Product Details

• Actors: Michael Wood
• Directors: David Wallace
• Writers: Michael Wood, Homer, Plutarch
• Producers: Laurence Rees, Leo Eaton, Rebecca Dobbs
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Pbs Paramount
• DVD Release Date: October 26, 2004
• Run Time: 240 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002V7OGA
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #72,162 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

British filmmaker Michael Wood embarks on an idiosyncratic journey of 20,000 miles tracing the expedition of Alexander the Great in this captivating documentary. Relying on the words of Greek and Roman historians, Wood sought to follow Alexander's route of world conquest as closely as possible, and it is simply amazing how much folklore about the great general he is able to pick up on the way. Beginning in Greece and proceeding through 16 countries, including Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, and India, Wood listens intently to local storytellers who are still passing down the legends of Alexander. In one fascinating segment, Wood is barred from entering Iraq, but he is able to view the terrain on which Alexander's troops faced the Persians by scanning the radar screens of an American AWACS plane patrolling high above. In the course of his travels, Wood passes through four war zones and he notes that strategic regions of Alexander's day are still "on the fault lines of history." This is a lengthy production, clocking in at almost four hours, but the relaxed pace is a virtue, as Woods and the people he meets along the way, from local storytellers to noted historians, pass along an amazing array of historical knowledge. Lovers of history will find this documentary to be a joy and may well find themselves savoring every mile of Alexander's great journey. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now *that's* a documentary!, October 21, 2004

By	Scott Chamberlain "Historian and archaeologist" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While in grad school studying history (not ancient history, by the way) I got this and watched it with one of my fellow historians and his wife. We started off thinking: "Hm, this is quite a good documentary." We ended up thinking: "Dang! This is the best documentary ever!" Three things tip the scales on this one. First, the subject is inherently interesting. Whether you lean to the right or left, whether you are a tradtionalist or a revisionist at heart, you will find Alexander a fascinating character, and his bid to conquer the world harrowing, gripping, terrible, and awe-inspiring at same time. Second, the film is a good one, good pacing, wonderful footage, and all kinds of interesting people telling their stories. But what really makes this one special is Wood's incredible, insanely idiotic mania to reconstruct Alexander's journey. My God! Surveying battle sites from AWACS flying combat missions over Iraq? Fleeing Kabul ahead of the Taliban? Schmoozing with random warlords in Afganistan? Bandit raids in the Hindu Kush? It just keeps getting more and more bizarre! You will be swept along with this one... and the current troubles in this part of the world make it particularly interesting.

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ULTIMATE ARMCHAIR ADVENTURE, November 7, 2004

By	Robin Simmons (Palm Springs area, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Around 300 BC, Alexander The Great had conquered the known world. He was only 32. It is said that he got a fever and died when he realized there were no worlds left to conquer.

At this writing, Oliver Stone's soon to open epic "Alexander" is getting a lot of attention, so it's inevitable that similar themed digital editions will ride the publicity wave.

The four hour armchair adventure IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALEXANDER (Paramount) is among the very best of all TV documentaries.

Enthusiastic, knowledgable and affable Oxford scholar Michael Wood retraces -- for the first time -- the 16 country war path of Alexander from Macedonia to India. Citing excerpts from ancient Greek and Roman historians, Woods literally treks, rides, swims and sails in Alexander's footsteps. Passing through at least four war zones, Wood observes that these regions remain "on the fault lines of history." No kidding. Along the way, Wood encounters local story tellers who perform ancient recitations that keep Alexander's story alive and current. For instance, in Iran there's still resentment of Alexander as conqueror of the Persian empire.

This exciting, engrossing documentary is loaded with numerous incidents rich in irony that puts in clearer perspective not only the world of Alexander (300 BC) but our modern, fractured world. Highest recommendation.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now *that's* a documentary!, December 10, 2002

By	Scott Chamberlain "Historian and archaeologist" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great [VHS] (VHS Tape)

While in grad school studying history (not ancient history, by the way) I got this and watched it with one of my fellow historians and his wife. We started off thinking: "Hm, this is quite a good documentary." We ended up thinking: "Dang! This is the best documentary ever!" Three things tip the scales on this one. First, the subject is inherently interesting. Whether you lean to the right or left, whether you are a tradtionalist or a revisionist at heart, you will find Alexander a fascinating character, and his bid to conquer the world harrowing, gripping, terrible, and awe-inspiring at same time. Second, the film is a good one, good pacing, wonderful footage, and all kinds of interesting people telling their stories. But what really makes this one special is Wood's incredible, insanely idiotic mania to reconstruct Alexander's journey. My God! Surveying battle sites from AWACS flying combat missions over Iraq? Fleeing Kabul ahead of the Taliban? Schmoozing with random warlords in Afganistan? Bandit raids in the Hindu Kush? It just keeps getting more and more bizarre! You will be swept along with this one... and the current troubles in this part of the world make it particularly interesting. Hope to see it on DVD!