Alexander the Great

Ian Worthington brings an immediacy to ancient history that is exciting and compelling. The characters live and breath and there are many vivid moments of drama that stay in the mind long after you have put the book down. A ripping read. Terry Jones

Ian Worthingtons book has many virtues, including a clear narrative that shows intimate familiarity with the primary sources and secondary literature. It is accessibly written in an unemotional style for a wide general readership. Professor Paul Cartledge, Professor of Greek History, ClareCollege, Cambridge

Alexander the Great was a legend in his lifetime and he remains one today. He has become a near-mythical figure whose youth, advancement of Greek culture and spectacular military success are focused on to the exclusion of other aspects of his life: the delusion, paranoia, murderous tendencies, excessive drinking and his belief that he was a god on earth.

Worthington argues that Alexander became corrupted by power and sacrificed the empire his father had sought to establish for his own personal ends. The role played by King Philip II, Alexanders pretensions to personal divinity and his failure to marry and to provide a political heir, are uncovered as key factors in his decline and in the chaos and bloodshed that followed his death.

In this personal history of Alexander, Worthington discusses not only his dashing image and heroism, but also the downsides to his personality and the disintegration of his empire, to question whether he really deserves to be called Great. This fascinating account of Alexander the Greats life is a welcome addition to the legend surrounding the most famous figure in ancient history.

Ian Worthington is Professor of Greek History at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has published numerous books and articles including Alexander the Great: A Reader (2003), Demosthenes: Statesman and Orator (2000), and A Historical Commentary on Dinarchus (1992).  He is currently working on a biography of Philip II of Macedonia.