The only contemporaneous records for him are in the babylonian astrological tablets. According to cartledge, alexander s love of hunting game offers the key to his life and reign. Why did you think that we needed another alexander the great biography. Alexander the great after alexander son of philip, the macedonian, who came from the land of kittim, had defeated king darius of the persians and the medes, he succeeded him as king. Alexander the great was one of the most successful military commanders in history, and was undefeated in battle.
After the assassination of his father, king philip ii, alexander took command of a newly united kingdom that combined the military might of macedonia and greece. I wanted to stimulate new debate and discussion and possibly rewrite the history books by arguing alexanders real death was six days later than previously accepted, hall explains in a. Alexander the great is one of many biographies aimed at young people written by. Landmark battles in the rise of western power new york. Alexander the great was buried alive after disease. By the time of his death, he had conquered most of the world known to the ancient greeks. A peoples history of the american revolution, vol 1\.
A life in legend by richard stoneman new havenlondon. Other than general histories, all ive read is plutarch, curtius and arrian of the ancients and jr hamiltons alexander the great and the green you mention. Curtius narrates exciting experiences, develops his heros character, moralizes, and provides one of the five extant works that are evidence for alexanders career. He advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered many nations. There is a bit of liberty taken by the author in the rational of some.
Youth and kingship the son of philip ii of macedon and olympias, he had aristotle as his tutor and was given a classical education. Curtius narrates exciting experiences, develops his heros character, moralizes, and provides one of the five extant works that are evidence for alexander s career. Alexander the great was an ancient macedonian ruler and one of history s greatest military minds who, as king of macedonia and persia, established the largest empire the ancient world had ever seen. Biographies of alexander the great books the guardian. Alexander the great was an ancient macedonian ruler and one of historys greatest military minds who, as king of macedonia and persia, established the largest empire the. He fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and put to death the kings of the earth. Alexander the bloody brutal history books the guardian. Mar 06, 2019 new claim about alexander the great says he was not the real founder of the egyptian city of alexandria. Creating a top ten list for books on alexander the great is not easy, since few ancient historical figures have been written. Alexander the great is one of many biographies aimed at young people written by jacob abbott and his brother. In spite of this academic heritage alexander rejected the life of philosopher king, choosing instead the life of a warrior king.
I enjoyed the green but the hamilton was also good and i echo everybody else on arrian though the others are worth reading with an extra grain of salt. Lionel pearson, the lost histories of alexander the great alan wardman, plutarchs lives a. The literary sources first appear much later with the roman empire. Ancient ones, weve got arrians, campaigns of alexander. Written by leading experts in the field looks at a wide range of diverse topics including alexander s religious views, his entourage during his campaign east, his sexuality, the influence of his legacy, and.
In this book, he looks beyond the life of alexander the great in order to examine the astonishing range of alexanders created by generations of authors, historians, and artists throughout the worldfrom scotland to china. Written by leading experts in the field looks at a wide range of diverse topics including alexander s religious views, his entourage during his campaign east, his sexuality, the influence of his legacy, and his representations. Alexander the great didnt decay because he wasnt dead. Here, hugh bowden, professor of ancient history at kings college london. The real story of alexander the great art of manliness. Proper nonfiction history books, not historical fiction, about any period, event, area or topic you like. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read alexander the great. A new history combines traditional scholarship with contemporary research to offer an innovative treatment of one of historys most famous figures written by leading experts in the field. Has the location of alexander the greats tomb finally. Alexander the greatone of the most renowned figures in antiquityhas inspired everything from medieval romances to blockbuster movies, and military leaders from julius caesar to napoleon to the u. With her theory, hall wanted to stimulate new debate and discussion and possibly rewrite the history books by arguing alexanders real death was six days later than previously accepted. A new history combines traditional scholarship with contemporary research to offer an innovative treatment of one of history s most famous figures.
The only reason i bought this was because alexander the great kept popping up here and there in so many other books on history and famous people who made history. His book provides the definitive account of the legends of alexander the greata powerful leader in life and an even more powerful figure in the history of literature and ideas. Jul 09, 2019 alexander the great served as king of macedonia from 336 to 323 b. At the age of ten, he conquered all of greece, clad only in his underpants. He is the author, coauthor, editor and coeditor of 20 or so books, the latest being alexander the great. Alexander believed that his empire would stop only when he reached the pacific ocean. By purchasing books through this website, you support. Diodorus quintus curtius justins trogus epitome also. The only reason i bought this was because alexander the great kept popping up here and there in so many other books on history and famous people who. His publications include whos who in the age of alexander the great blackwell, 2005, alexander the great. This work is a relatively recent revaluation of the popular themes regarding alexander.
Aug 28, 2019 alexander the great alexander the great. Alexander the great and the history of globalization the. I enjoyed the green but the hamilton was also good and i echo everybody else on arrian though the. The webs source of information for ancient history. The spectacular career of alexander the great represented a watershed in military history. When alexander started out, the world was fresh and new, begging to be conquered. Alexander studied under aristotle platos most famous student. Alexander the great didnt found alexandria as historian.
Alexander was born in pella, the capital of the kingdom of macedon, on the sixth day of the ancient greek month of hekatombaion, which probably corresponds to 20 july 356 bc, although the exact date is uncertain. Alexander the great one of the most renowned figures in antiquityhas inspired everything from medieval romances to blockbuster movies, and military leaders from julius caesar to napoleon to the u. The best books on alexander the great, as recommended by historian hugh bowden, from. Alexander the great served as king of macedonia from 336 to 323 b. The first two of ten books have not survived and material is missing from books 5, 6, and 10. Rogers discusses comparisons among alexander, hitler, and stalin and arrives at the conclusion that alexander was. Could someone recommend a good book about alexander the.
Cartledge takes issue with those who contend that alexanders greatest contribution was to spread hellenism. This book collects together ten contributions by leading scholars in the field of alexander studies that represent the most advanced scholarship in this area. The celebrated macedonian king has been one of the most enduring figures in history. Mar 09, 2009 waldemar heckel is professor of ancient history at the university of calgary. Cartledge provides detailed chronicles of alexanders battles with the persians, the. More fully title is historiarum alexandri magni macedonis libri qui supersunt, all the books that survive of the histories of alexander the great of macedon. My first book on alexander was purchased and read after recommendation from a junior high teacher. Alexander the great or alexander iii, 356323 bc, king of macedon, conqueror of much of asia. He was the son of the king of macedon, philip ii, and his fourth wife, olympias, the daughter of neoptolemus i, king of epirus. Mar 04, 2020 the mysterious location of the tomb of alexander the great might finally have been confirmed alexander the great was a king of the ancient greek kingdom of macedon from 336323 bc and after conquering the greek citystates he rolled over persia founding an empire with 70 cities across three continents covering an estimated two million square miles. The hunt for a new past by paul cartledge 384pp, macmillan.
Alexander the conqueror by laura foreman 212pp, da. This includes his sexuality, military style, and influences. Alexander the great may be the most famous case of a false. In point of boring historical fact, the mention of persepolis in his heros. A new history combines traditional scholarship with contemporary research to offer an innovative treatment of one of history s most famous figures written by leading experts in the field. Alexander the great book by philip freeman official. Alexander the great history hackett publishing company.
Lionel pearson, the lost histories of alexander the greatalan wardman, plutarchs livesa. I think that the modern tendency to point out how bad alexander was. An acclaimed biographer reconstructs the life of alexander the great in this magisterial revisionist portrait. His life and his mysterious death ancient greece anthony everitt babylon dionysus hanging gardens mesopotamia persian empire random house more story 5 audiobooks to help with those endofsummer blues every book is a journey, promised one of those 1980s reading posters in our elementary school library. Aristotle and alexander the great tutor alexander the great ancient history see u in history duration. Alexander the conqueror by laura foreman 212pp, da capo. Mar 03, 2015 aristotle and alexander the great tutor alexander the great ancient history see u in history duration. He argues instead that alexander was more concerned with the glory his conquests brought him. List of books and articles about alexander the great. Need another excuse to treat yourself to new book this week. Accordingly, histories like arrians anabasis of alexander set a precedent in western historiography that places conflict and military exploits on historys center stage.
Tritle, 2003, the wars of alexander the great 2002, and the marshals of. Stoneman traces alexanders influence in ancient literature and folklore and in later literatures of east and west. I didnt mean this to be a list of pop history, but i think its too late now, so you might as well go ahead. John boardman is one of the worlds leading authorities on ancient greece, and his acclaimed books command a broad readership. The timeless leadership lessons of historys greatest empire builder new york. This first english collection of essays on alexander the great of macedon includes a. Unless otherwise noted, these books are for sale at. I wanted to stimulate new debate and discussion and possibly rewrite the history books by arguing alexanders real death was six days later than previously accepted, said study author dr. During his time of leadership, he united greece, reestablished the corinthian league and conquered the persian empire. Nov 14, 20 alexander iii of macedon, known as alexander the great 21 july 356 bce 10 or 11 june 323 bce, was the son of king philip ii of macedon. Alexander the great in fact and fiction oxford scholarship. Written by leading experts in the field looks at a wide range of diverse topics including alexanders religious views, his entourage during his campaign east, his sexuality, the influence of his legacy, and his representations.
History of alexander, volume i quintus curtius harvard. Was alexander the great pronounced dead prematurely. Alexander the great book ancient history encyclopedia. What are the best biographies on alexander the great. Perfecting new weapons and tactics pioneered by king philip, the young alexander led his forces into asia, conquering the persian empire and. Jan 23, 2019 when alexander the great died in babylon in 323 b. Cartledge, chair of cambridge universitys classics faculty, narrates alexanders life and rise to power. The mysterious location of the tomb of alexander the great might finally have been confirmed alexander the great was a king of the ancient greek kingdom of macedon from 336323 bc and after conquering the greek citystates he rolled over persia founding an empire with 70 cities across three continents covering an estimated two million square miles.
A new history ebook written by waldemar heckel, lawrence a. Cartledge provides detailed chronicles of alexander s battles with the persians, the tyrians and the babylonians as he demonstrates the young kings military genius and hunger for success in war. Great history books make an argument based on an interpretation of the past. They span the gamut between historical reconstruction and historiographical research and, viewed as a whole, represent a wide spectrum of methodology. New claim about alexander the great says he was not the real founder of the egyptian city of alexandria. The article, originally titled new explanation for alexander the greats death was first published on science daily.
Alexander the great didnt decay because he wasnt dead says. Although philip had seven or eight wives, olympias was. Alexander the great didnt found alexandria as historian claims ancient fake news. Just wellwritten, wellresearched, informative and interesting books for historians, history students and history enthusiasts. Has the location of alexander the greats tomb finally been. Ancient history expert everitt attacks the young macedonian kings astonishing. A new history combines traditional scholarship with contemporary research to offer an innovative treatment of one of historys most famous figures.
Now, there are a lot of books and biographies about alexander the great. Quintus curtius wrote a history of alexander the great in the first or second century ce. Jan 01, 2016 the only contemporaneous records for him are in the babylonian astrological tablets. Looks at a wide range of diverse topics including alexanders religious views, his entourage during his campaign east, his sexuality, the influence of his legacy, and his. Campaigns of alexander anabasis complete audiobook 12 hours in english macedonia. In the first authoritative biography of alexander the great written for a general audience in a generation, classicist and historian philip freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror. Click here for more information comprising relevant selections from the four ancient writers whose portraits of alexander the great still survivearrian, diodorus, plutarch, and quintus curtiusthis volume provides a complete narrative of the important events in alexanders life. A new history edited by waldemar heckel and lawrence a.
An amazingly young, amazingly brilliant warrior king conquers. Historiae alexandri magni is a biography of alexander the great written by roman historian quintus curtius rufus, dating to the 1st century. For alexander as corporate titan, see bose, partha, alexander the greats art of strategy. Brian bosworth, a historical commentary on arrians history of alexander vol. Alexander the great was an ancient macedonian ruler and one of historys greatest military minds who, as king of macedonia and persia, established the largest empire the ancient world had ever seen. He became king upon his fathers death in 336 bce and went on to conquer most of the known world of his day. One of the best books on alexander, is peter green, alexander of macedon. Looks at a wide range of diverse topics including alexander s religious views, his entourage during his campaign east, his sexuality, the influence of his legacy, and his. Hall believes a diagnosis of gbs, contracted from a campylobacter pylori infection common at the time and a frequent cause for gbs, stands the test of scholarly rigor, from both classical and medical perspectives most arguments around alexanders cause of death focus on his fever and abdominal pain. Alexander the great and physician philip of acarnania. If you are a history buff, especially from the persian and greek times, then you are probably a reader of books about alexander the great. A short introduction, and the landmark arrian, edited by james romm and robert. Alexander had no part in the murder of his father, although he may have resented him because he neglected olympias for another wife.
638 1191 100 531 975 1437 227 50 1489 1066 690 229 120 809 881 1110 692 211 468 754 500 217 602 753 1299 91 573 732 197 23 1352 100 896 42 220 1424 1308 1241 122 975 1207