Rating: 
Summary: One of the best biographies of Alexander
Review: Alexander of Macedon belongs in the same pantheon of great generals which boasts such names as Hannibal, Napoleon, Lee and Wellington. Arrians' account of the exploits of the Macedonian is widely considered the most accurate biography of Alexander from antiquity. Although some of the casualty counts are suspiciously low (especially at Issus), what is not in debate is that this great man repeatedly won decisive battles in which his army was far and away outmanned.This is an important book about a very influential man in human history. Alexander was remarkable in the mercy he showed his vanquished foes. He gave his arch enemy, the Persian king Darius, an honorable military funeral. His wardrobe consisted of Persian dress & he longed for a cultural fusion between the Macedonians and Persians. He rejected the ideas of his mentor, Aristotle, that the Greeks were inherently superior in every way to all other cultures on Earth. Alexander sought to bring out the best in all nations & wished for the various races to learn from each other. Not until Caesar Augustus would the world find another leader so benevolent & magnanimous. Arrian does a great job of tracking the exploits, victories, politics and humanity of this extraordinary individual. This is a must read for all historians of antiquity as well as those curious of why the Romans posthumously anointed this man as Alexander "the Great."
Rating:
Summary: One of the best biographies of Alexander
Review: Alexander of Macedon belongs in the same pantheon of great generals which boasts such names as Hannibal, Napoleon, Lee and Wellington. Arrians' account of the exploits of the Macedonian is widely considered the most accurate biography of Alexander from antiquity. Although some of the casualty counts are suspiciously low (especially at Issus), what is not in debate is that this great man repeatedly won decisive battles in which his army was far and away outmanned. This is an important book about a very influential man in human history. Alexander was remarkable in the mercy he showed his vanquished foes. He gave his arch enemy, the Persian king Darius, an honorable military funeral. His wardrobe consisted of Persian dress & he longed for a cultural fusion between the Macedonians and Persians. He rejected the ideas of his mentor, Aristotle, that the Greeks were inherently superior in every way to all other cultures on Earth. Alexander sought to bring out the best in all nations & wished for the various races to learn from each other. Not until Caesar Augustus would the world find another leader so benevolent & magnanimous. Arrian does a great job of tracking the exploits, victories, politics and humanity of this extraordinary individual. This is a must read for all historians of antiquity as well as those curious of why the Romans posthumously anointed this man as Alexander "the Great."
Rating:
Summary: The main source on Alexander
Review: Although Arrian is not always reliable, he's what we have. He brought to together a number of sources to write this account which goes more or less linearly through all of Alexander's major battles, the rebellions, and his death. The text sometimes includes dialogue that is almost certainly made up but is also quite fun. Likewise the descriptions of the battles and the numbers of troops on each side. Arrian doesn't omit the legends either, like the 'untying' of the Gordian knot. This translation is magnificent. It is accurate and utterly readable, with minimal but effective notes. If you have great interest in Alexander this is the book to read. This is what all the historians base their accounts on and it is sure to be the basis for the upcoming films.
Rating:
Summary: The main source on Alexander
Review: Although Arrian is not always reliable, he's what we have. He brought to together a number of sources to write this account which goes more or less linearly through all of Alexander's major battles, the rebellions, and his death. The text sometimes includes dialogue that is almost certainly made up but is also quite fun. Likewise the descriptions of the battles and the numbers of troops on each side. Arrian doesn't omit the legends either, like the 'untying' of the Gordian knot. This translation is magnificent. It is accurate and utterly readable, with minimal but effective notes. If you have great interest in Alexander this is the book to read. This is what all the historians base their accounts on and it is sure to be the basis for the upcoming films.
Rating:
Summary: An unbiased account.
Review: Arrian gives us a picture of the "total" Alexander. Though he constantly praises his every virtue he never forgets to detail his faults. Slow going and a bit bewildering at first but moves to a fast paced and exciting end. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An unbiased account.
Review: Arrian gives us a picture of the "total" Alexander. Though he constantly praises his every virtue he never forgets to detail his faults. Slow going and a bit bewildering at first but moves to a fast paced and exciting end. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The True Triumph of Greek Civilization
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Arrian's account of Alexander, which I found to be lively and readable in this translation by De Selincourt. I think this book should be read in more courses on "Greek Thought and Literature" and "Western Civ." and the like, both because Arrian shows how the tradition of fine Greek historiography stayed alive well into the second century A.D., and also because his very thorough account proves to be a natural continuation of the stories told by Herodotus and Thucydides. This book completes the historical narrative of the rise of Greek civilization, so that the era of Athenian hegemony can be connected with the beginning of the Hellenistic period in the 4th century B.C. -- the true triumph Greek civilization, in my opinion. After all, if not for Alexander, would we care nearly so much about the Greeks? Alexander subdued the world from Illycrium to the Indus valley, bringing Greece to the East and the East to the Greeks. Without his conquests, the Greek language and culture would never have become so widespread or influential. He paved the way for the Romans, and ultimately, for the Christians after him. This brilliant General-King was therefore the creator of the history, not only of his own times, but also of the times which followed him. Towards the beginning of the book, Arrian laments on behalf of Alexander that this greatest conquerer of all time had yet to have his deeds written down in a manner which was suited to his magnificence. Achilles had his Homer, but Alexander's exploits remained unsung. Arrian therefore boldly and boastfully steps forward, confident that his literary talents are a match for his subject. Let the reader judge Arrian's (or De Selincourt's) poetic gifts as he may, but the story itself guarantees its greatness.
Rating:
Summary: The True Triumph of Greek Civilization
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Arrian's account of Alexander, which I found to be lively and readable in this translation by De Selincourt. I think this book should be read in more courses on "Greek Thought and Literature" and "Western Civ." and the like, both because Arrian shows how the tradition of fine Greek historiography stayed alive well into the second century A.D., and also because his very thorough account proves to be a natural continuation of the stories told by Herodotus and Thucydides. This book completes the historical narrative of the rise of Greek civilization, so that the era of Athenian hegemony can be connected with the beginning of the Hellenistic period in the 4th century B.C. -- the true triumph Greek civilization, in my opinion. After all, if not for Alexander, would we care nearly so much about the Greeks? Alexander subdued the world from Illycrium to the Indus valley, bringing Greece to the East and the East to the Greeks. Without his conquests, the Greek language and culture would never have become so widespread or influential. He paved the way for the Romans, and ultimately, for the Christians after him. This brilliant General-King was therefore the creator of the history, not only of his own times, but also of the times which followed him. Towards the beginning of the book, Arrian laments on behalf of Alexander that this greatest conquerer of all time had yet to have his deeds written down in a manner which was suited to his magnificence. Achilles had his Homer, but Alexander's exploits remained unsung. Arrian therefore boldly and boastfully steps forward, confident that his literary talents are a match for his subject. Let the reader judge Arrian's (or De Selincourt's) poetic gifts as he may, but the story itself guarantees its greatness.
Rating:
Summary: Of Myth and Men
Review: The most amazing thing that about this book is that Arrian somehow managed to rescue the man from the legend, the god from the myth and the story from the soothsayers. He intended to write a factual history of the great leader but by necessity was forced to rely on word of mouth, old stories, past recollections and hardly any authoritative manuscripts. Considering what he had to work with, the outcome is simply amazing. Like Thucydides, Herodotus and Livy, his goal was to write a factual work that was to have been definitive...and it was. The campaigns are given much attention as well as the character of Alexander. For a more scholarly and literary work I recommend Robin Lane Fox and his biography of Alexander - just stupendous.
Rating:
Summary: Of Myth and Men
Review: The most amazing thing that about this book is that Arrian somehow managed to rescue the man from the legend, the god from the myth and the story from the soothsayers. He intended to write a factual history of the great leader but by necessity was forced to rely on word of mouth, old stories, past recollections and hardly any authoritative manuscripts. Considering what he had to work with, the outcome is simply amazing. Like Thucydides, Herodotus and Livy, his goal was to write a factual work that was to have been definitive...and it was. The campaigns are given much attention as well as the character of Alexander. For a more scholarly and literary work I recommend Robin Lane Fox and his biography of Alexander - just stupendous.
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