"...a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground....And I saw him come beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his power."
I was sold on Green's book by one of the two-star reviewers.
Why does anyone study the life of Alexander the Great who died so long ago? I originally began reading about this individual because of the above quote, from Daniel 7:5, 7 (NASB) in the Bible. To understand the Bible you need to understand the times it discusses--the "ram" being the astrological sign for ancient Persia plus evidently a similar-sounding word to the nation's name in its own language.
I have read Plutarch, Fox, Renault, bits of Arrian and Curtius, Bosworth and others--and alternately been intrigued by Alexander and puzzled. Renault's Alexander (in "The Persian Boy" and "The Nature of Alexander") is kind of a likeable boy-next-door type who is "lighthearted in battle" (who wouldn't be?), "sensitive to criticism," "never turns away love" from his eunuch Persian boy whom he sees only occasionally(described by most historians in unflattering terms but not by Renault)...and remorseful over the murder of Cleitus (thus we must believe he is a decent fellow after all!).
The cavalier manner in which some authors treat the murders of boyhood friends by Alexander (during the last year(s) of his life), the brief references to mutinies or attempted mutinies, the fact that his empire broke apart so fast upon his death and that many of the Greeks resettled in Bactrian cities left for Greece ASAP once their commander was gone, and the break-up of all those "forced" Greco-Persian marriages....just doesn't speak well of what really was going on during Alexander's tumultuous and militarily successful reign.
Bosworth's notation that the armies that Alexander utilized had never before been in such a continuous state of warfare as they were during Alex the G's reign--is another reason why I was open to a book that is more clear-eyed about Alexander the Great as an individual and as a ruler/dictator/fill-in-the-word.
His successes and military genius are granted, despite some assertions (by other authors who no longer fear a death sentence from Alexander) that Philip II was the greater general. Alexander and Philip both learned from others, and Alexander built upon his father's legacy, which is not something an untalented man would have been able to do.
That two-star reviewer complained that Green was judging Alexander by 21st century standards. I know that that can be controversial, but it is also necessary to see things from our perspective as well as the perspective of the times in which they happened.
Green's research seems to be thorough, with copious endnotes and referenes. He has a witty way with words--"charges and counter-charges of bribery were hurled to and fro like so many custard pies in a farce" (p.46 pbk)--which enlivens the text. And no, I did not mind the Briticisms but welcomed and enjoyed them.
Green is thorough in his coverage, starting out with a decent recounting of Macedonian history and the history of Alexander's family before and leading up to the rise of Philip II, his father. The maps of battle layouts, routes the Macedonian army took, the descriptions of terrain--all help the reader to "see" what is going on. I could get a pretty good picture of how battles were fought by reading his accounts, in most cases.
He is also not so negative about Alexander as one might suppose. He simply sees the whole individual, not just the idealized version. If, in our day, a very decorated general also happened to go out and kill his childhood friend in a drunken brawl--and/or be linked to the deaths of political rivals (his own modern-day Parmenio, etc.)--what would our analysis of this indiviudal be? Another author suggested that post-traumatic stress disorder may have accounted for much of this--since these murders/assassinations all followed some major battlefield injury received by Alexander. This is an example of someone using 21st-century standards to defend Alexander--not to send him before the "human rights tribunal."
Whatever the root cause, these deaths and other behaviors would send an officer or general to the hospital "for evaluation" these days.
I appreciated the book's willingness to balance out some of the rhetoric about Alexander that exits elsewhere.
I will finish Arrian and Curtius, and no doubt read other accounts on Alexander. It certainly brings life to, and fleshes out, the biblical verses--which arguably were written a couple centuries before Alexander was even conceived. Green has made a great contribution to our knowledge--and to the debate over, and analysis of, this man's life.
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Wrong author pic and bio
I personally know the gentleman that wrote this book. He told me he thought I'd enjoy it. I asked him if he'd sign it if I purchased it. Well looking for it I noticed the author and bio are wrong. I made darn sure he wrote it. I even made another friend of his back this claim up. I was very happy the dust cover had the correct information on it. I did get my autograph. The gentleman is 98 years old. He will be 99 in December and I've learned so much from him. I can't wait to dive into this book!
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Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2011
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2023
I personally know the gentleman that wrote this book. He told me he thought I'd enjoy it. I asked him if he'd sign it if I purchased it. Well looking for it I noticed the author and bio are wrong. I made darn sure he wrote it. I even made another friend of his back this claim up. I was very happy the dust cover had the correct information on it. I did get my autograph. The gentleman is 98 years old. He will be 99 in December and I've learned so much from him. I can't wait to dive into this book!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2023
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Top reviews from other countries
Kusal
An outstanding book. Green's perspective combines unemotional history with ...
Reviewed in India on February 21, 2017Louise Dai
A great book to learn about the legendary king
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2015