Macedonian Warrior: Alexander's elite infantryman

Osprey Warrior #103

by Waldemar Heckel, Ryan Jones, Christa Hook (Illustrator)

During the reigns of Philip II and Alexander the Great, the Macedonian Army (the phalangites) were reformed and drilled into an invincible fighting force with unique tactics and weaponry. The Macedonian warrior during his service would march over 20,000 miles in the most diverse climates and terrains, fighting in four of the epoch battles of the time. This book examines their initial training, rise to an elite unit under Alexander the Great, and eventual defeat at the battle of Pydna, 168 BC. The daily life, weaponry, experience, and motivations of these men are detailed, using primary sources and anecdotal material.

Genres: History, Military History, Ancient History

64 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2006

Reviews

[Myke Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another great work of accessible, specific history, aimed at giving real insight into how the Pezhetairoi (and to a lesser extent, the hypaspists) helped Alexander forge the largest empire to date (in his lifetime, anyway).

Heckel's prose is more academic than I like, but he has a laser focus on what most interests students of military history, while staying strictly within the limits of the Warrior line of titles: Order-of-battle, kit, uniforms, pay, terms of enlistment/commission, and e'sprit de corps. The result is a deckplate level understanding of the infantry experience in Alexander's army, in a form that is of equal value to academics, reenactors and wargamers. It's a great work of populist history, and continues the Osprey tradition of taking history out of the ivory tower and putting it into the hands of those enthusiasts who can best make use of it.