At the youthful age of nineteen, alexander becomes king of macedonia after his fathers death. Reprinted by canon press, these biographies have been edited and brought uptodate for readers twelve and up. In historian plutarchs book lives of the noble greeks and romans, plutarch. Having completed these efforts, he again looked east with the goal of toppling darius iiis persian empire. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. Oct 23, 2019 having beaten the persians at issus in 333 bc, alexander the great moved to secure his hold on syria, the mediterranean coast, and egypt. A book about alexander the great, whose leadership and strategic genius made him one of historys greatest empire builders, and who has since influenced and inspired a great number of people from different fields business, politics, military. Decisive battle between alexander the great and persian empire led by darius codomannus, near the village of gaugamela. Oct 23, 2018 alexander the great alexander iii of macedon, was a military genius who changed the nature of the ancient world and he did it in little more than a decade. Surprising facts about alexander the great historyextra. Everything from his complex personality and his sexual life to his military and logistical tactics have been analyzed by historians. He wanted the persians to destroy the land in front of alexander, which he hoped would force alexanders army to starve, and then to turn back.
Alexander the greats military tactics and strategies are still studied in military academies today. And so it goes for alexander the great, the next in the line of my warrior poet profiles to check out other warrior poet profiles, check out my youtube page. Alexander the great is one of the most famous men in history, and many believe he was the greatest military genius of all time julius caesar. Alexander could be petty and magnanimous, cruel and merciful, impulsive and farsighted. In the first authoritative biography of alexander the great written for a general audience in a generation, classicist and historian philip freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror. It continues to be one of the best books written on alexander the great, his incredible conquests, his eventual downfall, and the aftermath of his death. The spectacular career of alexander the great represented a watershed in military history. Alexander the great by philip freeman, paperback barnes. From his first victory at age 18, alexander gained a reputation of leading his men to battle. Alexander the great was in the pella region of macedonia on july 20, 356 b. One of alexander the greats favorite tactics was the use of the macedonian. Created by robin waterfield, this book goes into details on the empire stretching conqueror that was alexander the great. The army of alexander the great ancient history encyclopedia.
Alexander the great military strategy how alexander. His parents were philip ii of macedon and his wife olympias. In it i turned in some detail to the strategy of alexander, to his tactics of warfare, including the battle at gaugamela. Alexander the great military strategy how alexander never.
You can also find a more indepth study of him in john gunthers book alexander the great, which students can read in the extension package for. The celebrated macedonian king has been one of the most enduring figures in history. Aug 29, 2018 alexander the great can be encountered in several of heart of dakotas guides. Alexander the great and the logistics of the macedonian army. Alexander the great was an ancient macedonian ruler and one of historys greatest military minds who, as king of macedonia and persia, established the. You can also find a more indepth study of him in john gunthers book alexander the great, which students can read in the extension package for creation. The conquests of alexander also spread hellenistic culture throughout the middle east and asia. His influence on future military leadership and tactics 2411 words 10 pages great men have lived on the face of the earth and left marks of their prowess and legacy that men of the present and even the future find it hard to emulate. Alexander was a military strategist of rare talent, defeating larger armies by brilliantly analyzing their deployments and seizing the initiative with aggression and deceptive tactics. Some aspect that is often forgotten is that victory on the battlefield requires well supplied troops. C during his time of leadership, he united greece, reestablished the corinthian league and conquered the persian empire.
What are some of alexander the greats military tactics. In his lively and authoritative biography of alexander, classical scholar and historian philip freeman describes alexander s astonishing achievements and provides insight into the mercurial character of the great conqueror. Check out this playlist to learn more about the warfare of the ancient greeks. Email citation written by the leading expert on the topic, this book is arguably the best account of alexanders history to date. During his time of leadership, he united greece, reestablished the corinthian league and conquered the persian empire. A rousing biography that shows how to put the tactics and insights of historys greatest conqueror to work for you. Nov 19, 2014 alexander the great celebrates and mass marriage in susa, persia. By turns heroic and calculating, compassionate and utterly merciless, alexander recounts with a warriors unflinching eye for detail the blood. The new soldier was a hoplite, named for the hoplon, his shield. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. His army, his battles, his enemies is an essential companion for any reader interested in his military campaigns and why he is still regarded as one of the worlds greatest military leaders. His book focuses on alexanders ambition and his military campaigns. The battle tactics of alexander the great kathleen d.
Aug 29, 2018 alexander the greats military tactics and strategies are still studied in military academies today. Upon the assassination of philip, alexander rises to. Richard stoneman is the worlds leading expert on the legends written about alexander the great. Bookprinted material a young macedonian in the army of alexander the great. This book will be of great interest to students of strategic studies, military. The army of alexander the great hardback pen and sword books. Alexander the great and the logistics of the macedonian. The author of several previous books including alexander the great, st. Alexander the great has always been a point of interest for me, and this book only made that interest grow. Alexander was arguably the greatest military commander ev. What of alexander the greats military tactics are still. The richly illustrative and authoritative alexander the great at war examines alexanders campaigns in detail. Robin lane fox did a fantastic job in writing this book and working through the mountain of information legend and otherwise that surrounds alexander the great. Alexander, as many others, needed the support of his welltrained army in his conquests.
This book is part of a biography series by brothers jacob and john abbott first published in 1876 with a few updates and revisions. Alexander the great i liked how the book explained alexanders life and his war tactics. The wars of alexander the great were fought by king alexander iii of macedon the great. Throughout the ages, alexander the great has been celebrated for building an empire that spanned from greece to india by the time he was thirtythree. In this video, we will explain how the armies of alexander the great and philip traveled and were supplied. Alexander the great book by philip freeman official. What is a good first book to read about alexander the great. In addition to describing the asian expedition, the book examines key aspects of alexanders reign and campaign. To publish, with limited revisions my honours thesis on the battle tactics of alexander the great. More fully title is historiarum alexandri magni macedonis libri qui supersunt, all the books that survive of the histories of alexander the great of macedon. He was helped enormously by the disciplined army that his late father and victim. In my opinion the book does a very solid job presenting alexander the great and the use of his strategy. In this splendid book he has traced those myths across cultures and through time.
His victories and the tactics that ensured them are explained and described with the help of maps, illustrations and reconstructions to bring the epic career of one of the worlds greatest generals to life. The original work concentrated on the combat capabilities of alexander s units and the major battles. There were good descriptions on how alexander took control and conquered the world. Jul 09, 2019 alexander the great served as king of macedonia from 336 to 323 b. The book begins by outlining the basics concerning how to move an army in the ancient world and the difficulties of keeping a large army supplied as it moves along a campaign. Lessons from the great empire builder bose, partha on. Logistics of alexander the great in his campaign youtube. Alexander the great served as king of macedonia from 336 to 323 b. Overlook press, 2004 paul cartledge is one of the foremost experts on ancient greece. Alexander the great classics oxford bibliographies.
This book has a lot of historical character names and place names. Alexander and the logistics of the macedonian army is an excellent work on the often under appreciated, yet critically vital, aspect of warfare. Alexander the greats art of strategy the timeless lessons of historys greatest empire builder. Alexander the great ebook written by philip freeman. Perfecting new weapons and tactics pioneered by king philip, the young alexander led his forces into asia, conquering the persian empire and. He adopted already established strategy and tactics and combined it with bold manoeuvres tweaked with a few clever innovations. Patrick of ireland and julius caesar, he lives with his family in decorah, iowa. They were easily stuck in the ground, allowed to attack with several ranks and protected soldiers from arrows when everybody got their spear toward the. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read alexander the great. This is one of the more popular books on alexander and has been translated into a number of languages. Alexander the great is part of makers of history, a 19th century biography series by two brothersjacob and john s. For additional protection he wore a helmet most often the corinthian style, covering most of his face except for a tshaped opening that exposed his eyes, nose and mouth unfortunately, it did not allow for peripheral vision. Philip ii, alexander the great and the rise and fall of the macedonian empire, new york.
Historiae alexandri magni is a biography of alexander the great written by roman historian quintus curtius rufus, dating to the 1st century. American gallery following the orchestrated marriages at susa, alexander commenced to integrate outsiders into his macedonian army, specifically some 30,000 persian youth. Its also a very informative book as it tells you about history. Angus mcbride is one of ospreys most popular illustrators, and has contributed to over 90 osprey books.
Much of what he used isnt applicable today because of h. Dividing the spoils is a novel about alexander the great empire including experts on ancient warfare and civilization. Still occupied in thrace, he ordered alexander to muster an army for a campaign in southern greece. Alexander the great 356323 bc, son of philip of macedonia, died at age 32. Cyrus ii of persia and join the conversation on facebook. Details of book in the first authoritative biography of alexander the great written for a general audience in a generation, classicist and historian philip freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror. Philip would replace this with a phrygian helmet that allowed for better hearing and visibility. Which are the best books to read about alexander the great. I didnt like the start of the book but it got better nearer the end because of all the fighting. Wrightson, g, the nature of command in the macedonian sarissa. One of the strentghs of the book is the relative ease to which you can cover the material. Popular alexander the great books goodreads share book. There were awesome descriptions of hephastion and alexander.
Lessons from the great empire builder main by bose, partha isbn. Jan 04, 2011 in the first authoritative biography of alexander the great written for a general audience in a generation, classicist and historian philip freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror. Mar 11, 2017 in his lively and authoritative biography of alexander, classical scholar and historian philip freeman describes alexanders astonishing achievements and provides insight into the mercurial character of the great conqueror. In alexander the great s art of strategy, partha bose, one of the worlds leading experts on business strategy, gives fresh insight into alexander s leadership and legacy, and shows how you can use the secrets of his success to conquer todays challenges, as. Jan 11, 2016 alexander the great is well known for his tactics on the battlefield. Creating a top ten list for books on alexander the great is not easy, since few ancient historical figures have been written about as much. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. You can find him in little hearts, preparing hearts, creation to christ, world geography, and world history. Alexander was born in pella, the ancient capital of macedonia in july 356 bc. After the assassination of his father, king philip ii, alexander took command of a newly united kingdom that combined the military might of macedonia and greece. The richly illustrative and authoritative alexander the great at war examines alexander s campaigns in detail. A young macedonian in the army of alexander the great, library of. Alexander the great was best known though for his unsurpassed gifting as a tactician.
Alexander the great this book offers a strategic analysis of one of the most outstanding military careers in history, identifying the most pertinent strategic lessons from the campaigns of alexander the great. In 2003 i published a short book about alexander the great in armenian. At the beginning of the virtues of war, alexander the great is still a young man under the tutelage of his father, philip. David lonsdale argues that since the core principles of strategy are eternal. Possibly the most famous commander in history, alexander the great. When history assigns the words the great after your name, it is usually for good reason. Alexander the great didnt really have any exclusive tactics.
The battle tactics of alexander the great kathleen d toohey. His army his battles his enemies general military reprint by ruth sheppard isbn. Alexander, of macedon, commonly called the great born 356 bc, was the son of philip, king of macedon, and of olympias, daughter of neoptolemos, an epeirote king. Alexander s childhood and youth beginning of his reign the reaction crossing the hellespont campaign in asia minor defeat of darius the siege of tyre alexander in egypt the great victory the death of darius deterioration of character alexander s end. The style is engaging, and the king resembles a homeric hero more in line with droysen than with beloch or bosworth. Alexander the great is one of the latest, most updated, and contemporary books on the life of the ancient, macedonian king, who would extend his empire from a little slide of land in greece through persia, egypt, all the way to india, forming the greatest empire the ancient world had ever seen.
A book about alexander the great, whose leadership and strategic genius made. It was common for him to be outmatched in men, resources, and technology while fighting on a field that had been prepared in advance by the enemy for his slaughter despite all this, alexander was able to see the battlefield as a grandmaster may look on a chess board. No commander can win a battle, let alone a war by himself. Although alexander is not mentioned by name in the canonical scriptures, in da he is designated by a transparent symbol 8. Im gonna be a badass and bypass arrians bio of alexander s persan expedition and recommend stephen pressfields historical fiction novels the virtues of war. They were easily stuck in the ground, allowed to attack with several ranks and protected soldiers from arrows when everybody got their spear toward the sky. Apr 18, 2017 decisive battle between alexander the great and persian empire led by darius codomannus, near the village of gaugamela. Macedonia and greece in late classical and early hellenistic times, pp. Alexander the great military strategy how alexander never lost a battle in 15 years large part of alexanders success was his army. Alexander the great can be encountered in several of heart of dakotas guides. Stonemans purpose is not to write another biography of the historical alexander, but to explore the legends of alexander written after his death.
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