Customer Reviews

Wars of Alexander's Successors 323 - 281 Bc (v. 1)

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Bennet and Roberts have compiled a masterful (even if somewhat densely and disjointedly written) guide to the various generals that served with and followed in the wake of Alexander the Great. Their excellent command of the available ancient sources makes this a "must-have" resource for anyone interested in studying the era immediately after Alexander's death. One warning, however, the subtitle "Commanders and Campaigns" should be taken seriously, as there is precious little detail to be had here below the campaign/operational level. I presume, since this is called "Volume I," that a "Volume II" with tactical details on specific engagements is meant to follow at some time in the near future. This would be much appreciated, as books covering tactical combat in this era are rare: A.B. Bosworth[ASIN:0199285152 The Legacy of Alexander: Politics, Warfare and Propaganda under the Successors] only touches on the subject and Bezalel Bar-Kochva[ASIN:0521206677 The Seleucid Army: Organisation and Tactics in the Great Campaigns (Cambridge Classical Studies)], though much more detailed, is restricted to a shorter period and single theatre. Still, the present volume remains a gold mine of other information and is not to be missed by anyone interested in warfare under the Sucessors.

The Wars of Alexander's Successors 323-281 BC Vol. 1. Commanders and Campaigns (v. 1) This book is an outline of the the Hellenistic world after the demise of Alexander. The main focus of the book is the military campaign's and territorial acquisitions of the successors. The book seemed well researched and fairly detailed, though not detailed enough to become tedious. It has a good flow and could be understood even by those unfamiliar with this era. Well worth the money.

On page X of the introduction the authors present the readers with the following rubbish: "Mature analysis understands that the grand design of History is ultimately influenced not by individuals but by the movements of natural, economic and social forces." Fortunately, the authors reject this premise and write an exciting book. They immediately state that Alexander is the exception to this rule, and at times their discussion of Alexander reads almost like a Late Roman panegyric. The same applies to their analysis of the Diaodochi . And the reader has an excellent gem of a book that is well researched with a fine bibliography and documentation
My personal opinion is that much of the trouble among the Successors probably springs from rivalries among noble families that existed long before the monarchy of Phillip II. When the Argead house was no longer strong enough to control the nobles, these rivalries once again surfaced. It is also probable that the reason Alexander kept Phillip Arrhidaeus with him on campaign was to prevent him being used as a figurehead by a faction in Pella.

At times the writing seems almost too prosaic, as for example when they speak of Arsinoe's "pogrom" of Agathocles and his followers. Pogrom is certainly an odd term to use for a purge of political rivals. . The only negative is that the book would profit with a Dramatis Personae or "scorecard" to keep track of the myriad individuals who were often changing factions.

This is the type of work you stumble across that opens up a new subject clearly. I am familiar with the Succesors but I found this read to cover the basics and the many charatcers smoothly. The book is not simple but the feel for events is surprisingly clear. I am researching something heavier in this period and I found this a delightful recap. I've seen too many bad coffee table books since the Alexander movie. This book, you can recommend and even give as a gift to the historian on your list. Few people understand this period is as interesting as Alexander's conquest.

The authors do a good job of keeping the adrenalin flowing as we are taken quickly through unfolding and interlocking events. Brief character portraits are also included to flesh out our images of each successor. Deduction, intuition, and sometimes mere conjecture play a role in the authors' interpretations of sparse and sometimes conflicting records from the ancient sources, but the pictures they paint seem logical and usually plausible.

Occasionally, when they feel it warranted, they present multiple possible scenarios if the ancient sources are silent or unclear on a matter.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the book except for one probably unavoidable organizational glitch. The authors arranged the chapters primarily according to the lives and deeds of each of the successors successively, thus they had to back track on dates and events quite frequently as the next of the successors in line was presented to our view in depth. This was a bit frustrating to me, as I thought, "Wait a minute, isn't he dead already?" more than once.

Also,I wish they'd placed a really detailed foldout map of ancient Greece and Anatolia in the book, as I had to keep a historical atlas open so as not to get lost, as the generals and armies moved from place to place in rapid forced marches. A time line might have been helpful as well.

Nevertheless, I still give the book five stars and plan to obtain and read volume 2. The moral lessons one might receive from reading of the lives of Alexander's successors are legion--the primary one being the verity of the old adage, "He who lives by the sword dies by the sword" (often, but not always). This reader was also struck by the unbelievable treachery displayed by blood relatives against each other in their quest for power, but not surprised, as this was typical throughout history in many nations and times.

I thought the production was quite scholarly overall and believe what the cover flap stated about the authors' many years of study on the subject, as it becomes evident as you read along. I also appreciated the fact that the book was available in hard cover with decent size font, which I always prefer.