Product Description

By the time of his death in 323 B.C., Alexander III of Macedonia had built an empire that stretched from the eastern Mediterranean coast through Asia Minor and into the Indus valley. Even before his sudden death, Alexander had achieved mythical status throughout his kingdom, and in the centuries that followed his life became the subject of countless chronicles and biographies.

N. G. L. Hammond, the foremost expert on ancient Macedonian history, here presents a new account of Alexander's fabled career. Based on a thorough analysis of the ancient sources and enriched by a lifetime of research, Hammond's narrative pronounces the Macedonian conqueror a man truly deserving of the title Alexander the Great.

According to Hammond, Alexander was a visionary statesman and general, the force behind a kingdom which rose above racism and nationalism to enjoy peace and prosperity. His intellect and charismatic personality, which earned him the respect, admiration, and devotion of his subjects, also help explain Alexander's endurance as a source of fascination into the present day.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #790059 in Books
• Published on: 1998-08-31
• Released on: 1998-08-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 248 pages

From Library Journal
The works of only a handful of Alexander scholars are intensely anticipated; Hammond is one of them. In his 90th year, he has produced a highly readable account of the ancient world's greatest conqueror. The paucity of references may bother some, but Hammond sends them to his bibliographies in The Cambridge Ancient History 6 (Cambridge Univ., 1994). Hammond does a good job of not losing the reader in a maze of sources; even someone not previously familiar with Arrian and Plutarch will gain new understandings of how and why Alexander acted as he did. There are historians (E. Badian, for one) who would not agree with Hammond's high opinion of Alexander's motives. Nonetheless, the articulate fashion in which Hammond guides the reader through Alexander's life is outstanding. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.?Clay Williams, Ferris State Univ., Big Rapids, Mich.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Modest in size, Hammond's biography of Alexander of Macedon possesses several large virtues. It is thoroughly grounded in the best available sources; it places Alexander in the context of both the values, religious and secular, of his time and the history of Macedon; and it carefully analyzes the less glamorous aspects of his astonishing military campaigns, such as logistics, a branch of war he and his father Philip virtually invented. Because of its brevity, those who already possess some knowledge of classical history will get the most out of it, but the clarity of Hammond's writing may inspire others to learn some of the background they lack. Hammond comes down unequivocally on the side of argument over Alexander that regards him as a rare genius in both war and statecraft. Those who have been waiting for a scholar who shares that verdict with Mary Renault, pronounced in her famous novels about Alexander, will applaud Hammond, even if he cannot express himself quite as elegantly as Renault. Roland Green

From Kirkus Reviews
A solid if unsurprising introduction to history's greatest conqueror by an expert on his life and times. Famed for such works as A History of Greece to 322 b.c. (1959), Hammond (Greek/Bristol Univ.) has distilled a lifetime of Alexander studies into a brief summary for the general reader of what the Macedonian conqueror did and why. To keep it readable, Hammond includes no footnotes; an appendix refers the skeptical reader to the author's more detailed works. Beginning with Alexander's boyhood, the book recounts his amazing military feats in the Balkans, Asia, and Egypt, ending with his premature death of malaria at 32. The prose is dense and many of the facts familiar; even so, the tale's particulars can still inspire gasps of astonishment, as when Alexander successfully leads his army across the lethal desert of Gedrosia. The biographer openly admires his subject, lauding him not only as history's greatest general but as a charismatic and enlightened leader who aimed to foster prosperity and peace. This is never completely believable: Was Alexander really that perfect? Did contempt for other peoples and greed for their wealth play no role in the foundation of his empire? So satisfied is Hammond with Alexander's own conviction of having the gods' favor that he uncritically records stories of fulfilled omens that will be suspicious to anyone who doesn't believe in Zeus. Hammond states at the outset his disagreement with scholars who ``pick and choose'' among primary sources to support their ``disbelief in great men,'' but he seems all too ready to go to the opposite extreme, denying or rationalizing stories that present Alexander in an unflattering light. The book succeeds as a summary of facts but not as a convincing portrait; it sounds at times more like a boys' adventure yarn than a true intellectual adventure. (illustrations, not seen) (Book-of-the-Month Club/History Book Club selection) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Hammond's scholarship solid, sober
Hammond demonstrates again why he is one of the most respected scholars dealing with Alexander and Macedon. His treatment is solidly grounded in the main historical sources- Arrian, Curtius Rufus, and Diodorus- as well as his own life's work. Alexander is one of the most controversial historical figures and has attracted a wide range of authors; from the brilliant to the sentimental (Peter Green) to the narcissitic (Michael Wood). Caveat lector! While often lumped in with Alexander's apologists (Tarn et al), Hammond's work is generally insightful, evenhanded, and readable, and this is no exception. The book is rather slim and general, but well-referenced (and details are in Arrian if you want them).

Good Study of Alexander
Mr. Hammond's study of the campaigns and generalship of Alexander is a insightful look at perhaps the greatest General in world history. What is most interesting is that the book does not necessarily focus on the specific battles of Alexander, but on Alexander as a general. In a very real way, his accomplishment as a general are greater than his conquest of Persia.

The book does discuss the battles of Alexander and describes what happened and why it happened. Hammond does a good job of putting the reader in the head of Alexander.

The book is well written and maps help explain what is going on. For those who are interested in Alexander or how he accomplished so much so quickly, this book is a must.

Mega Alexandros
I have read many books about Alexander and unfortunately most of them misrepresent him as a Tyrannt or whatever the authors feel that can diminish a great personality through exaggeration.
However, Hammond has broken away from the micropolitics and has gone one step further and asks the question of why Alexander acted in this way. You could say that the book is an answer to the misinformed scholars about Alexander the Great. In other words, I found that the book is Alexander's "Apology" for his actions.
Being of a Greek background, I found that the translations of the sources are accurate and not misinterpreted. Hammond's knowledge of the Ancient Hellenic civilization have helped him understand what we as Greeks know about Alexander and his role in the Ancient Hellenic civiliztion.
I recommend this book to serious history readers who don't want distorted facts and events.