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Alexander the Great: Conqueror, Commander, King
An overview of Alexander's life--from his early military exploits to the creation of his empire and the legacy left after his premature death.
Alexander was perhaps the greatest conquering general in history. In a dozen years, Alexander took the whole of Asia Minor and Egypt, destroyed the once mighty Persian Empire, and pushed his army eastwards as far as the Indus. No one in history has equaled his achievement.
Much of Alexander's success can be traced to the Macedonian phalanx, a close-ordered battle formation of sarissa-wielding infantry that proved itself a war-winning weapon. The army Alexander inherited from his father was the most powerful in Greece--highly disciplined, trained, and loyal only to the king. United in a single purpose, they fought as one. Cavalry was also of crucial importance in the Macedonian army as the driving force to attack the flanks of the enemy in battle. A talented commander able to anticipate how his opponent would think, Alexander understood how to commit his forces to devastating effect and was never defeated in battle. He also developed a corps of engineers that utilized catapults and siege towers against enemy fortifications.
Alexander led from the front, fighting with his men, eating with them, refusing water when there was not enough, and his men would quite literally follow him to the ends of the (known) world. None of his successors were able to hold together the empire he had forged. Although he died an early death, his fame and glory persist to this day.
Alexander was perhaps the greatest conquering general in history. In a dozen years, Alexander took the whole of Asia Minor and Egypt, destroyed the once mighty Persian Empire, and pushed his army eastwards as far as the Indus. No one in history has equaled his achievement.
Much of Alexander's success can be traced to the Macedonian phalanx, a close-ordered battle formation of sarissa-wielding infantry that proved itself a war-winning weapon. The army Alexander inherited from his father was the most powerful in Greece--highly disciplined, trained, and loyal only to the king. United in a single purpose, they fought as one. Cavalry was also of crucial importance in the Macedonian army as the driving force to attack the flanks of the enemy in battle. A talented commander able to anticipate how his opponent would think, Alexander understood how to commit his forces to devastating effect and was never defeated in battle. He also developed a corps of engineers that utilized catapults and siege towers against enemy fortifications.
Alexander led from the front, fighting with his men, eating with them, refusing water when there was not enough, and his men would quite literally follow him to the ends of the (known) world. None of his successors were able to hold together the empire he had forged. Although he died an early death, his fame and glory persist to this day.
157 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 19, 2018
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About the author
John Sadler
111 books22 followersBorn in 1953, John Sadler has law degrees from Northumbria University and the University of Westminster. A part-time lecturer in military history at Sunderland University Centre for Lifelong Learning, he is currently studying toward a PhD in history and is soon to begin an Imperial War Museum Fellowship in Holocaust Studies. He is the author of over 20 books, including Scottish Battles, published by Birlinn in April 2010. He is married with two children and lives in Newcastle.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 15, 2020
The author is a military historian so the book mostly focused on Alexander's military conquest. There is some interesting info on the artilleries, tactics, organizations and logistics. Also nice imageries of re-enactment of ancient battles. But not much else was covered. Other than Parmenion, few of Alexander's marshals were mentioned. I love Mary Renault but I find using her Alexander biography as a main history source not convincing.
The structure is strange. It's neither thematic nor chronological. Events were repeated and out of order. Chapter titles were confusing("Roxanne" for Gaugamela to India for example) It would be a very difficult read if people didn't already have immense background knowledge on Alexander. The constant comparison to 15 century Scottish warfare was annoying. But I guess that's the author's background so he couldn't resist.
The author had the advantage of modern archeological findings and ideals so the book didn't feel stale. But I can't recommend this book other than a *very* casual read.
The structure is strange. It's neither thematic nor chronological. Events were repeated and out of order. Chapter titles were confusing("Roxanne" for Gaugamela to India for example) It would be a very difficult read if people didn't already have immense background knowledge on Alexander. The constant comparison to 15 century Scottish warfare was annoying. But I guess that's the author's background so he couldn't resist.
The author had the advantage of modern archeological findings and ideals so the book didn't feel stale. But I can't recommend this book other than a *very* casual read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review