The Genius of Alexander the Great

by N.G.L. Hammond

The preeminent scholar of ancient Macedonia separates reliable fact from historical fiction to reveal the true intellect and charm that earned Alexander his epithet.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Greece, Ancient History, Audiobook

246 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 1997

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Sus propios trabajos exprimidos para un cóctel algo diferente.-

Género. Historia.

Lo que nos cuenta. El libro El genio de Alejandro Magno (publicación original: The Genius of Alexander the Great, 1997) ofrece un acercamiento a la figura de Alejandro Magno, su vida, sus logros, su destino y su relación con las distintas sociedades en las que vivió o contra las que se enfrentó el famoso macedonio.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the most readable summary of what we know about Alexander's life that I've read, but it is the most scholarly. Our written sources are all late. They are often contradictory. Hammond, unlike writers of more popular biographies, is clear about why he selects one source over another when accounts differ.

This edition is to be commended for its many useful maps and battlefield representations.

[John Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander the Great assumed power in the small Kingdom of Macedonia while still in his teens, and by the time he died in his early thirties he had conquered most of the known world. This biography describes his meteoric life from beginning to end. Due to its large scope and relatively short length, the book cannot spend much time discussing strategic considerations for individual battles and why Alexander won. The book also does not provide much information on Alexander the man, as opposed to Alexander the leader and conqueror, perhaps because the sources of original information focus almost exclusively on the latter. On the plus side, the book makes it plain that in addition to being a great general, Alexander was an effective civil administrator who founded cities, built roads, and successfully encouraged commerce within his domains. All in all, this is a worthwhile addition to the library of anyone interested in ancient or classical history.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry, but as factual as this Alexander expert can make it. "Alexander succeeded Philip II as king of Macedonia in 336 B.C., and spent the next thirteen years subduing and consolidating the lands of the Persian Empire." This dude was good at conquering and politics. For those who cooperated, he would give them land and authority to reign justly; for those who resisted, he would crush them with his well-trained soldiers and great tactics. He basically suddenly died of a cold at age 32.

[Yiannis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life and achievements of the greatest leader of all time.

[Francisco Ll Sánchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sin duda alguna, es remarcable el conocimiento tanto geográfico, militar e histórico que contiene este libro.

[Cosimo Plasmati · Rating 5 out of 5]

My knowledge of Alexander The Great was very superficial, basically the broad facts that I learned at school, plus the Oliver Stone's movie, which I enjoyed but knew beforehand it had some inaccuracies. Reading this biography really she'd some light on the matter for me. The author always explains which sources are more reliable and sometimes recounts some anecdotes while explaining that it's probably fake or propagandistic, so it's (in my opinion) a quite objective point of view. Overall I give it five stars because it's exhaustive and fair. I wish it has some more images of the battles though, because many of the descriptions of battles were quite complicated for me to follow. But then again, I'm no historian, I read it for fun, so maybe it's clear enough for experts. Anyway, a really good reading.

[Franciszek Georgiew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hammond bardzo jasno opisuje, dlaczego wybiera jedne źródła ponad inne i jest to ogromna wartość. Wyraźnie rozdziela dwie historie Aleksandra - tę pisaną przez wrogów monarchii i tę napisaną przez jego sukcesorów. Wycięcie połowy źródeł skraca książkę - a szkoda! Jedyne co razi to "tłumaczenie" każdego ruchu przez autora, podejrzanie zapatrzonego w postać Aleksandra. Tak jak Peter Green wielkiego wodza lekceważy, tak Hammond zdaje się nie widzieć żadnych cieni w jego postaci.

[Luisina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good one if you need a quick overview/first introduction to Alexander The Great's life and achievements.
Probably a bit too detailed in the size of the different armies, but a bit speedy in the passing of time. All the campaigns seemed to be one right after the other (they were, to some degree, I guess).
Still an educational and easy to read biography.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was really boring writing and his methodology for evaluating sources was bizarrely naive AND inconsistent.

[HawaiianDragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of great details, but missing maps of battles that would illustrate Alexander’s genius more readily.

[Devyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information but not very readable