In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (Hardcover)

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Amazon.co.uk Review
More than two millennia ago, Alexander the Great changed the course of human history in an astonishingly short time: He acceded to the throne of Macedon at the age of just 20, and by the time he was 30 he had conquered the known world. At 32 he was dead. His 22,000-mile journey to India and back opened up connections between the East and West, and even today its traces can be found throughout Asia-- in cultures, legends, place names and traditions. Filmmaker and journalist Michael Wood has retraced Alexander's journey--by car, horse, camel, boat and even on foot-- resulting in the engaging In the Footsteps of Alexander. (He travelled with a small, hardy film crew, and together they also produced a PBS documentary of the same name.) Wood's text vividly brings Alexander's times to life, as he mixes accounts of his own adventures and encounters with the story of Alexander's journey. Accompanying the text is a well-chosen assortment of maps, photographs and reproductions of artwork and artefacts. Alexander aficionados and neophytes alike will find much to inform and delight them in this handsome volume.

Review
British historian Wood (The Magician's Doubts, 1995, etc.) absorbingly recreates Alexander the Great's epic conquests, in a tie-in to a series to air on PBS in early 1998. Alexander ascended the Macedonian throne at the age of 20, conquered much of the world known to the ancients by 30, and died aged 32. Born in 356 B.c., Alexander was shaped by barbarian and classical forces: His mother, Olympias, was intensely devoted to strange religious cults, but Alexander was tutored by one of the great philosophers of all time, Aristotle. When Alexander succeeded to the throne in 336 B.C. after his father's assassination, he became the master of a kingdom that already dominated a Greece exhausted by the war between Athens and Sparta. Shortly after becoming king, he ruthlessly suppressed an uprising by the city of Thebes, then invaded Persia, Greece's ancient enemy. Wood retraces Alexander's astounding victories over Darius at Granicus and Issus; his easy victories over Phoenicia and Egypt, where the oracle of Zeus declared him "son of God" and where he founded Alexandria, destined to become one of the great cities of the ancient world; his invasion of Babylonia and his completion of the destruction of Darius' army at Arbela and Persepolis; and subsequent conquests of central Asia and India. Wood meditates on the transformed landscape of Alexander's world, his frequent atrocities (like the sacking of Persepolis and the massacre of the Branchidae), and his lasting legacy of destruction. To this day, in many countries Alexander touched, the name Iskander is a byword for destruction, ambition, and greed. Nonetheless, Wood points out, although Alexander's conquests were transient and his empire short-lived, his rule was a critical turning point for the ancient world, generating creative energies and contacts between East and West that would never have occurred otherwise. Wood has thoughtfully recreated one of ancient history's most fascinating periods. (Kirkus Reviews)

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7 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 3.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   11 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars DIFFERENT, 24 Dec 2001 By  Cuffleyburgers (Italy) - See all my reviews This review is from: In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (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. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   8 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars A lightweight introduction to Alexander., 18 Aug 2004 By A Customer This review is from: In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (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". Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   8 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fantastic, 8 Jul 2001 By A Customer This review is from: In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (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. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 7 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 2.0 out of 5 stars 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 Jul 2003 by John L. 5.0 out of 5 stars 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 14 May 2002 3.0 out of 5 stars 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 hugh_jenkins@hotmail.com 5.0 out of 5 stars 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 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 7 customer reviews...

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