Rating: 
Summary: A solid, well-balanced biography
Review: Mary Renault is best known for her historical fiction, and she is clearly fascinated by Alexander, who was without a doubt the most towering figure of ancient times. Renault scrupulously researched the texts as background for her novels, and the same scholarship is evident in this excellent bio. Starting with the legends that grew up around him in his own lifetime and continue down to this day, Renault explores Alexander not only as a king and a general, but as a man, a figure at once simple and complex, for whom the words doubt and failure simply didn't exist. She takes us through his childhood with his battling parents (what a horror his controlling mother Olympias must have been), his mother's possible role in the murder of Philip, and Alexander's subsequent accession to the throne of Macedon and his campaign to liberate the Greek city-states of Asia from Persian domination. Interestingly, as Renault shows us, Alexander didn't set out to Asia to conquer the known world; it was when he saw the quality of the opposition that he realized he could do a much better job of being Great King than the current title holder. Renault based most of her biography on Arrian, whose scrupulously level-headed account of Alexander's life and achievements was based on the writings of Ptolemy, who knew Alexander intimately as a friend, a general, and possibly as his half-brother (Philip's philanderings were notorious and Olympias' reaction can be only too easily conjectured). However, whereas Arrian's pro-western bias shows through when he repeatedly refers to the Persians as "foreigners", although it was the Macedonians and their allies who were invading a foreign continent, Renault is free of any such insularity. Where other biographers have excoriated Alexander for "Persianizing", Renault points out that adopting Persian customs was one way of making an alien king seem less foreign to them. (To be fair to Arrian, he himself attributed this honorable motive to Alexander.) Alexander did not share his soldiers' contempt for Persians, both as conquered subjects and as "aliens"; he was clearly drawn to their dignity, their pride in themselves, and their civilized ways which made the Macedonians seem like so many boors. Renault explores in detail some of the more controversial chapters of Alexander's life and reign, such as the murder of Parmenion which followed on the heels of the treachery and execution of his son Philotas (Parmenion's obligation to seek revenge for his son's execution would have splintered the Macedonian army); the killing of the Macedonian general Kleitos in a drunken rage (Renault makes no bones about stating factually that Alexander got drastically drunk on a few occasions, although she stops short of repeating other biographer's accusations that he was an alcoholic), and the torture and execution of the Royal Squires whose plot to kill him as he slept came unraveled when one of them got cold feet. She shows us that manners and morals were not in Alexander's time what they are in ours, and that Alexander must be judged by the times in which he lived. As difficult as Alexander must have been at times, his army adored him, and his high command stuck with him to the day of his death. Exactly how he died is still in dispute, and Renault explores this at some length. We know from the historical record that the Macedonian regent's son, Cassander, loathed Alexander and the feeling was abundantly mutual, and the specter of possible poisoning has never been dissipated. On the other hand, Renault tells us Alexander deliberately ignored a dangerous illness, and in fact, did everything against his physician's advice to make it worse. As attached as he had been to Hephaistion, Renault suggests that Hephaistion's death some months previously might have sent Alexander over the edge, and like a candle burning at both ends, Alexander simply burnt himself out. Readers who like factually detailed biographies packed with charts and footnotes should look elsewhere; Renault's biography is notably short on both. Her book is more a character study than a history; we are looking at who Alexander was, not just what he did. Comparing this book to her historical novels about Alexander is comparing apples to oranges, but Renault's genius at bring history to life in her fiction shows through here as well. She sweeps us up into a vivid and turbulent time, and makes us feel how exhilarating it must have been to be a part of Alexander's world.
Rating:
Summary: A solid, well-balanced biography
Review: Mary Renault is best known for her historical fiction, and she is clearly fascinated by Alexander, who was without a doubt the most towering figure of ancient times. Renault scrupulously researched the texts as background for her novels, and the same scholarship is evident in this excellent bio. Starting with the legends that grew up around him in his own lifetime and continue down to this day, Renault explores Alexander not only as a king and a general, but as a man, a figure at once simple and complex, for whom the words doubt and failure simply didn't exist. She takes us through his childhood with his battling parents (what a horror his controlling mother Olympias must have been), his mother's possible role in the murder of Philip, and Alexander's subsequent accession to the throne of Macedon and his campaign to liberate the Greek city-states of Asia from Persian domination. Interestingly, as Renault shows us, Alexander didn't set out to Asia to conquer the known world; it was when he saw the quality of the opposition that he realized he could do a much better job of being Great King than the current title holder. Renault based most of her biography on Arrian, whose scrupulously level-headed account of Alexander's life and achievements was based on the writings of Ptolemy, who knew Alexander intimately as a friend, a general, and possibly as his half-brother (Philip's philanderings were notorious and Olympias' reaction can be only too easily conjectured). However, whereas Arrian's pro-western bias shows through when he repeatedly refers to the Persians as "foreigners", although it was the Macedonians and their allies who were invading a foreign continent, Renault is free of any such insularity. Where other biographers have excoriated Alexander for "Persianizing", Renault points out that adopting Persian customs was one way of making an alien king seem less foreign to them. (To be fair to Arrian, he himself attributed this honorable motive to Alexander.) Alexander did not share his soldiers' contempt for Persians, both as conquered subjects and as "aliens"; he was clearly drawn to their dignity, their pride in themselves, and their civilized ways which made the Macedonians seem like so many boors. Renault explores in detail some of the more controversial chapters of Alexander's life and reign, such as the murder of Parmenion which followed on the heels of the treachery and execution of his son Philotas (Parmenion's obligation to seek revenge for his son's execution would have splintered the Macedonian army); the killing of the Macedonian general Kleitos in a drunken rage (Renault makes no bones about stating factually that Alexander got drastically drunk on a few occasions, although she stops short of repeating other biographer's accusations that he was an alcoholic), and the torture and execution of the Royal Squires whose plot to kill him as he slept came unraveled when one of them got cold feet. She shows us that manners and morals were not in Alexander's time what they are in ours, and that Alexander must be judged by the times in which he lived. As difficult as Alexander must have been at times, his army adored him, and his high command stuck with him to the day of his death. Exactly how he died is still in dispute, and Renault explores this at some length. We know from the historical record that the Macedonian regent's son, Cassander, loathed Alexander and the feeling was abundantly mutual, and the specter of possible poisoning has never been dissipated. On the other hand, Renault tells us Alexander deliberately ignored a dangerous illness, and in fact, did everything against his physician's advice to make it worse. As attached as he had been to Hephaistion, Renault suggests that Hephaistion's death some months previously might have sent Alexander over the edge, and like a candle burning at both ends, Alexander simply burnt himself out. Readers who like factually detailed biographies packed with charts and footnotes should look elsewhere; Renault's biography is notably short on both. Her book is more a character study than a history; we are looking at who Alexander was, not just what he did. Comparing this book to her historical novels about Alexander is comparing apples to oranges, but Renault's genius at bring history to life in her fiction shows through here as well. She sweeps us up into a vivid and turbulent time, and makes us feel how exhilarating it must have been to be a part of Alexander's world.
Rating:
Summary: an amazing, vital book!
Review: Reading this biography one is confronted by something more than the facts. One is confronted by a presence. Other accounts of Alexander are fixated on the size of his deeds, the length of his march etc. Here we met the man. When I finished this book and placed it down I could still feel a certain warmth. Renault begins with THE NATURE OF ALEXANDER and one gets to see his life as just that- his own existence. She lets him speak. She makes possible an encounter. That is a very rare and wonderful thing.
Rating:
Summary: If you are an Alexanderphile, this is a must.
Review: Reading this book is like having a talk with someone very close to Alexander.
Rating:
Summary: A very well written bio on Alex...
Review: Renault's bio on Alexander the Great reads more like a novel than a dry history of the Macedonian King. Although it may not quench the thirst of fact-hungry readers, it focuses on Alex's achievements and failures while keeping his psychology and personality in the foreground. I still haven't found anything comparable to it!
Rating:
Summary: Expanded my horizons, and gave my nephew his name!
Review: The fact that my nephew, Alexander, bears his name should speak volumes as to the depth of this author's affect on my life. His mom, my sister, wanted to name him Paul after grampa and dad, but I insisted she needed to call him Alexander! She did name him Paul, but his middle name, Alexander, is the name he uses daily and is the name by which he is known by all. I came across Mary's books as a teenager, age 15/16, while I was living in a small town/village in upstate New York. I was always an eclectic reader and my genre's ranged from romance novels to Jane Goodall to fantasy/science fiction to historical/biographicals......(is that normal for a 15 year old?)Keep in mind this was all long before the internet, and I was far from any "bookstores". These were books I found in school and at local libraries. Anyways, I stumbled, somehow, most excellently and propitiously upon Ms. Renault's books about Alexander the Great. For days, weeks, months, I lived in another time and culture! I was exposed to homosexuality, I think, for the very first time with her books about Alexander. In fact, I was exposed to homosexuality long before I was ever exposed to the "race" or "color" issue. I began to "immerse" myself in culture and for a young girl living where she lived and growing up in a very protected/small town life and family, I soared up into the literary and moral stratosphere! Mary Renault feels like a wonderful, historically esoteric aunt to me! Enjoy her books!
Rating:
Summary: Expanded my horizons, and gave my nephew his name!
Review: The fact that my nephew, Alexander, bears his name should speak volumes as to the depth of this author's affect on my life. His mom, my sister, wanted to name him Paul after grampa and dad, but I insisted she needed to call him Alexander! She did name him Paul, but his middle name, Alexander, is the name he uses daily and is the name by which he is known by all. I came across Mary's books as a teenager, age 15/16, while I was living in a small town/village in upstate New York. I was always an eclectic reader and my genre's ranged from romance novels to Jane Goodall to fantasy/science fiction to historical/biographicals......(is that normal for a 15 year old?)Keep in mind this was all long before the internet, and I was far from any "bookstores". These were books I found in school and at local libraries. Anyways, I stumbled, somehow, most excellently and propitiously upon Ms. Renault's books about Alexander the Great. For days, weeks, months, I lived in another time and culture! I was exposed to homosexuality, I think, for the very first time with her books about Alexander. In fact, I was exposed to homosexuality long before I was ever exposed to the "race" or "color" issue. I began to "immerse" myself in culture and for a young girl living where she lived and growing up in a very protected/small town life and family, I soared up into the literary and moral stratosphere! Mary Renault feels like a wonderful, historically esoteric aunt to me! Enjoy her books!
Rating:
Summary: A Rich, Exciting Work.
Review: There are authors and historians who are readily attached to a figure of historical value because of their insight into the character, such is the case of Mary Renault and Alexander The Great. No modern author, not even Robin Lane Fox, is so famously mentioned when discussing the written works surrounding the life and times of the greatest conqueror ever to invade a foreign soil. Renault is mostly recognized for her fictional novels about Alexander, especially "The Persian Boy," but it can be argued that her best work is actually her non-fiction biography "The Nature Of Alexander" which stands as one of the best, if not THE best. It is a rich work of language and history, it pulsates with the idea that history is life and life is history. Many authors of recent years, especially Peter Green, have tried to re-write the life of Alexander by slapping him with flaws meant to mirror the ideas and trends of today, but Renault's book rightly judges Alexander based on the ideas and standards of HIS era. She presents him as a brilliant strategist, a thinker who loved poetry and music, bred by powerful, strong-willed parents. Yes, the man had his flaws as we all do, but in "The Nature Of Alexander" he was a visionary who changed the course of human history by attempting to fuse cultures and discover new worlds. Renault writes in incredible detail about the customs of Ancient Greece and Macedonia, she fleshes out the characters with great insight and explores fascinating topics such as the Dionysian cults Alexander's mother, Olympias, indulged in and more importantly, Renault treats these characters as real people, not just names on scrolls, she tries to explore the emotions, feelings and ideas that brought about the described events. Her descriptions of how Alexander's story came down through the ages is fascinating, especially the areas covering the development of the "Alexander Romance" and how even when Greece was conquered by Rome the great names of that period such as Caesar, Marc Antony and Augustus visited the conqueror's famously lost shrine to pay homage. In thrilling detail we read about Judea remembering the Beast With Two Horns who harmlessly passed their way. And of course Renault takes us through the entire campaign of Alexander from Macedon to India, it is a wonderous story of exploration and discovery, philosophy, courage and even religion. "The Nature Of Alexander" is a grand success particularly because it is so enjoyable. Like Robin Lane Fox's book, this does not read like some tired acaedemic work where the writer feels like a tidious, pompous Cassander trying to impress the reader (for that you can read "Alexander Of Macedon" by Peter Green), instead Renault writes like an obsessed lover of the subject, it doesn't feel like a book that was tiresome to write. For avid readers of history this is a gem.
Rating: 
Summary: This was the most confusing book I have ever read.
Review: This was the most confusing, jumbled up, out-of-order book I have ever read. It is next to impossible to follow. It sounds as if Renault is more concerned with using "big" words and a confusing plot, than in making the reader understand and feel.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent
Review: To write a biography of a man who lived so long ago and with hardly any first-hand sources at hand, while so many myths, tell-tales and legends are vivid all over the world, it is every writer's challenge to portray him justly. I have read 5 other biographies of Alexander written by different authors, all of them covering the exact same events such as: capturing of Darius' royal family, Darius' death, execution of Bessus, execusion of Phillotas, each battle, Callethenes's execution, Murder of Cleitus, marriage with Roxane, his Persianizing, prostration, mutinies of his men, crossing of Makran desert, reconciliation with his men, Hephaistion's death, and many more.
It is astonishing to find that, using the same sources (Arrian, Plutarch, Curtis and such), different authors have totally different interpretations and understandings of this great man. Some portray him as a man with ill-will, evil and hopelessly violent dictator, some portray him as an officer-gentleman, others are totally lost, leaving him like a madman with split personality. While some of these carefully examined works are admirable, I found Mary Renault's portray of Alexander most natural, convincing, fair, and makes most sense. She carefully examines the psychology of this man, at the same time crossexamining his relationship with his men and how these men behaved and acted in each event toward him, and how he treated them. This book is brief, compare to other Alexander biographies I've read, but it is to the point, and very satisfying. It makes you think you can understand him finally. My only reason for giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because it is more like a shadow of her another excellent book, the Persian Boy, which is much more powerful and vivid. At any rate, this is a very good, level-headed work.
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