Rating: 
Summary: "Engaging and Informative"
Review: "Alexandria, City of the Western Mind," is a masterful account of an illustrious city. Theodore Vrettos, a graduate of Holy Cross Greek Theological Seminary at Harvard, uses his eloquent prose and thorough knowledge of the classical world to bring to life the city's famous architecture and accomplishments, its affluent and ambitious rulers, its restless but refined inhabitants, and its brilliant philosophers and the sublime Christian theologians and teachers who suceeded them. Excellent historical background is given concerning the lives and deeds of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Octavian, and of Antony and Cleopatra; and also of the principle people who helped contribute to the city's birth, mind, power, soul, and finally its death. Vrettos captures the identity of this magnificent city in every way possible, and with it, the attention of accomplished scholars, aspiring students, and general readers alike, will be captured as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Reading about the Great city of Alexandria!
Review: "Too much reliance on primary sources and too little attention to modern scholarship" Book reviewer
Vrettos' Alexandria:
The writer of the 'Elgin Affair', provided a historical fiction sequel to his book, Origen. A book for the general reader, who loves to read a screenplay script, in a historical milieu, not for the reader who seeks hard reliable historical information.
This is a play in five acts that ends with death of the pricipal character: Alexandria. The playwright's recounting of Alexander, Cleopatra, and anthony's careers cross linking with that city talk on Octavia, Cleopatra, and her romanticized political love affairs were preceded with the cast. The principal Characters are displayed at the pseudo-novel beginning, starting with Aeschylus, and ending with Zeus the presiding head of Greek pantheon of mythological gods.
The events are mixed up in their chronological sequence. It is a problem with quoting that does not give the feel of continuity or progress. Any discription of the late antiquity city of Alexandria, or its cultural history, was not intended for its merit. An Appendix was not necessary to historical fiction, while chronology of the events of the ancient city and a family tree for the Ptolemy rulers should have been more engaging. Reviews reactions:
This book was reported by few reviewer to have provoked their western imagination (not mind). "It's a lovely and loving look at the city of Alexandria, and explores both its thinkers, its history and its layout. I'm lead to believe it isn't the most reliable account for scholars, but for the average lay person, it's so lovely that after reading it in the library, I had to own it." wrote a friendly reviewer.
Another reviewer describe his reading experience "An accessible history of Alexandria, and a pleasant read. Not intended for an academic audience, but nevertheless, not dumbed-down either. The chapters on Antony and Cleopatra are especially exciting. Other highlights include brief biographies of Alexandria's prominent scholars, and a detailed history of the Pharos (lighthouse)."
A third of the dozen reviewers reports that; "Vrettos has a nice, lucid, prose style, and the chapters are never convoluted or boring. My only complaint would be that more maps are needed, especially of Greece? I found myself digging into other books to find the locations of some of the cities and provinces Vrettos mentions. Perhaps this will be corrected in a future edition."
I also hope too!
Rating:
Summary: Reading about the Great city of Alexandria!
Review: "Too much reliance on primary sources and too little attention to modern scholarship" Book reviewer
Vrettos' Alexandria:
The writer of the 'Elgin Affair', provided a historical fiction sequel to his book, Origen. A book for the general reader, who loves to read a screenplay script, in a historical milieu, not for the reader who seeks hard reliable historical information.
This is a play in five acts that ends with death of the pricipal character: Alexandria. The playwright's recounting of Alexander, Cleopatra, and anthony's careers cross linking with that city talk on Octavia, Cleopatra, and her romanticized political love affairs were preceded with the cast. The principal Characters are displayed at the pseudo-novel beginning, starting with Aeschylus, and ending with Zeus the presiding head of Greek pantheon of mythological gods.
The events are mixed up in their chronological sequence. It is a problem with quoting that does not give the feel of continuity or progress. Any discription of the late antiquity city of Alexandria, or its cultural history, was not intended for its merit. An Appendix was not necessary to historical fiction, while chronology of the events of the ancient city and a family tree for the Ptolemy rulers should have been more engaging. Reviews reactions:
This book was reported by few reviewer to have provoked their western imagination (not mind). "It's a lovely and loving look at the city of Alexandria, and explores both its thinkers, its history and its layout. I'm lead to believe it isn't the most reliable account for scholars, but for the average lay person, it's so lovely that after reading it in the library, I had to own it." wrote a friendly reviewer.
Another reviewer describe his reading experience "An accessible history of Alexandria, and a pleasant read. Not intended for an academic audience, but nevertheless, not dumbed-down either. The chapters on Antony and Cleopatra are especially exciting. Other highlights include brief biographies of Alexandria's prominent scholars, and a detailed history of the Pharos (lighthouse)."
A third of the dozen reviewers reports that; "Vrettos has a nice, lucid, prose style, and the chapters are never convoluted or boring. My only complaint would be that more maps are needed, especially of Greece? I found myself digging into other books to find the locations of some of the cities and provinces Vrettos mentions. Perhaps this will be corrected in a future edition."
I also hope too!
Rating: 
Summary: The Rise and Fall of Alexandria
Review: Alexandria was the center of the ancient world, the point at which the ideas of Greek civiliation flowed most freely into Western culture. It was also strategically important--it was located at the mouth of the Nile, and it controlled an enormous portion of the Mediterranean wheat trade.
Vrettos' book explains how and why Alexandria was built, why it was so important in the politics of the ancient world, and how it nurtured the science, philosophy and religion that are a central part of our modern world.
Much of "Alexandria" is taken up with a description of the world of ideas, which I found to be edifying but a little dull. More entertaining (at least for me) was the author's lengthy digression into the romance and alliance between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII, and the later struggles between her, Marc Antony and Octavian. (Other reviewers have criticized Vrettos for spending so much time on this old but fascinating story, but I guess that's just a matter of taste.)
On the whole, the author's style is readable but a little dry, and there are a few striking inaccuracies and inconsistencies in some of the dates given for different events. It makes me wonder a little about how precise the author is in his other judgments.
For a more engaging work that describes Alexandria in a somewhat different context, you might want to have a look at "In Search of Cleopatra" by Michael Foss, which is also available on Amazon.com.
Rating:
Summary: Really enjoyed it
Review: An accessible history of Alexandria, and a pleasant read. Not intended for an academic audience, but nevertheless, not dumbed-down either. The chapters on Antony and Cleopatra are especially exciting. Other highlights include brief biographies of Alexandria's prominent scholars, and a detailed history of the Pharos (lighthouse). Vrettos has a nice, lucid, prose style, and the chapters are never convoluted or boring. My only complaint would be that more maps are needed, especially of Greece. I found myself digging into other books to find the locations of some of the cities and provinces Vrettos mentions. Perhaps this will be corrected in a future edition.
Rating:
Summary: Really enjoyed it
Review: An accessible history of Alexandria, and a pleasant read. Not intended for an academic audience, but nevertheless, not dumbed-down either. The chapters on Antony and Cleopatra are especially exciting. Other highlights include brief biographies of Alexandria's prominent scholars, and a detailed history of the Pharos (lighthouse). Vrettos has a nice, lucid, prose style, and the chapters are never convoluted or boring. My only complaint would be that more maps are needed, especially of Greece. I found myself digging into other books to find the locations of some of the cities and provinces Vrettos mentions. Perhaps this will be corrected in a future edition.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing: Poorly edited and not true to its title
Review: I would not get this book if I had to do it again. There was apparenly no editing as the book repeats itself in multiple places (how many times do I need to be told that two streets intersected -- in the space of two pages? This sort of thing occurs half a dozen times). The content itself is underwhelming: One section of the book is a shallow laundry list of the philosophers who graced the city. Then there is a long section on Cleopatra (read Michael Grant on this topic instead), then a better discussion of Alexandia's role as a theological hotbed prior to the Arab conquest. It really fails to do justice to the rich history or Alexandria as the capital of the Ptolemys and its role as an entrepot for thoughts and commerce. Look elsewhere for a good book on this city.
Rating:
Summary: Not even 1 star
Review: Not even adequate. This book is so poorly written as to be incomprehensible. Where was the editor? Where was the copyeditor? Fascinating subject, but don't bother with this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Unreliable...for general reader...a starter, not final goal.
Review: One wants to like a book that one has spent some deal
of money to have bought. Perhaps one should also do a
bit more intensive reading in the book before one
purchases it. "Let the buyer beware."
This is a book for the general reader, not for the
scholar, nor for anyone who wants reliable information
reliably presented. The first perplexing thing is that
the publishers have put the map of the ancient city in
such a two-page layout that the mausoleum for Alexander's
body which forms such a central axis for the city and
for this book, is hidden in the folds between the two
pages. This is certainly provocative, but also a bit
irritation producing.
Then comes the author's recounting of Alexander's
career. The events are mixed up, in the wrong
chronological sequence. He has put the Egyptian
experience of Alexander at the beginning of Alexander's
invasion (as a prelude, seeking of wisdom from the Oracle
at Siwah), before the invasion even starts. One hopes that this is just a slip of the Word Processing program.
It seems like parts have been inserted in wrong places...
so that the final draft should have been more closely
scrutinized by author, copy editor, and someone in the
know about Alexander's career. The author thanks many
people at the beginning of this book. After reading
the book, some of those people might not want to be
thanked.
A nice helpful addition might have been an Appendix
or two containing such things as a chronology of the
Ptolemy rulers of Egypt -- and a chronology of the
significant events of the ancient city itself.
The intended target for this book seems to be the
general reader who might know next to nothing about
Alexander the Great, the ancient city of Alexandria,
or its cultural history. If that is so, then the
book might be a "worthy" buy for such a person, as
a beginner's introduction; but then one should move
on. And certainly one should not take this book, nor recommend this book as a definitive treatment of either
Alexander or Alexandria.
As an alternative, or addition (depending upon the
reader's tastes and decisions) I would recommend
a compact, well illustrated, well written paperback
book titled -Alexandria: Jewel of Egypt- by Jean-Yves
Empereur, published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., (English
version, 2002).
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but some errors
Review: This book is a useful history of Alexandria, but I had some serious reservations after reading the author's chapter on the career of Alexander, which is completely out of sequence. Vrettos places the battle of Granicus after the liberation of Egypt and notes, erroneously, that Issus (which he seems to think is separate from Cilicia, but which is in fact another name for the same place) and Tyre occur after Alexander's trip down the Indus. Too much reliance on primary sources and too little attention to modern scholarship will lead to boners like this: "...he finally marched to attack Darius, who was advancing toward him with an army a million strong."
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