- Unknown Binding
- Publisher: BBC (1997)
- ASIN: B002KGH3EI
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Michael Wood's book on Alexander the Great came as something of a disappointment to me, having read and enjoyed his book "In Search of the Trojan War". In this book, Wood follows the route taken by Alexander and his army from their starting point at the Dardanelles to their conquest of Northern India and Pakistan, to Alexander's untimely death in Babylon.
It has to be said that this book is rather thin, and I was often left feeling that some of the details had been glossed over, perhaps in an effort to appeal to a wider audience.
It's very interesting to read about some of the facts that Wood uncovered on his journey, and some of the Alexander legends that have been preserved by local people brought the story to life very well, but perhaps Wood was too influenced by local people who regard Alexander as a murderous devil, as his description of Alexander focusses far too much on his atrocities, alcoholism and egotism to the detriment of his generalship. Clearly, Alexander was a despicable tyrant, but his military achievements were enormous, and didn't get the attention they deserved here.
On the whole, the book is enjoyable, and well worth reading for anyone with an interest in the subject, particularly if it's the first book on Alexander that you read. However, I was disappointed in how far short of the author's other work this book fell. Michael Wood is a gifted writer with an ability to bring his subject to life, and he is clearly a fine historian, but I wonder if this book was written to a tight deadline. I recommend "In Search of the Trojan War" far more than "In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great".
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
After I watched the TV series, I didn't feel that Michael Wood would be able to improve on the subject when putting it into book form. After having read the book, I have to say that he has indeed managed to improve upon the series with a sharp, pacy book with fascinating and breathtaking descriptions of places and people. This book is even better than the series and is an absolute must buy.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A different approach from other Alexander books, and well worthwhile. It is remarkable how much remains to be seen on the ground and compliments to Michael Wood for an excellent travelogue in this respect.
As history, the book is weaker, the military side of the campaigns is very understated, although the attempted psychological profiles of Alexander and Hephaistion are surely not too wide of the mark.
I sometimes had the feeling that Wood considered his own voyage to be almost as remarkable achievement as Alexander's; and there was a general sense of disapproval of drinking and violence which in the columns of the Guardian or in a BBC book is surely not out of place, but considering the norms of the Hellenistic age should perhaps be judged less censoriously.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Preferred the original hardback to the new paperback edition
I came to this book via the TV series, being aware that Michael Wood's books often have more to say than is relayed on screen. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Nicholas Casley
Bad History
This book is only good for describing the journey that Alexander took. As far as the historical content is concerned, I would give it a minus 10. Very bad.
Published on 30 July 2003 by John L.
Alexander's Conquests Brought To Life
This is the book of the extraordinary T.V. series. Michael Wood has obviously followed the conquests of Alexander the Great in detail in the sources, and in this book he brings... Read more
Published on 13 May 2002
Expected More.
Surprisingly, this did not offer the interest of the documentary. Without a real knowledge in Ancient Greek history and mythology it was quite easy to lose interest in the book. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2002 by Ceri Jenkins
Thanks Michael Wood!
Actually I haven't read this book yet, but have just finished watching Wood's documentary of the same name. Read more
Published on 28 Feb 1999
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