Alexander's Tomb: The Two-Thousand Year Obsession to Find the Lost Conquerer

by Nicholas J. Saunders

Alexander the Great is a towering figure in world history, but despite our long-held fascination with him, his burial site is unknown. Alexander's Tomb is the epic tale of the ongoing quest to unlock one of the world's great mysteries.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Greece, Ancient History, Mystery, Classical Studies, Egypt

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2006

About the author

Nicholas J. Saunders is the world’s leading authority on the anthropological archaeology of the First world war. A lecturer in the department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Bristol, he undertook the first-ever study of Great war material culture as a British Academy Senior Research Fellow at University College London between 1998 and 2004. His exhibition of trench art from the war was for five years a centrepiece of the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, Belgium. He has published more than twenty-five books, including Trench Art, Killing Time, Alexander’s Tomb and Matters of Conflict, and has appeared in documentaries for the BBC, the National Geographic Channel and the History Channel. He co-directs two major Great war archaeological projects, in Jordan and Slovenia, and lives in west Sussex.

Reviews

[Victor Sonkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent account of the tumultuous and mysterious history of Alexander's tomb which had disappeared (and no one even knows when) but might be hiding in more or less plain sight (in Venice, for instance).

[C. Varn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating historyn

A fascinating book on the Alexander's tomb, how it was lost, and many attempts to find it. It is written in an approachable manner that befits a popular history.

[Dreams At Dusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Sarah Culpepper · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The richest treasures are those we create in our minds, where they endure untarnished and immutable... Do we really want to discover the mortal remains of history's most immortal son?" (Saunders, 204-205).

Wow! I have so many thoughts about this book and mixed emotions overall.

First off, Saunders' writing style is up and down for me. When reading his occasional explanations and further reflections on the topic, I am astounded by his passion for archaeology and preserving history. His interpretations help the reader put things into perspective while leaving them with something to think deeply about. I have underlined so many sentences in this book for this reason. However, when laying out the history (which comprised most of this book), the language is very academic and advanced and might be too confusing for the average reader who knows surface-level information on the topic. For instance, the author gives a brief background of a historical figure, then never mentions who they are again, which can get confusing.

There is definitely a need for historical authors to balance their writing and word choice to suit both academics and the average person. However, this struggle is essential because history must be shared with everyone, so it faltered in that sense. Despite that, Saunders clearly did his research because this book is filled with information, facts, and lots of sources (which I greatly appreciated)!

Furthermore, the reader must have some background in Egypt, the Ptolemaic Period, the Roman Imperial Period, Napoleon's conquests, and beyond to understand the whole premise. This isn't really a historical pleasure read but rather an in-depth, detailed academic piece. It took me a while to read this, partially because I kept putting it down because it was so dense. It seemed like it was fact after fact, and it needed more explanation to break things up a bit.

Ultimately, I gave this book four stars (3.5 rounded up). I did learn quite a lot from it. As someone with a background in the ancient world, Egypt, Classical studies, Hellenism, and archaeology, I could somewhat understand the concepts, but to the average person, this might be too challenging to digest. I could sort of read between the lines and get what Saunders was saying. Nonetheless, I did learn many things, such as the origins of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the British Museum's reason for obtaining stolen antiquities. I wish it could be more readable so the topic could reach a wider audience because it really is an exciting topic that has the potential to generate a larger interest in the public.

[Gilda Felt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s somewhat odd that the author would start the book by saying that “this is not an account of Alexander’s brief, spectacular life, but of his momentous and unexplained death…”, but then proceed to do just that, mostly, it seemed, to trash Hephaistion, and his role in Alexander’s life.

But that was the only problem I had with this book. Otherwise, it’s a fascination and compelling look at how Alexander’s body and crypt would be used through the ages as a means to obtain power. even once his body disappeared, anything to do with his tomb or sarcophagus, whether real or imagined, would bring fame, money, or power to its possessor.

Unfortunately, One thing it convinced me of, tthe chances of ever finding even a piece of either, or his body, are slim to none.

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

thrilling gallop through history

This book answered every question I had about sources and places. It is written in a very thrilling pace. I could t put it down!

A real must for lovers of Alexander!!

[tommie ☭ · Rating 3 out of 5]

the author’s writing was a bit scattered and often repetitive, but the narrative-style history was interesting, especially for the earlier events in history, like ptolomy i’s hijacking of alexander’s funeral hearse — that part read almost like a story. overall, not a bad read

[Besnik Vukaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago but I still remember it being a fantastic book that mixed history and narrative writing that made it read more like a novel and less like a history book.

[Olga Vannucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's here. It's there.
It's every-fucking-where,
This tomb, his tomb.

[Magdalena Mars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book. I put it in my Top 3 books about Alexander the Great.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book exploring the age old quest for the tomb of Alexander

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Alexander's Tomb" was fine: there is some good information and analysis here if you are interested in the subject (I am), and I liked the long discussion on the Sarcophagus of Nectanebo II in the British Musuem and the Sarcophagus of Alexander in the Istanbul Archeological Museum; I remember seeing both of those and both--especially the latter--are cool (even if neither were ever Alexander the Great's).
The prose is a little too dense and some of the passages have a bit too much academic jargon.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I watched the film "Cleopatra" for the first time, I was fascinated by the unique look of Alexander the Great's tomb. What story lay behind its fascinating design, to say nothing of its famous (and infamou) visitors? All my questions were answered in this fantastic book, which hits my sweet spot of being concisely written historical research, combined with enthusiastic storytelling. It's about time the mystery of Alexander's tomb was explored...and the end result shines a revealing new light on his long term legacy.

[Ckw538 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its good only in the fact that it had some information about Alexander the Great i did not know. Everything else is crap. The author brings up theories that on one hand he says may not have any shred of evidence and then goes on to use it as facts to develop the story he has put together in his poorly thought out reality.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good popular archeology-based history of Alexander the Great and his afterlife, with special attention to his tomb and mentions in literature. Sounds overly dry, but actually very engaging and easy to read. Worth the 1-2 days needed to finish.
Recommended.

[Rozonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts are boring but in general it is an excellent book about a fascinating part of the Alexander myth that began after his death: The search for his tomb.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!!!!