Alexander the Great: Lives and Legacies

Great Lives of the Ancient World

by Stephen Harrison

This book offers a fresh perspective on the reign of Alexander the Great. It re-examines Alexander’s military victories and personality, while also exploring the impact of his campaigns on the people he conquered. Alexander’s story, Stephen Harrison argues, is one that includes the vital roles that other figures played in historical events. By considering the social and intellectual currents of the last two decades, Harrison highlights how changing contemporary experiences shape historical interpretations. Moving beyond polarized debates about Alexander, he provides a nuanced discussion of Alexander’s achievements and impact. The book presents an Alexander for the twenty-first century, offering new insights into how and why historical interpretations of him have changed.

Genres: History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published July 13, 2025

About the author

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Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine addition to my Alexander collection which consists of a COMPLETELY NORMAL number of books, I assure you. It doesn't exactly tell us anything we don't already know (I'm not sure what could these days, unless someone miraculously finds his lost tomb or a hidden stash of Ptolemy's writings some day), but it engages with the sources in a really vigorous and thoughtful way, questioning everything and considering alternative perspectives and possibilities. It's also far less preoccupied with long descriptions of every battle, which I consider a blessing. Good stuff, overall.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book written by a historian in a very personal and contemporary style. He weighs the evidence instead of just telling you so called facts and his thoughts as to what may have made the ancient authors describe the story the way they did and therefore how likely this is to be true is really interesting. He interprets Alexander in a modern way, not just defining him by his victories in battle and asks the ultimate question: What was the purpose of it all?

It is easy to read and so much more interesting than just outlines of Alexander‘s great battles. How much credit should go to his father, Philip II and why were Alexander‘s men better than the enemy? Was it all his great leadership and bravery that led to his successes?
Fascinating.

[Josh Swinscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was structured well, informative, and guided me as I read on. Alexander the great is a looming figure in history, and this is noted, and we are told that many versions of Alexander exist and have existed. We are invited to make our own interpretations and form our own character of Alexander at the end.

The sources we have for his life are lacking, and contrast at times, and this is where we are truly guided, and it definitely helps it read easier.

I enjoyed the structure of the book, the order it was written in, and the depth at times it went into, as I have hardly seen India mentioned as much, usually only the journey back, but here we get a better telling of the story.

Overall I would certainly recommend this book.
5/5

[Shane Goodman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Offers an interesting and accessible introduction to Alexander, but the narrative is disrupted far too regularly with the author's own views on modern political and social issues.

Some questioning of the historical sources is a worthy pursuit, but the overbearing focus on this takes much of the magic away from the story, rendering much of the narrative fairly dull.

[Cyrus SALMAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

all this book is good at is posative future