Product Description

'The most important work on Alexander the Great to appear in a long time. Neither scholarship nor semi-fictional biography will ever be the same again...Engels at last uses all the archaeological work done in Asia in the past generation and makes it accessible...Careful analyses of terrain, climate, and supply requirements are throughout combined in a masterly fashion to help account for Alexander's strategic decision in the light of the options open to him...The chief merit of this splendid book is perhaps the way in which it brings an ancient army to life, as it really was and moved: the hours it took for simple operations of washing and cooking and feeding animals; the train of noncombatants moving with the army...this is a book that will set the reader thinking. There are not many books on Alexander the Great that do' - "New York Review of Books".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #297011 in Books
• Published on: 1992-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Customer Reviews

An excellent piece of academic work
Engels has produced a comprehensive and scholarly work which is invaluble in understanding one of the key elements of Alexander the Great's success.

It is divided into relevant componant chapters making it easy to identify exactly which part of the book you wish to read. The Appendix's at the back provide very useful source material, something often missing in other studies.

This is not a book for the general reader. But it is not solely for academics either. I used it in my A Level study of Alexander but it was one of the most difficult books I came across. However the introduction and conclusion provide a useful summary for those who don't wish to get into all the figures and calculations.

It is well written and well referenced and a key book to read for any study of Alexander the Great's campaign even if you disagree with the conclusions or methodolgy. Its importance and value can be seen by the fact that any major study or book on Alexander written after this was published will have this book in its bibliography. Personally I thought this was an excellent book.