Product Description

Alexander the Great's campaign in the Afghan kingdoms began in the summer of 330BC. It lasted for three brutal years and proved the most bloody and ruthless he and his army ever fought...Among the ranks of Macedonian infantry is Matthias. The youngest of three brothers, he is eager to prove himself, but as he joins the frontline, he comes to realise that warfare has changed. The Macedonians face a new kind of enemy, and must learn to fight a new kind of war. Experiencing fear, euphoria, horror and shame, Matthias and his comrades undergo a rite of passage as they, soldiers of a Western force whose code is secular and humanist, confront a proud Eastern warrior people who possess a fervent willingness to die for their cause. Just to survive, Alexander's men must shake off the trappings of 'civilization' and adopt the same unorthodox and barbaric tactics as their foe - but at what cost? Set against the harsh, unrelenting Afghan landscape, this thrilling novel reveals a profound understanding of the hopes and fears of men in battle and has important things to say about the nature of wars past...and present.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48341 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

From the Back Cover
Summer 330 BC: and Alexander the Great began his assault on the unknown, unconquered part of the world we now call Afghanistan.

IThe campaign was to last for three brutal years and proved to be the bloodiest he and his army ever fought.

Among the ranks of Macedonian infantry is Matthias. The youngest of three brothers, he is eager to prove himself. But the reality is that they face a new kind of enemy: fiercely proud warrior tribes whose beliefs inspire a passionate willingness to die for their cause. Experiencing fear, euphoria, horror and shame, Matthias and his comrades undergo a brutal rite of passage. They must learn to fight a new kind of war. To survive, they must shake off the trappings of ‘civilization’; to win, they must adopt the same barbaric tactics as their foe. But at what cost?

Set against the imposing, implacable Afghan landscape, Steven Pressfield’s powerful new bestseller demonstrates a profound understanding of the hopes and fears of men in battle and has important things to say about the nature of wars past – and present.

About the Author
Steven Pressfield is the author of the classic historical bestsellers Gates of Fire, Tides of War, Last of the Amazons and Alexander: The Virtues of War. He lives in California.

Customer Reviews

Virtues of War?
This book is the second time Pressfield has touched on the career of Alexader the Great. The previous book, 'Alexander: The Virtues of War' was designed partly to defend Alexander against some of the more sensational imaginings of other writers, eg about his Oedipal tendencies. 'The Afghan Campaign' provides in the end a more satisfying vision because the consequences of Alexander's bent for attempting the impossible are seen from below, through the eyes of a rank-and-file Macedonian soldier; and the focus is on a campaign that essentially could not be won - any more than anyone else has been able to 'win' in Afghanistan since. Pressfield''s trademark descriptions of the harshness of warfare are here as usual, and there is a more detailed and touching story of heterosexual relations than usual at the novel's centre. However, for many the main fascination will be the many, accurate, and surely deliberate parallels with the issues faced (and errors made) by the Western coalition fighting in Afghanistan today.

A good piece of Historical Fiction, but nowhere near as good as Gates Of Fire.
This is a good historical account of the most brutal campaign in Alexanders war to subdue and bring into the fold all the lands that were once apart of the Persian empire. The war in Afghanistan brought a new type of warfare to Alexander The Greats conquering armies, a guerilla war that was to that date unmatched in the brutality which was shown to both civilians and enemy combatants. The warriors of Alexander had to not only face male warriors in battle but also female and in some cases children who would gain the trust of the Macedonian warriors only to have them poison their food or slit their throats in the night, this as one can imagine brings a no mercy policy to any Afghan who shows any sign of insurrection.

This story tells of the adventures of two Macedonian youths who seek fame and glory in Alexanders army, Matthias and his friend Lucas. They leave there farms to join with the new recruits heading off to the Afghan front, right from the very beginning they are surprised at how different things are to how they thought they might be. They arrive at the base camp with nothing other than the clothes they are wearing only to find that they have to buy or scavenge their armour and weapons from the dead after a battle. They soon discover that the glory of war is just a myth, the only thing that matters are your friends and survival, they also discovered that this new type of war will be like one that has never been fought before, the brutality they witness and commit leaves them wishing they were back home on there farms. The only thing that keeps them sane is their friendship with each other and their fellow warriors around them, they know that they can only count on each other.

This is a good book from Pressfield, but if you're looking for another Gates Of Fire you may be disappointed, that being said this is a good book that is well worth reading. Anyone who likes tales of Alexander will like this!

A very enjoyable read
Over the last few months I have read several Steven Pressfield novels and I have to say that the Afghan Campaign has been one of my favourites. All the hype focuses on another Pressfield novel "Gates of Fire"(which is excellent) but this novel almost equals it.

Each Pressfield novel is written from a different perspective and in the Afghan Campaign the book is seen from a normal soldiers view. And perhaps this is why I enjoyed it so much. Its a far easier read than Pressfields "Tides of War" for example.

Just try it, I bet you'll like it.