The Wars of Alexander's Successors 323 - 281 BC, Volume 2: Battles and Tactics

by Bob Bennett, Mike Roberts

When the dying Alexander the Great was asked to whom he bequeathed his vast empire, he supposedly replied ‘to the strongest.’ There ensued a long series of struggles between his generals and governors for control of these vast territories.Most of these Diadochi, or successors, were consummate professionals who had learned their trade under Alexander and, in some cases, his father Philip. This second volume studies how they applied that experience and further developed the art of war in a further four decades of warfare. This is a period rich in fascinating tactical developments. The all-conquering Macedonian war machine developed by Philip and Alexander was adapted in various ways (such as the addition of war elephants) by the different successors according to their resources. Siege and naval warfare is also included.

Genres: History, Greece, Ancient History

224 pages, Hardcover

Published November 19, 2009

Reviews

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second volume of this book takes a look at the available material from a different point of view and focuses on tactics and strategies that were employed during the period of Successors. While there's no denying that there are tidbits of information that are of interest, at the same time it is hard to overlook the fact that the content is a rehash of what's already been covered in the first part. While it's still an enjoyable read, this volume is not as necessary as the first part of this work.

[R X · Rating 2 out of 5]

A poorly written account of a fascinating period. Innumerable run-on sentences, erratic punctuation/missing punctuation marks, needlessly repetitive in places but seriously lacking in others, and layout issues mar what could've been a nice addition to Diadochi studies.

Instead, I recommend reading Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great's Empire and Great Battles of the Hellenistic World. The former offers a better study of the people and events, while the latter provides a better overview of most, if not all, of the battles covered.

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I'm struggling to finish this book. I don't think calling it a second draft is going too far, considering the amount of run-on sentences. It's like each run-on sentence births three more, and so on, until you have a book that is almost nothing but. On top of the poor writing, the book suffers from the typical Pen & Sword Books treatment of sloppy production. Only 90 pages left. Whew.

Aside: I think my head will explode if I read one more sentence that begins with "Whatever,".