5 comments about The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great.

1. This is essentially a book for enthusiasts of military history, war gaming and the like.
   It has little character development and hardly explores the personal side or event the political processes of Alexander's empire building.
   It essentially deals with Alexander's consolidation of his control of Greece, his defeat Darius and the Persian Empire and his Indian Campaign.
   It misses out parts and is not a complete saga.
   Nonetheless it does somewhat explore Alexander's mind from a romantic perspective.It deals with his conversation with Indian Prince Porus, and Alexander's admiration for Persian Emperor Darius.
   The book is simply too short to cover Alexander's life and career.
   I would suggest, unless you are looking for details of battles and military strategy, you look elsewhere for a good novel about Alexander the Great.



2. With "Steven Pressfield" on the cover, it took less than a heartbeat for me to grab this book--after "Gates of Fire," I was more than eager to be caught up again in the author's enthralling prose of storytelling.
   
   Even with the author's Note on the Reader expressly stating this as a work of fiction, I soon found myself actually believing that it really was Alexander speaking his own thoughts--what he felt as he emerged from the shadow of his father, as he tasted the first of his numerous victories, received the adoration of his men, and found himself later possessed of an empire that demanded too much for the price of an ambition.
   
   For that alone, I stand in awe yet again of this author's skill.
   
   Every chapter is vivid with imagery and every conflict a real human drama. The king's moments of anguish were brutal, eerily honest, and, sometimes, understandable, as he becomes torn between love for his army and the desire to conquer the world beyond India. Indeed, Alexander was thrown in a surreal mix of otherworldliness for his exceptional military prowess and glaring human frailty for succumbing to the snare of arrogance and pride.
   
   There were times when Pressfield's narration seemed like it was being apologetic of Alexander's actions towards his men and their growing disquiet, but then I suddenly remember that this book ostensibly echoed *only* Alexander's voice; so I suppose it couldn't help but have that biased feel.
   
   I became affected with the undercurrents among the characters that I found myself sheepishly switching back and forth in taking sides: from agreeing with the sentiments of his men that their king has pushed them too far for too long, to empathizing with Alexander for wanting glory for Macedonia and for wanting the love of his men to endure forever. And then back again.
   
   I only wished the book *imagined* a little bit more outside of the battlefield. Like his relations with his mother during his youth, with his wives (or even just with Roxanne), and with the other soldiers (besides his "dear mates") who trekked with him across the plains of Asia.
   
   There were some parts as well that felt hurried, while others felt too protracted. And, in some instances I was on the verge of becoming almost bored whenever the book took the tone of becoming more of a manual for warfare, what with the winded accounts of the number of infantry, cavalry, archers, etc. But, I suppose you really cannot get to being an exalted commander without being anal about these things.
   
   But all-in-all, "The Virtues of War" is still a highly-recommended read--epic and artistic, an honest-to-goodness page-turner.



3. Not really sure on the accuracy, but really entertaining book and much better than the Colin screen debacle.



4. I never received the book from the seller nor did I ever get notification from the seller about the book's (shipping) status. After 20 business days, I still haven't received a credit.
   
   Would not recommend this seller.



5. Overview: A novel about Alexander the Great and his conquests across Asia Minor, the Holy Land, Egypt, the Persian Empire and India. It is told in first person, as Alexander tells his story to an Afghani scribe right before the final crossing of the Indus river to face an Indian king (Porus) whom he held in the highest of esteem. The tale covers the life of Alexander, really, from his upbringing under his father Philip, King of Macedonia, to his death at the age of 32.
   
   The book starts off a bit slow, and for me required a push to continue. But once it hit the description of the first big battle (Philip's last major battle and the first that the young Lion Alexander led troops in.), I was hooked. There was something about the way Alexander relayed the details of the battle ahead of time, describing exactly what and whom each side was bringing to the battle field, and then how he developed the strategy for defeating the foe, usually in the face of staggeringly unbalanced numbers (in the enemy's favor), and then reading how the battles played out to victory for Alexander... truly great reading. So the middle of the book was a joy for me to read.
   
   However, the book once again dragged to a slog with the final quarter of the book, once Alexander and his army had conquered - and settled into - Babylon. The Persian King Darius was the sole reason the troops fought. Once they had seen to the toppling of the Persian Empire, and the centuries-old revenge that provided for the Greeks and Macedonians, the army wanted to take their plunder and go home. But Alexander had far loftier goals that remained undone. He wanted to reach the ocean at the end of the world, past India, far beyond where any Greek King had been before... a goal that was ultimately too ambitious, even for Alexander. The dramatic change in terrain and opponents proved too much for his troops, and they ultimately convinced Alexander to abandon his ambitions and let them return home to enjoy the rest of their lives with their families, many having been away from home for almost a decade.
   
   The book slogs at the end because the warfare shifts into guerrilla fighting in Afghanistan, and sitting in soggy encampments on one side of the Indus River, waiting for the opportunity to cross the mile-wide river to continue the fight in India. Gone were the marvelous recountings of the clashing armies on grand battlefields, and instead come tales of small bands hunting other small bands, tracking through mountains, burning villages, trying to flush out rebels. Yawn. Couldn't be helped, really. It's not like Pressfield could rewrite history... he skillfully crafted a well-written first-person account of the conquests of one of the world's greatest kings...
   
   Ultimately, I'm glad I read it. It was not a very long book, had some terrific dialog, with a wonderfully rich vocabulary (though I still don't know what 'perfidy' means...), and will now take a place of honor on my Shelf of Books I'm Glad I Have Read (rather than getting squirreled away on a bottom shelf somewhere). Not nearly as good as his Gates of Fire, but neither is anything else I have read.
   
   Summary: Well worth reading. 4/5

5 comments about Chronicles of the Frigate Macedonian, 1809-1922.

1. Fascinating account of how the capture of one ship from the British during the War of 1812 boosted national morale and elevated the United States in the international arena. De Kay skillfully illustrates how the US's leaders shrewdly manipulated the Macedonian's psychological power by sending her on highly visible missions. As a result, the Macedonian was there for over 100 years' worth of some of the US's most fascinating history, and captained by some of the most colorful officers in the United States Navy. De Kay masterfully ties the Macedonian's history with our history. Excellent!



2. You don't often find a biography of a ship. Especially a ship which has a history as rich and varied as this one. The lives, careers,countries this ship saw. Wonderful history. It ties time together and does what few teachers can, makes history live. With a broadside!



3. The sailing frigate, USS Macedonian (originally HMS Macedonian), is largely forgotten today, but her legacy is intertwined with the early days and welfare of the young American republic. Captured during the War of 1812, she was the first English warship to be captured by the American Navy. It was a stunning defeat for the powerful English navy and long held as a high moment in American military history. The Macedonian was brought into the US navy after her capture, instrumental to putting an end to the Barbary pirates, and even had a hand in the reopening of Japan to the world.
   
   It is only fitting, therefore, that a biography would be written about her. De Kay's book, "Chronicles of the Frigate Macedonian" is an extremely entertaining read, one that well worth the time. There aren't many single ship biographies out there about the American sailing navy, which makes this book a solid gem.
   
   Chronicling the Macedonian from her construction of green timber in a shipyard in England, to her (What was left of her) final destruction in a fire in 1922, De Kay weaves a entertaining account of the ship, her glories and her more tarnished incidents. The cast of character is diverse, ranging from the honorable John Carden, who lost the Macedonian to the USS United States and never commanded a ship again, to Commodore James Biddle, who's own tenure as Captain was filled with sickness and death on the ship, to "Commodore" George DeKay who successfully used the Macedonian to bring much needed food relief to an Ireland suffering from famine.
   
   The Macedonian's history was filled with political intrigue, madmen, jealousy, courage, and death. De Kay chronicles it all in vivid color, from the ship herself to the colorful cast that inhabited her. If you enjoy the writings C.S Forester and Patrick O'Brian, I'd strongly suggest this book. Sometimes real history can be as entertaining as a fictional one.



4. The USS Macedonean (originally HMS) is largely forgotten today, but her legacy is intertwined with the early days and wellfare of the young American republic. She was the first English warship to be captured by the American Navy, and was instrumental to putting an end to the Barbary pirates, and even had a hand in the reopening of Japan to the world.

   It is only fitting therefore that a book would be written about her. De Kay's book, "Chronicles of the Frigate Macedonian" is an extremely entertaining read, one that well worth the time. There aren't many single ship biographies out there about the American sailing navy, which makes this book a solid gem.

   Chronicling the Macedonean from her construction in a shipwayd in england, to her (What was left of her) final destruction at the hands of a fire in 1922, De Kay weaves a entertaining account of the ship, her glories and her more tarnished incidents. The true cast of character is diverse, ranging from the honorable John carden, who lost the Macedonian to the USS United States and never commanded a ship again, to Commodore James Biddle, who's own tenure as captain was filled with sickness and death on the ship, to "Commodore George DeKay" who successfully used the Macedonian to bring much needed relief to an Ireland suffering from famine.

   The Macedonian's history was filled with political intruige, madmen, jealousy, courage, and death. De Kay chronicles it all in vivid color. If you enjoy C.S Forester, Patrick O'Brian, or Naval History, I'd strongly suggest this book.




5. It's the history of a ship, not a particularly powerful ship (which was why it was easily captured by the US so easily), but one that came to take an important place in the US confidence and pride as a nation. Worth a read. Several rebuilds highlight the fact that there is nothing new about tax misappropriations with regard to military expenditures!

1 comments about The Greek and Macedonian Art of War.

1. F. E. Adcock's main theme in these lecture is to elucidate in an easy to read book how Greeks and Macedonians applied their minds to the art of war. It covers battle tactics and military strategy from the age of city-states' phalanxes of spearmen to the more complicated combined operations of highly efficient land and sea forces in the Hellenistic Age. He explains how the art of war gradually evolved into new formations used by such imminent commanders as Epaminondas, Philip of Macedon and Alexander The Great. He describes the first use of cavalry, and recounts the ingenious use of siege craft used by the Greeks to great effect.
   
   This is a good introductory work on the ancient art of warfare. Being that I am a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.

No comments about Ohrana: Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, World War II, Demographic History of Macedonia, Balkan Wars, Communist Party of Greece.

No comments about Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars 359 BC to 146 BC.

3 comments about Alexander the Great at War: His army - His battles - His Enemies (General Military).

1. Having now read 40+ books about Alexander, I didn't expect this title to offer anything new or insightful, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the scholarship and thoughtful prose contained in this book. I was initially a little disappointed browsing through the book as I was hoping for some new graphics, maps and illustrations that I had not seen before, but I suppose that was wishful thinking. Once I sat down and actually started reading the text, I began to enjoy the contents and writing of Sheppard. She has done a great job of assimilating tons of academia about Alexander's amazingly eventful history and condensing it in a way that is easy to absorb and understand.
   
   The book provides a very thorough background of Alexander's era - both in Greece/Macedonia as well as Persia and western Asia. An understanding of this historical background goes a long way in understanding why Alexander embarked on his unprecedented campaign to conquer the known world and reach the end of the world in the east. The strength of this book is the wealth of detail divulged by Sheppard while remaining clear and lucid and not getting dragged down by high-browed academia. In short, the book is fun to read and you'll learn a lot at the same time.
   
   This book mainly focuses on the military aspects of Alexander's career and that's a good thing: that's what he was best at. He was a good statesman, diplomat, logistician, etc. and he was good and not so good at many other things, but if there is one thing that both pro-Alexander and anti-Alexander schools of thought can agree on, it's his military genius. Alexander's genius is comparable to that of creative and scientific geniuses ranging from Leonardo DaVinci to Isaac Newton and Ludwig van Beethoven to Albert Einstein. Alexander's battles ("masterpieces") are studied in military academies all around the world in the same way Beethoven's symphonies are studied in music conservatories. It's this aspect of Alexander that the book explores and it delivers.



2. A Well written history of Alexander and his army and his many battles. Highly recommended for anybody who loves to study military history and one of the greatest leaders of all time



3. I can't understand why this is no longer in print. It's such a modern work, and, frankly, its the best piece on Alexander I've reviewed yet. Not only does this short 250-page work provide an excellent, straightforward biography of Alexander, but it supplements this with detailed consideration of his army and his battles. The illustrations are beautiful and the battle maps clear. There is an unseen imagination in this text; Alexander's world at war is livid! Honestly, you should pass by Green, Fox and Cartledge (ok, so I've only read Cartledge). This is a book that's not to be beat.

No comments about From the End of the Peloponnesian War to the Battle of Ipsus (Translated Documents of Greece and Rome).

5 comments about The Army of Alexander the Great (Men at Arms Series, 148).

1. The army of Alexander would seem to be an excellent topic for a book. Yet, this is the only one in existence that documents colours as well as weapons/tactics etc. The art is quite superb. A unique book, delving into an area that despeartely needs more researchers!



2. These Osprey books usually are pretty accurate.... But this one is a rare exception. The order-of-battle information is OK, but when it comes to clothes and weapons of Alexander's troops, Sekunda is off in left field. He relies almost exclusively on the so-called "Alexander Sarcophagus". This was carved for a Phoenician client-king by imported Greek artists, and the protrayal of Macedonian troops on it seems to have been strongly affected by old Greek artistic conventions, e.g. "heroic nudity". Sekunda can't quite bring himself to believe that Macedonian infantry fought stark naked, but he does accept other features of these carvings that are strongly contradicted by the literary sources. The worst error is his claim that Alexander's infantry all used the old "Argive" or "hoplite" shield, which would make it impossible for them to use both hands to hold their long pikes. The illustrator has neatly dodged this issue by showing all the Macedonians fighting with only their swords in skirmishing or urban-warfare scenes. If you really want to know how Alexander's troops looked, find a copy of Duncan Head's ARMIES OF THE MACEDONIAN AND PUNIC WARS (1982) with has a much more complete treatment based on a variety of sources.



3. This Osprey doesen't have the quality as former Osprey books i have read.
   The author don't have the right sources to write a book upon the subject.
   Theres are lots of remarkable errors in the book.
   For example no companion cavalryman in the platesfights with armour on, and no pictures showing infantry with sarrisas(5m long spears) the weapon the Macedonians whas become famous with.
   The worst errors in the plates are soldiers hunting nude.
   Personally i like Angus McBride but this is not one of his better illustations.
   And for the writer, Nick Sekunda, his writng is terrible.
   
   I am very disappointed about this book.
   I had such high expections on this book becuse it is a so important subject.
   Alexander was that important subject, and im sad to now that we now so little about him, and espcially his fighting forces.
   
   Gustav Fils



4. I love how some reviewers fancy themselves to be historians rather than enthusiasts. They rant about how a writer is mistaken because his interpretations in a field filled with contradictory information and scanty sources conflicts with the reviewer's opinion, which is usually based on current "fad" history. I guess a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially when more knowledge might turn that viewpoint around 180 degrees. I also like the ones that go on to say, "a much better source is..." then refer you to some long out-of-publication book or a massive 700 page tome. Come on, this was meant to be a 48 page overview or introduction to support some pictures, people! Finally, to the reviewer that criticized the plates of nude hunters, I ask: have you actually read this book? My copy has no plates of nude hunters.
   
   The fact is, although I normally disapprove of sidestepping issues, the author's decision to avoid controversy by avoiding illustrations of Sarrisa use is understandable as this volume is far too thin to be getting into dragged out discussions. And as one can see, had he chosen to depict it one way or another, some "expert" would have written in blasting his choice.
   
   The text mainly describes the organization of Alexander's armies including Companion cavalry, Thracian cavalry, allied infantry, mercenary infantry, etc. Sekunda gives his sources, whether it be some ancient writer or some archeological find, and where the information presented is a presumption based on minimal evidence, he lets you know. For this reason, unavoidably, the book glosses over some aspects while getting into surprising detail in others, such as tunic colors or shield devices. I also found thier use of inflated tents to cross rivers interesting. Again, bear in mind the limitations of what can be put into 48 pages. I must confess some of McBride's other work seems better. All in all, an excellent introduction to the subject, and a good addition to those looking for something that cuts through to just the details of unit composition. I have the combined volume "Alexander" (which includes Osprey's Campaign 7) and found it a fascinating read. Recommended, especially for those new to the subject or who like their info condensed into a neat little package. I plan on getting Osprey's "Macedonian Warrior" to read another take on the subject.



5. The text is a basic examination of Alexandrian Macedonian tactics, organization, gear, and command-something that can be found just about anywhere. The plates, by Angus McBride, are certainly not his best and fail to really show us what the common phalanx soldier with his sarissa pike would have looked like.

5 comments about Macedonian Warrior: Alexander's Elite Infantryman.

1. A book that details the infantry,as well as the entire history, and army of Alexander the Great.The pictures and explanation of the army,the sarissas,the terminology,not to mention the physical impact is very well written.
   You can certainly visualize the battles and what the soldiers went through looking and reading at this book.



2. Besides the fact that as an active wargamer i was expecting to see something better on the issue of painted pictures which are not good, i also despise the fact that the author tries hard to impose his personal belief that Macedonian warriors were something different than the rest of the Greek warriors of that time era. While in Persia, Alexander or Eumenes later, might have used translators to give their orders to Persian or Scythian mercenaries, but all in all, the rest of the Greeks could well understand his words and orders since he had have Greek culture and education and was speaking Greek ofcourse.
   I wonder how would the author feel if i would equally say that an American citizen from Kentucky could not understand a visitor from Oxford because they speak a different language?
   I was expecting something better on the basis of objective information and not biased beliefes of modern times.



3. The text is adquate, but it's pretty hard to forgive sub-par illustration in an Osprey title. Christa Hook's work is relentlessly dreary. I was never enamored of Angus McBride's moody take on the Macedonian army in Osprey 148 (The Army of Alexander the Great), but aesthetically it's still superior to what is to be found here.



4. The dealer was great. The price I paid was good but the booklet is kind of thin for full price. The information seemed solid and extended my knowledge on this topic which I admit was and is very limited.



5. I was quite impressed with the quality of the book. Not all used books are this good.

2 comments about Immortal Fire: Field of Glory Greek, Persian and Macedonian Army List.

1. The Greek part of the Field of Glory series by Osprey. With their knowledge of the armies and the wonderful format that these come in, I highly recommend these. They are designed for 15mm to 28m miniatures and come with extras from the Elite series that Osprey publishes. Very well done and a good spend of money.



2. Field of Glory (FoG) is one of the most exciting historical wargames to come out in many years, bridging the gap between the older WRG-style games and Warhammer Ancients. Produced by Osprey Books, FoG features artwork from various Osprey titles and pictures of painted 15mm and 25mm miniatures, often in tabletop dioramas.
   
   IMMORTAL FIRE is a great addition to the FoG catalog, espceially given the recent rise in interest in the battle of Thermopylae and the campaigns of Alexander the Great, both spurred by quality motion pictures. All of the armies one would expect of this period are present: Hellenistic Greeks, Persians, Macedonians, Thracians, Scythians, Classic Indians, and other favorites. Each army has a full army list and most have simpler pre-built "starter" armies for those wanting to jump straight into action withoughspending too much money.
   
   My only complaint about this book, and the other army books, too, is the lack of historical background. Given that these books come from Osprey, I would expect a little more history, and this could be easily done without significantly increasing the size of the book. Not every historical wargamer has shelves of reference books or intimate familiarity with the period or its armies, and a little help for newer gamers would be well-advised.
   
   (The above complaint even extends into the fifth army book.)
   
   I would also like to see more pictures of full and painted armies formed into battle lines. That kind of stuff really catches a gamer's eye.