I have long been a devotee of Alexander the Great (my son's middle name is Alexander), so looked forward to reading this novel. I was not disappointed! The story is told from Alexander's viewpoint as he is telling his story to his young brother-in-law. It is not a complete story of his life. He does start the story before the assassination of his father, Phillip. Most of the remainder of the story tells of his conquest of Persia. Pressfield, who has written several other historical novels based in the era of Ancient Greece, obviously does his research very well. The description of the battles is excellent. The book is quite accurate, the author knows his subject. Even better, the narration sounds like it would actually be Alexander speaking, and giving his version of the various battles and incidents of his life (which may differ from the historical record). I wish the book had been longer and included more of Alexander's other accomplishments, such as the siege of Tyre, the conquering of Egypt, etc. Alexander was fascinating and what he did in his short life (died at 32) is amazing, especially considering the time period it took place in. This novel takes you into that time period, and makes you feel like Alexander is talking to you, sitting by a campfire after a hard days march. ( )

A quick glance at this book in the library made me conclude that it had no redeeming features. Read "Fire from Heaven" or "The Persian Boy", instead.

3/31/22

3.5 stars. Excellent descriptions of battles. ( )

I am a Pressfield fan and was not disappointed with his treatment of Alexander the Great, although this would not be at the top of my list. It has been a long time since I studied this history and that of course was study, not "pleasure reading," so this was a "kind and gentle" way to reacquaint myself with the warrior king.

Of the three Pressfield books I have read Virtues of War would be my third choice. Gates of Fire offers a deeper appreciation of ancient culture, and Killing Rommel examines the strength of a generation thrust into war. That said, Virtues is a telling piece. In Alexander's own words he was driven by the constant pursuit of glory. As such the history here is a reminder that what may have begun as a noble enterprise can turn ignoble; the difference being not so much the rightness of an action but more so the motivation behind it. In this Pressfield paints a portrait of honor that bears the solitary burden of leadership, and feels the solitary crush of abandonment.

While some liberty is taken with the setting and timing of certain speeches this is acceptable in my view. It is not history he writes here, but historical fiction. The descriptions of foes sometimes feel glossed over, but the overall effect is good. It is a good read, written in a style of language that may or may not be literally correct, but is made to feel as if it is. Well done on that.

In sum, this will be an entertaining and enlightening read for those with casual interest in the history of the time, or who want to become acquainted with the lead character on a personal level. It is a first person account, you should not expect a critical treatment of the issues. ( )