DK Discoveries: Alexander the Great

Rating:
Summary: A Review of Alexander the Great
Review: Imagine that your father, King Philip of Macidonia was just murdered by a former body guard, and that you are forced to become king at the young age of 22. Shortly after you become king some of your cities rebel against your rule, you have no military experience, and yet that is your only option.
Do you think that ever happened to anyone? It happened to Alexander of Macedonia. When the cities revolted Alexander went in and completely destroyed them, then he sold the entire population ( selling women and children as slaves was highly irregular) as slaves to be a warning to other cities that might revolt( most of the cities probably thought that Alexander was a weak king because he was so young). I think that Peter Chrisp gives a wonderful account of Alexander's life in his book, Alexander the Great.
Alexander had many exploits along his many journeys, and there is a story for each and every one. I will tell you one of those tales; it is about The Gordian Knot. In the city of Gordium there was a temple, inside this temple was a very old cart. Its yoke was tied with a knot called The Gordian Knot. The Gordian Knot was very complex, in fact it was so complex that you could not see either loose end of the rope. Many people had tried to untie the knot, but no one could. The people of the city thought that the first person to untie the knot would rule the world. On his way east Alexander stopped at Gordium and tried to untie the knot. After wrestling with the knot for a while he said, "It makes no difference how it is untied"-- and with that he took out his dagger and cut right through it. In case you did not know Alexander conquered the entire world that was known at the time and more! So perhaps the Gordian Prophecy was true.
In this book you will read about Alexander of Macedonia (who later earns the title: Alexander the Great) and his many battles, his battle tactics (most of which are incredible), his military genius, and plus have a peek at what life was like for one of Alexander's soldiers.
If you enjoy reading historical nonfiction, and also enjoy reading about the ancient Greeks then you will love Alexander the Great by Peter Chrisp.

Rating:
Summary: Great for young and mature adults alike
Review: Though this picture book is primarily aimed at young adults, older readers will enjoy it as well. It's wonderfully illustrated and very informative, giving an overview of the conquest of Alexander as well as the ancient Greek and Persian cultures. The full-color illustrations really elucidate the subject matter. All in all, a wonderful book, and one I am happy to have in my library.