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Alexander: God, King, Man
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26An enthralling new biography of Alexander the Great, written as an intimate, present portrait of the way his world saw him and the price he paid to become history's greatest military mind.
Alexander the Great: a wide-eyed boy from the hills of Macedon who ruled most of the known world by his mid-twenties. For centuries, historians, refugees, poets, and explorers have told his story, and yet Alexander himself has remained a mystery.
But over the last few years, a series of remarkable discoveries has changed everything. From the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea and the dust of Central Asian hillsides, the remains of Alexander's cities have emerged. The diaries of Babylonian astronomers who knew him have been deciphered. The tombs of his ancestors have been unearthed. Now, for the first time since antiquity, it is possible to tell a different story. The story of a young man whom almost no-one noticed, until the day he became king. A king who became a hero, a hero who became a living god, and a god who died broken-hearted in Babylon.
Using cutting-edge research and a unique narrative approach, Alexander thrusts readers into Alexander the Great's world in ways which have never before been possible: to see the same stars wheeling overhead, feel the desert wind, and experience the full horror of battle. Alexander is a cinematic work of non-fiction, a revelatory retelling of one of the most famous and elusive stories in history.
Alexander the Great: a wide-eyed boy from the hills of Macedon who ruled most of the known world by his mid-twenties. For centuries, historians, refugees, poets, and explorers have told his story, and yet Alexander himself has remained a mystery.
But over the last few years, a series of remarkable discoveries has changed everything. From the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea and the dust of Central Asian hillsides, the remains of Alexander's cities have emerged. The diaries of Babylonian astronomers who knew him have been deciphered. The tombs of his ancestors have been unearthed. Now, for the first time since antiquity, it is possible to tell a different story. The story of a young man whom almost no-one noticed, until the day he became king. A king who became a hero, a hero who became a living god, and a god who died broken-hearted in Babylon.
Using cutting-edge research and a unique narrative approach, Alexander thrusts readers into Alexander the Great's world in ways which have never before been possible: to see the same stars wheeling overhead, feel the desert wind, and experience the full horror of battle. Alexander is a cinematic work of non-fiction, a revelatory retelling of one of the most famous and elusive stories in history.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2026
About the author
Edmund Richardson
4 books61 followersEdmund Richardson is Professor of Classics at Durham University. He was named one of the BBC New Generation Thinkers. He is the author of 'Alexandria: The Quest for the Lost City' (Bloomsbury) and 'The King's Shadow: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Deadly Quest for the Lost City of Alexandria' (2022) (St Martin's Press).
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 20, 2026
Very interesting. An easy read which covers Alexanders conquests fully without glossing over the bad bits.
Makes me wonder why Alexander, who pillaged his way across the Middle East and whose empire collapsed on his desth, is know as the Great whilst Gengis Khan, who who did the same from the other direction but left behind an Empire which survived long after he died, is known as a barbarian?
Makes me wonder why Alexander, who pillaged his way across the Middle East and whose empire collapsed on his desth, is know as the Great whilst Gengis Khan, who who did the same from the other direction but left behind an Empire which survived long after he died, is known as a barbarian?
July 7, 2026
See my review on my YouTube channel "I'll Read It...Eventually"
https://youtu.be/bYQl9UjYBzY
Overall, I am very pleased with this book.
In terms of pros:
Richardson does a good job recreating the tone and atmosphere of the ancient world. He takes ancient religion and culture seriously and on its own terms. He digs into Babylonian astronomy, Sumerian religion, Indian philosophy and more in order to help explain what Alexander’s conquests would have meant to the people in his world, and to him.
Richardson does a great job retelling the battles. If you’ve read a few Alexander biographies, the large set pieces can feel a little stale and well-trod. He punches them up with some good conjecture and color, but without turning it into a Michael Bay movie. His version of the Battle of the Hydaspes, in particular, was very good.
Richardson also sheds some light on aspects of the campaign that are not typically forefronted in other works. He gives some good space to the role of Callisthenes as a court historian, and subsequent attempts to fill that role by others. He highlights the atrocities and general lack of clarity in the Afghan campaign, as the army descended into darkness and madness. He notes the beginnings of Hellenization, especially in the meeting of Greek and Indian culture.
The book is rarely boring, even when it shifts away from Alexander and the main narrative.
In terms of cons:
It is not a particularly in-depth psychological portrait of Alexander (which is something I think the book is attempting to give). Richardson's case relies on largely unsupported assertions about what Alexander's emotional or mental state must have been, but from ancient sources that are not entirely trustworthy on the subject. He makes clear claims, but then later says that the sources themselves are so muddy that it’s largely impossible to reconstruct some facts and certainly personal motivations and views.
Some of the asides are distracting and feel a little too much like filler
He does the flash-forward/flashback trick that killed the Alexander movie from the early 2000s, but without any particular purpose. There is no special reason why he should use Alexander's emotional and mental state before Issus, rather than the moment he becomes a god in Egypt, or any other moment. The book’s weakest chapters are probably the first two, where he deploys this narrative device for no real purpose that I could see.
Overall, a very interesting and readable biography that will appeal to students of the ancient world and laypeople alike. A good introduction to the subject, but not the last word.
https://youtu.be/bYQl9UjYBzY
Overall, I am very pleased with this book.
In terms of pros:
Richardson does a good job recreating the tone and atmosphere of the ancient world. He takes ancient religion and culture seriously and on its own terms. He digs into Babylonian astronomy, Sumerian religion, Indian philosophy and more in order to help explain what Alexander’s conquests would have meant to the people in his world, and to him.
Richardson does a great job retelling the battles. If you’ve read a few Alexander biographies, the large set pieces can feel a little stale and well-trod. He punches them up with some good conjecture and color, but without turning it into a Michael Bay movie. His version of the Battle of the Hydaspes, in particular, was very good.
Richardson also sheds some light on aspects of the campaign that are not typically forefronted in other works. He gives some good space to the role of Callisthenes as a court historian, and subsequent attempts to fill that role by others. He highlights the atrocities and general lack of clarity in the Afghan campaign, as the army descended into darkness and madness. He notes the beginnings of Hellenization, especially in the meeting of Greek and Indian culture.
The book is rarely boring, even when it shifts away from Alexander and the main narrative.
In terms of cons:
It is not a particularly in-depth psychological portrait of Alexander (which is something I think the book is attempting to give). Richardson's case relies on largely unsupported assertions about what Alexander's emotional or mental state must have been, but from ancient sources that are not entirely trustworthy on the subject. He makes clear claims, but then later says that the sources themselves are so muddy that it’s largely impossible to reconstruct some facts and certainly personal motivations and views.
Some of the asides are distracting and feel a little too much like filler
He does the flash-forward/flashback trick that killed the Alexander movie from the early 2000s, but without any particular purpose. There is no special reason why he should use Alexander's emotional and mental state before Issus, rather than the moment he becomes a god in Egypt, or any other moment. The book’s weakest chapters are probably the first two, where he deploys this narrative device for no real purpose that I could see.
Overall, a very interesting and readable biography that will appeal to students of the ancient world and laypeople alike. A good introduction to the subject, but not the last word.
Review of advance copy
What an amazing book. It read just like a novel and I could really grasp who Alexander was as a person. I learned many things during the reading of this book.
- Alexander inherited a kingdom full of debt, and he needed to use his advanced army to get out of the hole he started in
-Alexander dying at 32 was not a tragedy that needs “what if” scenarios on if he had not died. His body was broken from his campaigns and death was waiting to reach his compromised system
- Alexander was extremely ambitious and used that ambition better than anyone else in history. But in that he caused death to about 1 percent of the population, destroyed many cities, and gained an empire that was already beginning to break when he arrived in Babylon. However, what endured was the intellectual impact that his new empire brought, and especially in the metropolis of Alexandria, which would become the intellectual center of the world following his death
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is definitely a must read for people who are history lovers or are interested in Alexander. Richardson is a great author who has a way with words. I can’t wait to see what new works he releases in the future and I will definitely be reading more by him
- Alexander inherited a kingdom full of debt, and he needed to use his advanced army to get out of the hole he started in
-Alexander dying at 32 was not a tragedy that needs “what if” scenarios on if he had not died. His body was broken from his campaigns and death was waiting to reach his compromised system
- Alexander was extremely ambitious and used that ambition better than anyone else in history. But in that he caused death to about 1 percent of the population, destroyed many cities, and gained an empire that was already beginning to break when he arrived in Babylon. However, what endured was the intellectual impact that his new empire brought, and especially in the metropolis of Alexandria, which would become the intellectual center of the world following his death
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is definitely a must read for people who are history lovers or are interested in Alexander. Richardson is a great author who has a way with words. I can’t wait to see what new works he releases in the future and I will definitely be reading more by him
Want to Read
July 27, 2026After reading this exciting and well researched tale of Alexander, I am reminded that those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it. Richardson has pulled together a great many resources from different eras to tell an invigorating story of Alexander the Great's excellent adventures taking over the known world. Knowing just enough about Alexander, I found myself googling many "facts" to learn more. Fascinating tidbits are on nearly every page. From counting the enemy's dead by cutting off their penises, to the wonders of Babylon and finally Egyptian mummification, it is an amazing narrative of a bloodthirsty time.
I spent way to much time on a beautiful weekend engrossed in this Netgallery early version of this book. Please add maps and direct links to footnotes in the final verson.
I spent way to much time on a beautiful weekend engrossed in this Netgallery early version of this book. Please add maps and direct links to footnotes in the final verson.
Review of advance copy
Bravo. This is a fantastic book about the 'greatest' conqueror of all time. It is interesting and yet reads like a story. I particularly appreciated the author quoting his plethora of sources along the way, including writings from Plutarch, Cicero, Josephus etc and even archeological findings from recent discoveries. Richardson does a great job of dispelling endless myths to give us a compelling story of a deeply flawed man who was driven, but made many mistakes and was subject to all the same emotions that us lowly humans have...
July 29, 2026
Alexander’s story has been told countless times over the last 2,000 years, but Edmund Richardson has done something special with this book. It is simultaneously a book about Alexander and about the times in which he lived, tracing his journey from boy to man, man to conqueror, conqueror to god, and ultimately into legend while he was still alive. It’s an extraordinarily moving and tragic story, told afresh. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Did Not Finish
June 13, 2026Excellent book if you are historian and enjoy hearing about the strategy about how Alexander obtained power, sustained it, his victories in battle and his defeats and short comings. It is just not for me because I am not into that type of material so much. I did read about a fourth of it and it is good and well written, just did not match my interests enough.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A great read of Alexander, blending multiple perspectives, anecdotes, glimpses of battles, reasoning, and the aftermath of it all, in a digestible cadence never lingering on too long in one area. Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy
Excellent. A vivid and highly readable account of Alexander's life.
(I purchased the ebook several weeks ago off Kobe Books)
(I purchased the ebook several weeks ago off Kobe Books)
July 1, 2026
A lot more than history
You will also learn much about the ancient world. The poems, the thinking, the battles . Also incredible is the picture this book paints of humans.
You will also learn much about the ancient world. The poems, the thinking, the battles . Also incredible is the picture this book paints of humans.
Review of advance copy
Wow what a journey and what a real written book. Not just history but an immersive journey back in time and across the Greek & Persian world.
Review of advance copy
never meet your heroes
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This new biography of Alexander the Great covers how he took control of the bankrupt kingdom of Macedonia after his father's assassination, maintained that control through a series of bloody conquests over the rest of Greece, Egypt, and the Persian Empire, before concluding with his spiraling downfall in Babylon. The book incorporates new information from recent archaeological discoveries and aspires to debunk of some fictions surrounding Alexander. The prose is engaging and exciting, almost like reading an epic fantasy.
Although I think Alexander: God, King, Man is a decent presentation of Alexander’s life, particularly his military expansion, the book is mostly concerned with deconstructing and debunking the representation of Alexander within fictional works from his own time and in the centuries following his death. I think Richardson does a good job of sifting the realities from the fantasies.
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC.
Although I think Alexander: God, King, Man is a decent presentation of Alexander’s life, particularly his military expansion, the book is mostly concerned with deconstructing and debunking the representation of Alexander within fictional works from his own time and in the centuries following his death. I think Richardson does a good job of sifting the realities from the fantasies.
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews