Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

Some members of this group, myself included, would love a good book focused on this legendary conqueror. Currently, I have Steven Pressfield's Virtues of War in my sights, which is written from Alexander's perspective. Also, his The Afghan Campaign features Alexander.

Any other "must-reads" that you guys would recommend?

This is what we have so far:

Fiction



Non-fiction

Does it have to be fiction?
There are some great non fiction.

Terri wrote: "Does it have to be fiction?
There are some great non fiction."

I would love to see both fiction and non-fiction recommendations.

ib.

Me too.

I forgot to mention work by Christian Cameron. He's produced the Tyrant series, which is set in the time of Alexander the Great. I'm not sure how Alexander is featured in this series ... I do know that Alexander assumes the role of a villain as seen from the points of view of the main characters. I started collecting, but I am waiting for the series to complete before delving into it.

However, most relevant to this topic is his upcoming title God of War: The Story of Alexander the Great, due out sometime in early 2012.

I'll keep a list of recommendations at the top of this thread, for ease of access.

ib.

This list of books (to the right Nook) is wonderful! Thank you.

Alrightee, let me throw some non fiction out there.
Some I want to read, some I have read and some that came highly recommended by people in the know. :)

Both these are dealing with the death of Alexander and the fallout afterwards;


I am very keen to read Dividing the Spoils, I have to find it first. My library doesn't have it and I plan on asking them to do an exchange (get it in from another library in Australia - which they are always happy to do..nice library ladies..:)..).

Then these on the man;

Terri wrote: "Alrightee, let me throw some non fiction out there.
Some I want to read, some I have read and some that came highly recommended by people in the know. :)

Both these are dealing with the death of A..."

Mary Renault, Alexander the Greatl
Made that note for my purposes. Thanks.

And thank you again!

rat wrote: "Has anybody mentioned Mary Renault's Alexander novels at all?

There are three of them, and they're particular favourites of mine :)"

Thanks! The series sounds intriguing ... I've added it to my reading list.

ib.

Ireney wrote: "rat wrote: "Has anybody mentioned Mary Renault's Alexander novels at all?

There are three of them, and they're particular favourites of mine :)"

Thanks! The series sounds intriguing ... I've add..."

Ireney wrote: "rat wrote: "Has anybody mentioned Mary Renault's Alexander novels at all?

There are three of them, and they're particular favourites of mine :)"

Thanks! The series sounds intriguing ... I've add..."

Ireney wrote: "rat wrote: "Has anybody mentioned Mary Renault's Alexander novels at all?

There are three of them, and they're particular favourites of mine :)"

Thanks! The series sounds intriguing ... I've add..."

COS: Ireney, Where do I go to find books I have listed with the KA group. I thought if I wrote one review on a book and showed that book onKKA shelves then the review would follow along with all the other info. I'm not in a hurry for a.reply..at your convenience if you have the time. I don't want to send you a mushy love story review. Thanks.

Linda wrote: "Ireney wrote: "rat wrote: "Has anybody mentioned Mary Renault's Alexander novels at all?

There are three of them, and they're particular favourites of mine :)"

Thanks! The series sounds intrigui..."

I checked B&N for Mary Renault's books. They had nothing like we are talking about. I believe her writing heyday was turn of 19th-20th century, correct me if I am wrong. I will check other sources and let you know what I find. Goodreads and I had a little misunderstanding earlier today. So if you don't hear from me ....

I see that Amazon.com has a few copies left in paperback.

Ireney wrote: "I see that Amazon.com has a few copies left in paperback."

Ireney wrote: "I see that Amazon.com has a few copies left in paperback."

Ireney wrote: "I see that Amazon.com has a few copies left in paperback."
Tips I, again. Mary Renault was born first half 20th century, so she is not the turn of the century I was thinking of. I googled for ebooks. They are out there and for a reasonable price. I have been a pain in every bodies KA today. It must be in the air. Opposing football head coaches went at each other today. People trying to pull them apart. One tried run off a little distance between them but the other took off after him. It was a hoot.


Ireney wrote: "I see that Amazon.com has a few copies left in paperback."

Linda wrote: "I checked B&N for Mary Renault's books. They had nothing like we are talking about. I believe her writing heyday was turn of 19th-20th century, correct me if I am wrong. I will check other sourc..."

While importing my wish list from Amazon.com, I just stumbled on Empire of Ashes: A Novel of Alexander the Great by Nicholas Nicastro, who wrote another book in my list ... sounds alright ... another book to consider.



ib.

That does sound intriguing. :)

Cannot find EMPIRE OF ASHES...by Nicholas Nicastro in ebook aisle.

Oooh ... and another one ... this is a 3 book series. Going through my decade old Amazon wish lists, and authors contained within, appears to have resulted in a windfall! >8)

This series is written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, who is an Italian writer. The series was published in thirty-six languages in fifty-five countries! How is that for awesome.



ib.

Linda wrote: "Cannot find EMPIRE OF ASHES...by Nicholas Nicastro in ebook aisle."

Maybe it will eventually become available for the Nook ... Amazon is selling the Kindle version for a measly $5.99. Have you ever considered making a switch to this superior reading device, and bookseller? >8)

ib.

*snort* don't listen to him Linda.
lol


Just about to log off for a while, shall check out your Alexander book links later today, ib.

I have never considered anything in my life. I have a husband and two sons. They probably tried out every reading device available until choosing the Nook. I had no idea such things even existed until they gave me my Nook last Christmas. Is the Kindle really that much better? Most of my Goodreads Friends mention Amazon more than B&N. I am laughing at myself for being a pushover. But, when it really matters, I have my ways of getting my way by letting my men think my way was their own idea. Now you know my womanly secret. Don't tell anyone. You are just the best friend ever

I already did Terri. Too late. Still lol.

Checked on Mary Renault at Archive place. I forgot what I found there.
I did find Marshall Monroe's THE KING: A ROMANCE OF THE COURT AND CAMP OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT printed in early 1900's. It does appear readable.

"Fire From Heaven" and "The Persian Boy" are absolutely fantastic reads on Alexander the Great. They are two of my favorite Greek historical novels. Frankly, I didn't care much for "The Funeral Games" which is set after Alexander's death.

Pulling out my first edition hardcopy of "Fire From Heaven" (*smile*) I see it was published in 1969. Her expertise on things Greek was amazing although, of course, strictly speaking Alexander was not Greek but Macedonian.

Unfortunately I don't think any of her novels have been converted to ebook format which is a huge pity. She wrote other amazing novels set in Greece. My favorite is other than her Alexander ones is "The Mask of Apollo".

Edit: By the way, although it didn't win, Fire From Heaven was nominated for the Man Booker Award. If you object to a depiction of Alexander as having a sexual relationship with a man, it's not for you.

Dean wrote: "FYI: All Three books are on Epub format at least. I just got them from a friend as a gift. He figured my hardbound copies were worn out."

Hi ya Dean,
Do you mean the three books mentioned in the first paragraph of J.R.'s post?

The Persian Boy
I read this book on my Nook and wrote a review. J.R., I agree with you about THE PERSIAN BOY. I have not read the other book you mentioned. Dean, are any of the books you mentioned lendable? I have not used that feature and would like to try it. *Did you hear that sound? Sounds like a stampede of people rushing away from even the thought of lending anything to me via cyberspace! (Is cyberspace the correct term?) Lol everybody.

Couldn't cut you from the herd. ):

Hi Dean,
Thanks for that. :-) I thought it may be those three, but wasn't sure.

I'm salivating over these. I own most of these books but am yet to come to them on my to-read pile. I'm big into the Hellenistic era - it's my specialism in fact.

Another kindred spirit for most people in this group. I large percentage of us have shelves full of unread books that we never get to. :)
I don't think I have one Alexander the Great fiction unread on my shelves. But the public library has lots. lol

I think I know who you're talking about. I forget her name though, but I'm sure I've read her articles.

Who is she?

That's the one. I read her article in "Reactions to Oliver Stone's Alexander", and then I noted she mentioned a website in that article so I read through her website too.

At the all girl Baptist College I attended the joke was that Comparative religion was a study of the differences between Methodists and Baptists.

Isis wrote: "That's the one. I read her article in "Reactions to Oliver Stone's Alexander", and then I noted she mentioned a website in that article so I read through her website too."

What were the reactions to Oliver Stone's Alexander by those specialists in that field?
I hear it was not good.

Terri wrote: "What were the reactions to Oliver Stone's Alexander by those specialists in that field?
I hear it was not good."

Mostly they say that they wanted the film to be more detailed on this point or that point, in order to be more authentic. However, they also point out the constraints on the film and utterly destroy the popular critics' nonsensical criticisms of the film.

I always wanted to study Native American history but my university didn't have any modules on that at all. Pity.

Many 'watchers' of the movie condemned it because Alexander was portrayed as bi sexual. This irritates me because people want a Alexander portrayal to fulfill their impression of him as a strong hetero male...apparently it is a 'bad' thing that Alexander the Great was bi sexual...I am not sure why...but there you have it.

Terri wrote: "Many 'watchers' of the movie condemned it because Alexander was portrayed as bi sexual..."

I think that was a standard 'orientation' at that time, but a lot of people don't know period. Mary Renault handled it very well in her books. There's one - I forget the name - where a man who is now a grandfather tells about his life. Not unconscionable.

The review I liked the most (of Stone's movie, that is) is the one tht says, generally, "You think of Alexander and the words 'conqueror', 'warrior', 'courageous' come to mind. But Stone's movie gives us 'crybaby'..." They objected to the acting, not the orientation.

Firstly - do we really know anyway, what sexual orientation Alexander was? And shouldn't that not affect our judgement of him as a person?

Secondly - just my opinion, but I think he was pan-sexual. But they didn't think that way back then. Orientation wasn't really deemed important; only dominance and nobility over submission and excess.

The film was indeed slammed in America in large part due to the ambiguous portrayal. The book, "Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander" has a lot of discussion of this. The film also had the misfortune to come out shortly after a big vote in the USA against gay marriage, and there was an attempted suing by a group that hadn't seen the film but felt the depiction was wrong - a suit which was widespread in US media, but was later dropped due to lack of grounds, a fact which was NOT reported in the US media. Anyways, the book has more. I recommend reading it.

Diana wrote: "

I think that was a standard 'orientation' at that time, but a lot of people don't know peri..."

Yes, I agree, it was a standard orientation for the times. I know people that read a lot of non fiction and I mention he was in love with his childhood friend and they say...never! Alexander was hetero! It baffles me that supposedly learned people can find the idea so alien. An idea that I thought was common knowledge.

I also agree with reviewers that say Alexander came off as a crybaby in the movie. I didn't find him to be the enigmatic creature I think of him as.

Isis wrote: "Firstly - do we really know anyway, what sexual orientation Alexander was? And shouldn't that not affect our judgement of him as a person?

Secondly - just my opinion, but I think he was pan-sexual..."

Well, I guess my honest opinion would be no. :-)
I don't think his sexual orientation should affect our judgement of him as a person. I would expound on that..but it is late-ish here and I am just logging off to go to sleep.

Anyone interested in Alexander the Great and who hasn't yet read the book on him by Steve Pressfield, throughout August 2012 we are doing a group read of this book.
There is also a 44 minute long documentary video on him in the groups videos for you to watch.
VIDEO
http://www.goodreads.com/videos/27615...
DISCUSSION THREAD
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9...

Please feel free to discuss the book in the group read discussion thread even if you have read the book before. And also, long after August 2012 has been and gone, please feel free to comment about the book in that same discussion thread. The group read may finish the end of August, but the discussion doesn't ever end...

I started reading The Campaigns of Alexander by Arrian.

Laurentiu wrote: "I started reading The Campaigns of Alexander by Arrian."

How dry is it, Laurentiu?

I started the book this Monday.

Well, having in mind the fact that it's written so long ago, also my first book of this type (I've always been fascinated by Alexander the Great and for a while I wanted to buy a book about him, finally settling with this version of his campaigns and life) I can't really decide on it. Just that so far I enjoy it.

Why I chose this book? Because I considered that writing a book approximately 400 years after his death with so many manuscripts and sources in his hands ( I believe he had many, that later on vanished or were destroyed ) gave him perspective and opportunity that other writers can't have nowadays. (read in the introduction of the book that he used as main sources the works of Ptolemy and Aristobulus )

I like the fact that this edition has footnotes and doesn't seem such a hard read.(I am reading it in English,not in my native language) All the events are so thoroughly described, that creates the impression that Arrian was there, as a witness (I've finished only book one (aprox.50-60 pages I think, basically the start of his long campaign). I believe this book needs a slow read so that you comprehend everything as best as possible.

I'll post a review after I read it. It might take me a month,beginning of September, since I am currently engaged in an exam session ( studying for exams ) and beside that I am also reading some fiction books.

This one - Alexander at the World's End - might be out of left field but I like 'em different and I've ordered it. The author writes as both Tom Holt and Thomas Holt, which can confuse.

That does sound different. Funny cover too. :-) What IS that dude doing with a snake in his amphorae?

One more book, Alexander: The God by Maurice Druon, here is version of the book on goodreads , here is the book cover from amazon: