Alexander of Macedon 356-323 B. C.: A Historical Biography

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Summary: A Strange book.
Review: I have read many previous books about Alexander the Great, none as strange as Peter Green's "Alexander of Macedon". Using a small amount of resources, Green attempted to recreate Alexander's journey from Macedon to his untimely death in Persia. Much of the book is fairly accurate, but some of it seems like wild speculation. If you enjoy books that are mostly fiction, than "Alexander of Macedon" is definitely your cup of tea.

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Summary: History with wit & insight. A new respect for the ancients
Review: Never have the persons of old seem familiar andyet so distant. Alexander, my hero, my foe.

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Summary: Superb, full of tongue-in-cheek humor, reads like a novel.
Review: Anyone interested in Alexander the Great will only find his appetite whetted for more information after reading Green's book. While generally portraying Alexander as a somewhat psychotic megalomaniac which mirrors the current historical viewpoint, the book is nonetheless carefully researched and entertaining. You don't want to miss this one. Green is a master of ancient greek culture.

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Summary: GREAT BOOK!!!
Review: As I exhausted my college's repository of history classes, I was somewhat dissapointed at the way that Alexander's story was so casually glanced over. I wanted details, and insights into Alexander's persona. This book was the answer to my prayers. It FLOODS the reader with details and factoids and dates and insights into Alexander's thoughts. More importantly than the information it conveys, however, is the way in which it is conveyed. Battle plans and troop movements are clearly laid out in a manner understandable to the layperson. Green's explanation of the Macedonian court and Alexander's personal and intimate relationships is also very enlightening. This is a thoroughly readable and enjoyable book. You should buy it. Now.

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Summary: Detailed, lively, expert, and (oddly) very funny!
Review: Green's biography of Alexander is masterful. I didn't think Alexander would be my cup of tea, until I read Green, and couldn't put him down. Besides, Green's prose alone (not that of a dry historian) is worth the read: Example: "We can imagine Philotas tapping his foot impatiently during this long-winded recital, and thinking: Another homosexual quarrel, with the usual bitchy accusations; obviously nothing to it." Do yourself a favor and get Alexander of Macedon.

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Summary: Lasting impression
Review: I read this book when it was first published and it has made a lasting impression. During my first visit to Amazon.com I had to check to see if it was still in print. As a person who enjoys world history and well written biographies I could not have enjoyed this book more. This book is a must for the military historian, the student of ancient history and anyone who would learn about one of the great leaders in history

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Summary: "Alexander of Macedon" was Great
Review: Green's exposition is well written and, as important, with feeling in the narrative that keeps the readers enraptured to the end. At points, Green's favourable opinion of Alexander is revealed in his interpretations of events, yet overall the reader is left to his own devices to form opinions. One aspect of the author's style I found annoying was a continual usage of Latin/Greek cliché to make a point. Being of the ignorant sort and not able to read such, the relevance of the clichés were ambiguous. I believe the detail combined with the story line format, which I always appreciate, combine to make this exposition excellent reading.

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Summary: Superb history that brings the 4th century B.C. alive.
Review: This is superb history, on a par with the best of Barbara Tuchman. It is rare to find a book which combines such scrupulous historical accuracy with such a compelling invocation of the spirit of a time, a place, and a man. Green's scholarship, combined with a novelist's insight into character and flair for the dramatic situation, makes compelling reading. After you read it, you feel that you've *been* there. I'm waiting impatiently for the promised second edition, to find out what *really* happened at the battle of the Granicus. -- Glen Bever

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Summary: Rich and detailed biography
Review: Alexander was an enigmatic figure, to say the least. Peter Green provides us with a fabulously detailed, if somewhat dry--though often quite funny--account of his life. It is a very scholarly work; cross-referenced, annotated like mad and full of esoteric French and Latin idioms with English words I had to look-up in my UNABRIDGED dictionary. Still, you get the sense of a real person behind this legend--and it is fascinating, to say the least. Some repetitious language, combined with a cast of characters that would leave Pynchon scratching his head (Green himself acknowledges the frustration caused by so many duplicate names) make it a little hard to follow sometimes, but the narrative is strong and cohesive. I would have really appreciated a larger number of more detailed maps, since a few of the sites the book makes reference to aren't marked (a pipe-dream, I'm sure, since history itself seems to have swallowed a great deal of that information). The battle-plan graphics for Alexander's major confrontations were helpful in visualizing the scene set by Green's exposition. I recommend this book for anyone who wants a comprehensive study of the man who aspired to be a god.

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Summary: Historian with a Novelist's Flair
Review: Wow! In reading history, a person becomes accustomed to the normally dry tone set by many historians. The statement of facts, the laundry list of dates, etc. have become the norm in this form of writing. Enter Peter Green. Green has taken an already interesting story of a remarkable man and has brought it to us in all its epic glory. No avid history reader can help but be impressed with the novelist's touch Green applies to these factual events. Without losing a minute to boredom, the reader is guided through roughly four decades of ancient history with the dramatic panache of a Stephen Pressfield and the factuality of well,..Peter Green. This has been the most enjoyable historical biography that I have read. Recommend for any historical library.