfortunately, the book only contains two battle maps; one each for the battles of Issus and Hydaspes. The text, however, does cover the engagements at Granicus and Gaugamela.

As with all Osprey publications, this book if full of color paintings, campaign maps, and photographs of ancient ruins. The photos and paintings are relevant to the text. They definitely help the reader visualize the events and geography being discussed.

The author finishes the book with an excellent post campaign overview. One chapter deals solely with the death of Alexander. The chapter on "The World Around War" focuses on India and the growing conflict between Rome and Carthage. After Alexander's death, several Greek nobles fought over the remains of his empire in the war of the successors.

Bottom line: This book is both entertaining and easy to read. The author organized his narrative in good chronologic order. The material is condensed to the most relevant parts and everything is supported by graphic photos and paintings. The reader will walk away with a nice understanding of one of the world's greatest military commanders.

5.0 out of 5 stars THE MAN WHO CONQUERED THE WORLD, December 3, 2010

By 

Jeremy A. Perron (windham Me) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wars of Alexander the Great (Paperback)

Alexander the Great is one of the unique figures in the history of the world. Alexander, the leader of tiny Macedonia, would take on the greatest power the world had ever seen, the Persian Empire. In time, he would be known as not only the King of Macedon and the master of Greece, but Lord of Asia, Pharaoh of Egypt, and King of Kings. Stories would be told of him for generations, inspiring all sorts of leaders such as Pompey, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte.

In a brief ninety-page work, Heckel tells the story how Alexander the Great conquered the entire world that was known to him. The book fills in some of the back-story dealing with the `relationship' between Ancient Greece and the Persian Empire. It tells the story of Macedonia and how Alexander's family came to rule it. It details the reign of Alexander's father, Philip the Magician, and how he came to be the master of all Greece. Alexander's story of conquest does not even begin until a third of the way into the book.

"What Philip's exact aims were, in terms of territorial acquisition, are not clear. Many suppose that he would have contented himself, initially at least, with the liberation of Asia Minor. This would certainly have been in keeping with Philip's practices in the past. From the time, that he overcame internal opposition and secured his borders against barbarian incursions, Philip expanded slowly and cautiously over a period of almost twenty years. Unlike Alexander, whose practice it was to conquer first and consolidate later--and, indeed, `later' never came in some cases--Philip was content to acquire territory systematically, without overextending Macedonian power." p.28

This particular series of books is interesting because they are in an almost textbook format with out really having a textbook feel to them. In this book, there are plenty of maps, classical paintings of events, pictures of statues, and photos of places that Alexander was at in modern times. A chapter deals with ordinary people who lived and worked while all these incredible events were going on. There are also little information boxes through out the book giving the reader a greater understanding on the topic that they are reading.

"Although Darius had again escaped from the battlefield, Gaugamela proved fatal for the Persian Empire. The Great King fled in the direction of Arbela, which he reached by midnight. Other contingents dispersed to their territories, as was the custom amongst the barbarians. Those who commanded the garrisons and guarded the treasures in the empire's capitals made a formal surrender to Alexander. One man, Mazaeus, the Persian hero of Gaugamela, surrendered Babylon, together with the gazophylax (guardian of the treasures'), Bagophanes. Alexander entered in great ceremony the ancient city, which now publicly turned its resources over to the new king, as it were." p.50

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn about Alexander the Great. Since what the great king is known for is war, you do receive the complete Alexander in a very abridged form. It is a very brief but informative look into the fourth century B.C.