Alexander the Great

The Hunt for a New Past

By: Paul Cartledge

Narrated by: John Lee

Paul Cartledge, one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Greece, illuminates the brief but iconic life of Alexander (356-323 B.C.), king of Macedon, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and founder of a new world order. Alexander's legacy has had a major impact on military tacticians, scholars, statesmen, adventurers, authors, and filmmakers.

Cartledge brilliantly evokes Alexander's remarkable political and military accomplishments, cutting through the myths to show why he was such a great leader. He explores our endless fascination with Alexander and gives us insight into his charismatic leadership, his capacity for brutality, and his sophisticated grasp of international politics.

Alexander the Great is an engaging portrait of a fascinating man and a welcome balance to the myths, legends, and skewed history that have obscured the real Alexander.

©2004 Paul Cartledge (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"May be the most accessible introduction in print....An amazingly solid, balanced, and evocative view of the man." ( Washington Post Book World)
"Readable and engrossing....Immediate, discursive, insightful, and highly engaging." ( Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
"With his usual riveting storytelling, Cartledge...narrates Alexander's life and rise to power. Cartledge's knack for bringing history to life makes for an absorbing new biography of the legendary Greek leader." ( Publishers Weekly)

Outstanding Knowledge Book

Paul Cartledge does an outstanding job reviewing Alexander the Great's life and influence on Civilization. It concludes with the summary discussion of his Knowledge Management.

Dont Believe bad reviews

Great narration. very well researched. best if you read a basic biography of alexander first.

Lovely

One of my Favorite historical figures. Highly recommend this novel to anyone loving history. Of one of the four great conquers.

NOT a Chronology of Alexander’s Life

For those looking for a chronological retelling of Alexander’s deeds - look elsewhere. This book, while interesting, reads like a collection of scholarly essays on Alexander’s life and spends most of its pages analyzing the meaning or veracity of Alexander’s supposed deeds. The author assumes that the reader already has a detailed knowledge of Alexander’s story. The order of the topics covered in the book does not follow any clear pattern. The author jumps back and forth to different points in time to illustrate his arguments but does a poor job of tying the themes together. This makes the information feel repetitive at times and also random. Overall, it was difficult to keep up with the Author’s themes.

If you have read a number of other books on Alexander, you may find this book interesting and nuanced but I strongly recommend that those new to Alexander consult other books before turning to this one.

finished with a sense of more respect for the man.

there were a few times in the book where there were so many Greek and Macedonian names being spoken that I didnt even want to pay attention. but I feel like this was due to his desire to show academia that he had done it.

ultimately I have benefitted from this book by expanding my understanding of the man Alexander, and what it was like living in those times so long ago