Waterstones Philip and Alexander
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Price: £12.99
Brand: Waterstones
Description: By the end of his short life, Alexander the Great had redrawn the map of the ancient world to create an empire that stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indian subcontinent. But his success was not just the product of his own genius and restless energy, it was built on decades of effort by his father. History has portrayed Philip II of Macedon as a one-eyed old man whose assassination allowed Alexander to accede to power. But there was far more to him than this. Through decades of hard fighting and clever diplomacy, Philip unified his country and conquered Greece. His son inherited all of this at the perfect moment for him to win yet greater glory. The work of a master historian, Philip and Alexander describes how Philip and Alexander of Macedon transformed a weak kingdom in northern Greece into a globe-spanning empire and - in so doing - changed the course of history.
Category: Books
Merchant: Waterstones
Product ID: 9781784978778
Delivery cost: 2.99
ISBN: 9781784978778
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Author: Grognard
Rating: 5
Review: The world is not short of excellent books on Alexander the Great, so is there space for another one? The answer has to be yes, because this account also takes an in-depth look at the achievements of Alexander’s father, Phillip. In taking this approach, Goldsworthy gives us a picture of a Macedonia that successfully moved from being on the point of collapse to conquering a huge empire in barely 40 years. Whilst Alexander’s achievements are spectacular, this account also shows how Phillip provided the solid foundations that would facilitate Alexander’s subsequent successes. We are shown how, prior to Phillips accession, the Macedonian state waxed and waned along with the strength of its rulers and neighbours. A king’s accession was by no means assured and any perceived sign of weakness would be seized upon by both internal challengers and hungry neighbours, so a successful Macedonian ruler had to have a strong army, an acute sense of political strategy and be successful. This is the essence of Goldsworthy’s narrative. He shows how both father and son came to power in an environment where the perception of strength was paramount and both father and son had to continue to “ride the tiger” or fall. As always Goldsworthy’s narrative flows well. He has an easy writing style, with an effective shift between detail and overview where appropriate. He is willing to point up and discuss inconsistencies between sources and will often give what he considers the most probable turn of events, whilst making it clear where his stated view is only an opinion. The book is well illustrated with both battle plans and strategic maps as well as a bibliography with some very useful comments. It is an excellent account for the general reader.
Author: Bill Buchanan
Rating: 4
Review: I enjoyed reading this book, even though I’ve read many books about Alexander The Great. It was good, for once, to have so much information on his father, Philip. It’s an easy read, not too heavy and has a good pace. I’d recommend it if you’re interested in this topic.
