Alexander The Great A Battle For Truth Fiction

Author : David Grant
Publisher : Pen and Sword Military
Page : 454 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2022-06-02
Category : History
ISBN : 9781399094726

Get Book

Alexander the Great, a Battle for Truth & Fiction by David Grant Pdf

Most of what we ‘know’ about Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) comes from the pages of much later historians, writing 300 years or more after these events. But these Roman-era writers drew on the accounts of earlier authors who were contemporary with Alexander, some of whom took part in the momentous events they described. David Grant examines the fragments of these earlier eyewitness testimonies which are preserved as undercurrents in the later works. He traces their influence and monopoly of the ‘truth’ and spotlights their manipulation of events to reveal how the Wars of the Successors shaped the agendas of these writers. It becomes clear that Alexander’s courtiers were no-less ambitious than than their king and wanted to showcase their role in the epic conquest of the Persian Empire to enhance their credibility and legitimacy in their own quests for power. In particular, Grant reveals why reports of the dying king’s last wishes conflict, and he explains why testimony relegated to ‘romance’ may house credible grains of truth. The author also skillfully explains how manuscripts became further corrupted in their journey from the ancient world to the modern day. In summary, this work by a recognized expert on the period highlights why legacy of Alexander is built on very shaky foundations.

Author : A. B. Bosworth,Elizabeth Baynham
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 388 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : History
ISBN : 0199252750

Get Book

Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction by A. B. Bosworth,Elizabeth Baynham Pdf

Ten essays from a symposium held at Newcastle University in 1997, which examine the general themes of kingship and imperialism by focusing on the romances that surround Alexander.

Author : Steven Pressfield
Publisher : Bantam
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2005-09-27
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780553902006

Get Book

The Virtues of War by Steven Pressfield Pdf

I have always been a soldier. I have known no other life. So begins Alexander’s extraordinary confession on the eve of his greatest crisis of leadership. By turns heroic and calculating, compassionate and utterly merciless, Alexander recounts with a warrior’s unflinching eye for detail the blood, the terror, and the tactics of his greatest battlefield victories. Whether surviving his father’s brutal assassination, presiding over a massacre, or weeping at the death of a beloved comrade-in-arms, Alexander never denies the hard realities of the code by which he lives: the virtues of war. But as much as he was feared by his enemies, he was loved and revered by his friends, his generals, and the men who followed him into battle. Often outnumbered, never outfought, Alexander conquered every enemy the world stood against him–but the one he never saw coming. . . . BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Steven Pressfield's The Profession.

Author : Philip Freeman
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 418 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2011-10-18
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781416592815

Get Book

Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman Pdf

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. The celebrated Macedonian king has been one of the most enduring figures in history. He was a general of such skill and renown that for two thousand years other great leaders studied his strategy and tactics, from Hannibal to Napoleon, with countless more in between. He flashed across the sky of history like a comet, glowing brightly and burning out quickly: crowned at age nineteen, dead by thirty-two. He established the greatest empire of the ancient world; Greek coins and statues are found as far east as Afghanistan. Our interest in him has never faded. Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle, Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the Persian empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan and the plains of India. Alexander spent nearly all his adult life away from his homeland, and he and his men helped spread the Greek language throughout western Asia, where it would become the lingua franca of the ancient world. Within a short time after Alexander’s death in Baghdad, his empire began to fracture. Best known among his successors are the Ptolemies of Egypt, whose empire lasted until Cleopatra. 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. Alexander could be petty and magnanimous, cruel and merciful, impulsive and farsighted. Above all, he was ferociously, intensely competitive and could not tolerate losing—which he rarely did. As Freeman explains, without Alexander, the influence of Greece on the ancient world would surely not have been as great as it was, even if his motivation was not to spread Greek culture for beneficial purposes but instead to unify his empire. Only a handful of people have influenced history as Alexander did, which is why he continues to fascinate us.

Author : Christian Cameron
Publisher : Orion
Page : 1027 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2013-02-21
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781409146414

Get Book

Alexander by Christian Cameron Pdf

The ultimate historical adventure novel: the life of Alexander the Great in a single, epic volume. To many he was a god. To others he was a monster. The truth is even more extraordinary. As a boy, Alexander dreamed of matching the heroic feats of Achilles. At eighteen he led the Macedonian cavalry to a stunning victory against the Greeks. By twenty-five he had crushed the Persians in three monumental battles and was the master of the greatest empire the world had ever seen. Men began to call him a god. But behind the legend was another, more complex story. Narrated by his boyhood friend Ptolemy, this is the story of Alexander as you have never heard it before: raw, intimate, thrilling - a story of extraordinary daring and unimaginable endurance; of wanton destruction and murderous intrigue - the epic tragedy of a man who aimed to be more than human.

Author : David Grant
Publisher : Pen and Sword Military
Page : 525 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2021-09-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9781526771278

Get Book

The Last Will and Testament of Alexander the Great by David Grant Pdf

A re-assessment of Alexander the Great's death, exposing a conspiracy by Alexander's generals after his death to undermine his empire. Alexander the Great conquered the largest empire the world had ever seen while still in his twenties but fell fatally ill in Babylon before reaching 33 years old. His wife Roxanne was still pregnant with what would be his only legitimate son, so there was no clear-cut heir. The surviving accounts of his dying days differ on crucial detail, with the most popular version claiming Alexander uttered ‘to the strongest’ when asked to nominate a successor on his deathbed. Decades of ‘civil war’ ensued as Alexander’s hard-won empire was torn asunder by generals in the bloody ‘funeral games’ his alleged final words heralded in. The fighting for supremacy inevitably led to the extermination of his bloodline. But was Alexander really so short-sighted and irresponsible? Finally, after 2,340 years, the mystery is unravelled. In a forensic first, David Grant presents a compelling case for what he terms the ‘greatest succession cover up of all time’. Alexander’s lost Last Will and Testament is given new credibility and Grant deciphers events that led to its erasure from history by the generals who wanted to carve up the empire for themselves.

Author : Jacob Abbott
Publisher : Litres
Page : 223 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2021-12-02
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9785040620418

Get Book

Alexander the Great by Jacob Abbott Pdf

Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military commanders in history, and was undefeated in battle. By the time of his death, he had conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks. Alexander the Great is one of many biographies written by Jacob Abbott. The biographies are written in such a way that makes them appealing and easily accessible to everyone.

Author : Kathryn Waterfield,Robin Waterfield,Who HQ
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 112 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2016-06-07
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 9780451532732

Get Book

Who Was Alexander the Great? by Kathryn Waterfield,Robin Waterfield,Who HQ Pdf

Alexander the Great conquers the New York Times best-selling Who Was...? series! When Alexander was a boy in ancient Macedon, he already had grand ambitions. He complained that his father, the great king of Macedon, wasn't leaving anything for him to conquer! This, of course, was not the case. King Alexander went on to control most of the known world of the time. His victories won him many supporters, but they also earned him enemies. This easy-to-read biography offers a fascinating look at the life of Alexander and the world he lived in.

Author : Mary Renault
Publisher : Virago
Page : 468 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2014-08-07
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781405526203

Get Book

Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault Pdf

'The Alexander Trilogy contains some of Renault's finest writing. Lyrical, wise, compelling: the novels are a wonderful imaginative feat' SARAH WATERS 'The Alexandriad is one of the twentieth century's most unexpectedly original works of art' GORE VIDAL In the first novel of her stunning trilogy, Mary Renault vividly imagines the life of Alexander the Great, the charismatic leader whose drive and ambition created a legend. Alexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations. Killing his first man in battle at the age of twelve, he became regent at sixteen and commander of Macedon's cavalry at eighteen, so that by the time his father was murdered, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition. Shortlisted for the 1970 Lost Booker Prize 'This is not just a novel: it's also the best imagining we are ever likely to have of a man who tore up history. The language may seem a bit florid at first - a little too "historical novel" - but set all snobbery aside: this is wonderful, scholarly, top-flight stuff' - Emily Wilson, Guardian 'The Alexander Trilogy stands as one of the most important works of fiction in the 20th century . . . it represents the pinnacle of [Renault's] career . . . Renault's skill is in immersing us in their world, drawing us into its strangeness, its violence and beauty. It's a literary conjuring trick like all historical fiction - it can only ever be an approximation of the truth. But in Renault's hands, the trick is so convincing and passionately conjured' - Antonia Senior, The Times

Author : Alfred John Church
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 380 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 1890
Category : Fiction
ISBN : IND:32000001872912

Get Book

A Young Macedonian in the Army of Alexander the Great by Alfred John Church Pdf

This riveting historical fiction depicts a soldier in Alexander the Great's army, and was written using the authentic Macedonian letters discussing Alexander's conquests across Asia. We join the young Charidemus as he competes in a race around Olympia. Athletic and determined by nature, we find the young man ostracized by the Greek establishment owing to his origins in Macedonia - a territory which, in centuries past, was considered an uncivilized and barbaric province north of the Hellenic League. Such stigma, though troublesome, does not dent the courage of our hero, who grows ever-stronger and is recruited into the army of a young general named Alexander. After completing an initial tour, Charidemus is chosen as one of the 40,000 men to embark with Alexander on his epic conquest of Asia's uncharted lands. With vivid battle scenes, exotic descriptions of far-flung ancient cities and landscapes, flowing dialogue between the warriors, and an attentiveness to historic accuracy, A Young Macedonian is an underrated classic of ancient historical fiction. Alfred John Church was a renowned scholar of classics who studied and taught in universities in London and wider England. An able translator of Greek and Latin, he produced several new editions of ancient works, particularly letters and biographic material.

Author : Dominic Sandbrook
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 219 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2021-11-04
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
ISBN : 9780241469750

Get Book

Adventures in Time: Alexander the Great by Dominic Sandbrook Pdf

Take a journey to a vanished world with the ADVENTURES IN TIME series - stories so exciting you won't believe they're all true 'His mind was clear. It was time to go east. Time to march into Asia, to confront the Persians and to meet his destiny...' Alexander has one, wild dream: to rule the world. And with his childhood friends and his beloved horse Bucephalas, he sets out from his home in Ancient Greece to do just that. With historian Dominic Sandbrook as our guide, join Alexander on his incredible journey through the deserts of Egypt and over the snow-capped mountains of Persia all the way to India, defeating all who stand in his way. For anything is possible with the help of the gods... The Adventures in Time series brings the past alive for twenty-first century children. These stories are every bit as exciting as those of Harry Potter or Matilda Wormwood. The only difference is they actually happened...

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Action and adventure films
ISBN : OCLC:949704308

Get Book

Alexander the Great by Anonim Pdf

Author : Alexander Geiger
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 462 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2019-04-15
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 0989258467

Get Book

Conquest of Persia by Alexander Geiger Pdf

A seemingly hopeless quest for glory turns into a life-and-death struggle for empire. The Oracle at Delphi dubbed him Invincible Alexander. He does his best to live up to Pythia's prophesy, much to the chagrin of his bitter adversary - the powerful and ruthless Emperor Darius III of Persia. As recounted by Ptolemaios, Alexander's long-time bodyguard and friend, Alexander careens from hopeless battle to desperate siege, somehow managing to emerge victorious each time. Accompanied by the beautiful and independent-minded Barsine, Alexander the Great leads his troops into Egypt and is crowned Pharaoh. Yet, he's plagued by doubt. He decides to cross the Sahara, escorted only by his personal bodyguard, in search of divine sanction. Hearing himself proclaimed a demigod, Alexander returns, more determined than ever to fulfill his destiny. With each military victory, his appetite for further conquest grows. His next objective is the throne of the Persian Empire itself. The only obstacle in his way is the current occupant of that throne. In the meantime, Darius has not been standing idly by. Exploiting the almost limitless resources of Persia, he builds his greatest fighting machine yet. An epic showdown is inevitable. The victor can look forward to the carnal and sybaritic pleasures of Babylon, the treasures of Susa, the palaces of Persepolis, and the endless riches of the Persian Empire. The two armies clash in the momentous Battle of Gaugamela. The outcome marks a turning point in world history. But you have to read this third installment of the Ptolemaios Saga to find out who won, how, and what came next.

Author : James Romm
Publisher : Vintage
Page : 418 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2012-11-13
Category : History
ISBN : 9780307456601

Get Book

Ghost on the Throne by James Romm Pdf

When Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-two, his empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea in the west all the way to modern-day India in the east. In an unusual compromise, his two heirs—a mentally damaged half brother, Philip III, and an infant son, Alexander IV, born after his death—were jointly granted the kingship. But six of Alexander’s Macedonian generals, spurred by their own thirst for power and the legend that Alexander bequeathed his rule “to the strongest,” fought to gain supremacy. Perhaps their most fascinating and conniving adversary was Alexander’s former Greek secretary, Eumenes, now a general himself, who would be the determining factor in the precarious fortunes of the royal family. James Romm, professor of classics at Bard College, brings to life the cutthroat competition and the struggle for control of the Greek world’s greatest empire.

Author : Richard Stoneman
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 112 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2006-05-04
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780141924472

Get Book

The Legendary Adventures of Alexander the Great by Richard Stoneman Pdf

He was destined to rule the world ... A prince is born under a star of good fortune. It is prophesied that he will become the greatest king of all time. Alexander grows up to fulfil this destiny - powerful as a lion, skilled in the art of war and leader of a vast army. Soon his fame sweeps the world as he builds a mighty empire, conquering all who stand in his way. But this is not enough for the young warrior. Alexander will not rest until he has defeated his mortal enemy, the King of Persia.