Granicus 334 BC: Alexander’s First Persian Victory

Alejandro Magno #2

by Michael Thompson, Richard Hook (Illustrator)

Granicus River was Alexander's first great victory over the Persians, where he demonstrated the heroic style of active and decisive leadership that was the hallmark of his career. After assuming the throne of Macedonia in 336BC and consolidating his hold on mainland Greece, Alexander crossed the Hellespont to face the Persians at the steep banks of the Granicus.

In the initial engagement, Alexander's 5,000 cavalry, supported by archers and javelin men, routed a force of 20,000 Persian cavalry. Leading the charge, Alexander came close to death, narrowly missing having his head split in two, but eventually triumphed, allowing his infantry to massacre the Greek army, which was hired by the Persians.

This convincing victory was the springboard for the subjugation of the coastal cities, the neutralization of the Persian navy, and ultimately the conquest of the Persian Empire.

Exploring the courageous leadership of one of the world's most inspirational yet ruthless leaders, this book provides a detailed analysis of the battle, strategy, and tactics of the forces engaged.

Genres: History, Military History, Nonfiction, Ancient History

96 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2007

About the author

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Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Alexander the Great's first major battle against the Persian Empire. The slender volume (part of the "Campaign" series) provides an introduction to Greek-Persian wars, a chronology of events, a look at key commanders, the opposing armies and their respective plans, and the campaign leading to this battle. There is a lucid description of the battle, based upon wehat little evidence that we have. It is interesting to look at current photos of the river near where the battle took place.

The volume concludes with the aftereffects of the battle. . . .

[Lynnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book alternated between Macedon and Macedonia for no apparent reason and had some punctuation errors. However, it’s largely well-cited and a great detailed overview of the Granicus (and related) moments without being too dense or overwhelming.

This is probably a four star book, but it’s a three star for me because of the copyediting errors. I can’t give a book with this many outright copyediting four stars. Sorry.