jjares reviewed Alexander the Great: A Captivating Guide to the King Who Conquered the Persian Empire and Babylon, Including His Impact on Ancient Greece and Rome on + 3255 more book reviews
The writing in this particular book is exceptional. The author explains terms and writes in an engaging way. Sometimes I read about a military leader and it seems to be just one battle after another. This author takes the time to explain the significance of the battle's outcome or how it changes history. In other words, this author answers the "why" of things. That makes history more interesting and helps the reader see the overall theme or the big picture.
Another help is that long passages are broken by meaningful subheadings; this helps the reader understand what is important. I really enjoyed the description of the war elephants (I've been curious about them since I started seriously reading ancient history) and how the Macedonian troops tried to deal with such a dangerous foe. It's on page 64 and is just a few sentences but it explains why the elephants were so feared.
The author has a sense of humor. When Alexander was described, the author says that the two men who painted and sculpted Alexander probably knew exactly what the King of Kings looked like. "To put it in the simplest words possible, they were most likely not allowed to show him looking ugly." (p. 73) Maybe you had to be there, but I found that statement absolutely hilarious.
I thought exploring Alexander's traits, beliefs, and motivations to be interesting and thought-provoking. This is a great presentation of the life and legacy of Alexander.
Another help is that long passages are broken by meaningful subheadings; this helps the reader understand what is important. I really enjoyed the description of the war elephants (I've been curious about them since I started seriously reading ancient history) and how the Macedonian troops tried to deal with such a dangerous foe. It's on page 64 and is just a few sentences but it explains why the elephants were so feared.
The author has a sense of humor. When Alexander was described, the author says that the two men who painted and sculpted Alexander probably knew exactly what the King of Kings looked like. "To put it in the simplest words possible, they were most likely not allowed to show him looking ugly." (p. 73) Maybe you had to be there, but I found that statement absolutely hilarious.
I thought exploring Alexander's traits, beliefs, and motivations to be interesting and thought-provoking. This is a great presentation of the life and legacy of Alexander.
