Tough, resolute, fearless, Alexander was a born warrior & ruler of passionate ambition who understood the intense adventure of conquest & of the unknown. When he died in 323 BC aged thirty-two, his vast empire comprised more than two million square miles, spanning from Greece to India. His achievements were unparalleled
- he had excelled as leader to his men, founded eighteen new cities & stamped the face of Greek culture on the ancient East. The myth he created is as potent today as it was in the ancient world. Robin Lane Fox's superb account searches through the mass of conflicting evidence & legend to focus on Alexander as a man of his own time. Combining historical scholarship & acute psychological insight, it brings this colossal figure vividly to life.
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At eighteen Alexander had conquered mainland Greece, was crowned King of Macedonia at twenty & by twenty-six he had made himself master of the once mighty Persian Empire. By the time of his death, aged only thirty-three, in 323BCE he was ruler of the known world & was being worshipped as a god by the Greeks, both at Babylon, where he died, & further west, among the Greek cities of the Asiatic seaboard. The fruit of a lifetime's scholarship & meticulous research, this is an outstanding biography of one of the most remarkable rulers in history. 'A hugely impressive portrait of a towering but enigmatic figure' Saul David, Sunday Telegraph 'A revealing, often enthralling search.. . [a] restless, exhilarating book' Observer ' Fascinating...blends all the pleasures of Hollywood epic with those of a subtle & deeply intriguing detective tale' Tom Holl&, author of Rubicon ' Alexander the Great provides an endless fount both of amazement & of speculation. This gripping book examines the legends as well as the life. Most interestingly, it invites the reader to participate in the difficult task of separating the fact from the fiction' Norman Davies ...

King Alexander III 'the Great' of Macedon was one of the greatest military commanders the world has ever known. This book seeks to dispel some of the myths which have grown up around him & to provide an up-to-date account of his life. This

Includes:: the Macedonian background & Alexander's early years, his campaigns in Thrace & Illyria & the destruction of Thebes, the invasion of the Persian Empire & the battles which led to its conquest, his expeditions to India & finally his death in Babylon. Dr Rice also assesses Alexander's personality, & provides a summary of his legacy to the western world.

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Who was Alexander- Myth or man? God or devil? He claimed to be Zeus' son & even in his own lifetime wild legends sprang up about him. Above all, Alexander was a hero
- brave, wily, handsome & inspiring. This part-illustrated biography skilfully interweaves accounts of Alexander's battle campaigns with legends from each newly conquered country. From Greece & Egypt to Persia & India, the stories of the great mythical heroes Achilles, Gilgamesh, & many others echo Alexander's own charmed life.
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This title deals with ancient Greece & the rise of Macedonia, the campaigns of Alexander & his mighty empire. This stirring history of the age of Alexander examines the dramatic life & times of one of the world's most remarkable men & the growth of his immense empire. It explores the military strategies of Alexander's armies, including the arms & armour, troops & training, ships & war machines crucial to their campaigns. It

Includes:: detailed coverage of every significant battle, from Alexander's early commands to the final campaigns, & analysis of his greatest opponents. It offers an authoritative account of military & political strategy & power seen through the lives of some of the world's greatest soldiers from Alexander to Hadrian. Alexander's brief reign is placed in context through analysis of the rise of Macedonia & the disintegration of his immense empire after his death. This title is packed with over 250 beautiful photographs & illustrations sourced from contemporary artefacts & great artists as well as detailed maps & battleplans. One of the world's greatest generals & commanders, Alexander is a near-legendary figure. He dominates classical history as the general & king whose military brilliance & instiable desire for conquest led him to conquer half the known world. This book opens with the rise of Macedonia, followed by an account of Alexander's astonishing military progress & the lasting significance of his vast empire. Over 250 illustrations of the key events, from Granicus to Gaugamela, place the historical action in context. Our knowledge of the ancient world is increased with this expert & insightful guide to one of the most significant periods in world history.

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In the first authoritative biography of Alexander the Great written for a general audience in a generation, classicist & historian Philip Freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror. The celebrated Macedonian king has been one of the most enduring figures in history. He was a general of such skill & renown that for two thousand years other great leaders studied his strategy & tactics, from Hannibal to Napoleon, with countless more in between. He flashed across the sky of history like a comet, glowing brightly & burning out quickly: crowned at age nineteen, dead by thirty-two. He established the greatest empire of the ancient world; Greek coins & statues are found as far east as Afghanistan. Our interest in him has never faded.

Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle, Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the Persian empire, & continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt & as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan & the plains of India. Alexander spent nearly all his adult life away from his homel&, & he & his men helped spread the Greek language throughout western Asia, where it would become the lingua franca of the ancient world. Within a short time after Alexander’s death in Baghdad, his empire began to fracture. Best known among his successors are the Ptolemies of Egypt, whose empire lasted until Cleopatra.

In his lively & authoritative biography of Alexander, classical scholar & historian Philip Freeman describes Alexander’s astonishing achievements & provides insight into the mercurial character of the great conqueror. Alexander could be petty & magnanimous, cruel & merciful, impulsive & farsighted. Above all, he was ferociously, intensely competitive & could not tolerate losing—which he rarely did. As Freeman explains, without Alexander, the influence of Greece on the ancient world would surely not have been as great as it was, even if his motivation was not to spread Greek culture for beneficial purposes but instead to unify his empire. Only a handful of people have influenced history as Alexander did, which is why he continues to fascinate us.



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Alexander the Great became king of Macedon in 336 BC, when he was only 20 years old, & died at the age of 32, twelve years later. During his reign he conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire, the largest empire that had ever existed, leading his army from Greece to Pakistan, & from the Libyan desert to the steppes of Central Asia. His meteoric career, as leader of an alliance of Greek cities, Pharaoh of Egypt, & King of Persia, had a profound effect on the world he moved through. Even in his lifetime his achievements became legendary & in the centuries that following his story was told & retold throughout Europe & the East. Greek became the language of power in the Eastern Mediterranean & much of the Near East, as powerful Macedonian dynasts carved up Alexander's empire into kingdoms of their own, underlaying the flourishing Hellenistic civilization that emerged after his death. But what do we really know about Alexander? In this Very Short Introduction, Hugh Bowden goes behind the usual historical accounts of Alexander's life & career. Instead, he focuses on the evidence from Alexander's own time
- letters from officials in Afghanistan, Babylonian diaries, records from Egyptian temples
- to try & understand how Alexander appeared to those who encountered him. In doing so he also demonstrates the profound influence the legends of his life have had on our historical understanding & the controversy they continue to generate worldwide. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable.

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Alexander the Great's life & career are here examined through the major issues surrounding his reign. What were Alexander's ultimate ambitions? Why did he pursue his own deification while alive? Did he actually set the world in 'a new groove' as has been claimed by some scholars? & was his death natural or the result of a murderous conspiracy? Each of the key themes, arranged as chapters, will be presented in Approx. chronological order so that readers unfamiliar with the life of Alexander will be able to follow the narrative. The themes are tied to the major controversies & questions surrounding Alexander's career & legacy. Each chapter

Includes:: a discussion of the major academic positions on each issue, &

Includes:: a full & up-to-date bibliography & an evaluation of the historical evidence. All source material is in translation. Designed to bring new clarity to the contentious history of Alexander the Great, this is an ideal introduction to one of history's most controversial figures.



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' He was a man like no other man has ever been' So Arrian sums up the career of Alexander the Great of Macedon (356-323 BC), who in twelve years that changed the world led his army in conquest of a vast empire extending from the Danube to the rivers of the Punjab, from Egypt to Uzbekistan, & died in Babylon at the age of 32 with further ambitions unfulfilled. Arrian (c. 86-161 AD), a Greek man of letters who had experience of military command & of the highest political office in both Rome & Athens, set out to write the definitive account of Alexander's life & campaigns, published as the Anabasis & its later companion piece the Indica. His work is now our prime & most detailed extant source for the history of Alexander, & it is a dramatic story, fast-moving like its main subject, & told with great narrative skill. Arrian admired Alexander & was fascinated by him, but was also alive to his faults: he presents a compelling account of an exceptional leader, brilliant, ruthless, passionate, & complex. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, & much more. ...

The story of Alexander the Great is one of the most amazing & enthralling that history has to offer. The reader will journey to a world of heroism, of great courage & amazing conquest as we follow Alexander from a childhood rolling in the dust with his toy army to the greatest conqueror the ancient world ever knew. Lives in Action is a series of narrative biographies that recount the lives of some of the key figures in history. Page-turning, thrilling plots that read like fiction will keep the most reluctant reader hooked. ...