I had not read Steven Pressfield's earlier book, "Gates of Fire," but I understand he is superb at getting us into the mindset of a warrior . In that book, the focus is on the Spartans. In this one, it's the Macedonians. We follow the army of Alexander the Great as it invades and attempts to occupy Afghanistan in 330 B.C. E. from the point of view of a young recruit named Matthias. We see him arriving in Central Asia as a "newbie" who is unsure whether or not he is capable of killing another human being face-to-face. As the story of the campaign unfolds, the youth becomes a hardened veteran who has adapted to the brutal conditions of a guerrilla war in the desolate hills of Afghanistan. Of course, the book, published in 2006, shows us a parallel to the American war in Afghanistan, which finally ended in 2021. We see the brilliant military leader Alexander, having smashed the mighty Persian Empire, get bogged down in a war against ragged tribal hillmen determined to fight to the death to expel the foreign invaders from their land.
A powerful narrative which I found to be riveting ( a word I've been wanting to use!) and, moreover, I found to be particularly thought-provoking. Why have humans fought war after war down through the centuries--and are still doing so? This book shows that leaders feel the need to win glory for themselves-but why do they have their followers, men who follow them so loyally right to the end....? This book does not cover Alexander's campaign in India, where the Macedonians finally had it with Alexander's dream of world conquest and only wanted to turn around and go home. Perhaps there is some hope for the human race, after all....

A modernist approach to depicting ancient warfare. Pressfield's story of a young Macedonian warrior embroiled in Alexander the Great's conquest of what is today called Afghanistan has more in common with a Vietnam war memoir than a poetic epic. Pressfield doesn't flinch from the brutality of war waged primarily with edged weapons but it's the inescapable parallels to contemporary troubles that are most striking: Afghanistan, it seems, has never been an easy place to invade.

Ma ei tea, haip herr Pressfieldi teoste kohta oli muutunud juba kõrvulukustavaks ja nii saigi see siin valitud. Raamatu avanedes aga võttis maad järjest süvenev jahmatus mis pikapeale muutus kibestunud pahameeleks. Romaan niisiis vestab Makedoonia Aleksandri Afganistaani sõjaretkest, mis leidis ajalooallikate teatel aset umbes 330 aasta paiku enne Kristust. Pressfield aga pajatab enam vähem miskist moodsast sõjaretkest, võib-olla isegi looritatud kujul ja ülekantult Bush noorema sõjaretkest Iraaki 90ndatel ja 00ndatel. Sest tegelased ehk on isegi sellised antiiksed, sõjavägi aga küll mitte. Sõjavägi on rangelt jaotatud erinevateks osadeks (armeed, korpused, pataljonid, rühmad jne), kehtib range hierarhia, tegutsevad "ohvitserid, armeel on oma pioneeriväeosad ja insenerid. Okei, see kõik võis ju ka olla, sest mul pole reaalsest ajaloost halli aimugi, ometi tundub see kõik väga kahtlane, 300 aastat enne Kristust, ma tuletan meelde, enne Rooma Impeeriumi.
Nii, ja läheb siis selline moodne armee Afganistani metslaste vastu sõjaretkele. Toimib suurepärane ja efektiivne välipost, sõdurid kirjutavad iga päev (!) pakse kirju (!!) kodustele Kreekas (!!!). Seda ma nüüd küll enam ei usu, et antiiksed makedoonlased üldse kirjutada oskasid, vähemalt lihtsadsõdurid küll mitte. Aga isegi paberi leiutamiseni Hiinas jäi veel tükk aega aega, antiikkreeklased kirjutasid vahatahvlitele. Pressfield tahab meid uskuma panna, et tuhandete kilomeetrite tagant tassiti sõdurite vahatahvlitel aruandeid kodustele. Tema sõjaväes on ka töötav ja efektiivne välilaatsaret, kus vigasaanuid opereeritakse ja muidu praavitatakse. Aastal 300 eKr. jäi islamini veel 1000 aastat, tema afgaanid aga käituvad üsna muslimite moodi. Need puštud kes seal praegu elavad Aleksandri ajal seal küll ei elanud. Tegelikult ta küll nimetab igasugu kadunud ja kroonikatest tuntud hõime kellega see Aleksander sõdis - nagu hunnide esivanemad massagetaed - aga kogu see Afganistaani kaader käituvad nagu sealsed muslimid tänapäeval, miinus allahi nimetamine. Sharia seadused on ikka, sharia seaduste julm järgimine moodustab ka romaani kandva idee ja traagilise kulminatsiooni.
No ja siis veel. Afganistani pookõrbeid nimetab herr autor "preeriaks", afganistani naisi "skvoodeks", Aleksander on ümbritsetud oma "rüütlitest", sõjaväes kamandavad "ohvitserid", afganistani metslased "skalpeerivad" oma ohvreid ja nii edasi ja nii edasi. Kui isegi oli mingi väike eheda autentsuse tunne, siis kadus see esimese "preeria" peale ära ja jäi mulje et tegelikult kirjutab ta mingist järjekordsest konfliktist 6. Ratsaväe ja sioux'ide ja cheyenne'de vahel 2200 aastat hiljem teisel kontinendil.
Noh oli natuke huvitav. Kohati ilmnes ülijõhkrat sadistlikku vägivalda, eriti kohtades kus oli juttu mida afgaani metslased vangilangenud vaenlastega teevad. Üldmulje oli aga selline pettumus, ja ajalooline romaan see küll polnud, pigem miski allegooriline jutustus Ameerika moodsatest sõdadest, kus minnakse vabadust ja demokraatiat mingitele metslastele viima, kes ise ei taha sest midagi kuulda. Võib lugeda, keda räige stiilist kõrvalekaldumine ei häiri. Mind häiris.

I was not new to the the novels of Stephen Pressfield, having thoroughly enjoyed "Gates of Fire" and "Last of the Amazons" as many have. Enjoyable though those novels were I did not seek out his back catalogue rather, I came across this "Afghan Campaign", years later by chance whilst searching for something new to read.
I am so glad that I drew this from the depths of obscurity. Mr Pressfield has written an excellent novel here, in my opinion, using modern mores he tries to portray "the soldier" in Alexanders army during his subjugation of Afghanistan before moving into India. Mr Pressfield's take on the soldiers thoughts, movements and motivations and the fascination and horror that the Afghan campaign contained is memorable. This should become a classic of visceral historic fiction. Absolutely excellent, I read it in two days, simply because I fell asleep otherwise I would have read it in one. It is that good.

The man who at less than 30 years of age had carved out an empire sprawling halfway across the world, the man at the statue of whose feet Julius Caesar is said to have wept thinking that he at that age had not accomplished even half of what this giant of a man could : Alexander the Great. Myths surround him, historians dub him one of the greatest generals who ever lived and one theatre of war that took him by surprise was Afghanistan. I have read in some other work that one of Alexander's battle hardened generals called the land as the "Arse-Hole of the civilized world" for its inhospitable terrain and fierce warriors. The author takes the narrative to a new level by viewing the battle through the eyes of an infantry man who is in the thick of the melee.

It occured to me while reading that Afghanistan has a unique military history. Scores of invaders have burned their hands in subduing the land and the land stood defiant and so did its fiercely independant people. Geographically the land is savage and beautiful at the same time from dust bowl to craggy mountain slopes, from snow capped passes to lush vales is all a matter of distance in the land. After bringing the persian empire to its knees, Alexander had to pass through Afghanistan into the hindu kush to India. It was in Afghanistan that he had to spend three years in fighting the most brutal of his enemies, a place were alliances shifted in just days and were there was no code of honor or chivalry. As one solider puts it "Here ony winning matters, honor & courage are worth nothing".

This said the tale lacks the finesse of Pressfield's other works at places. To my prejudiced eye, it was too melodramatic as it neared the climax and it even occured to me that most of the Greek soliders speak the language of the gung-ho US Marines we see in the movies. Pressfield never fails to dazzle when it comes to battlefield action, the scenes are so vivid to make one hear the thundering of the horse's hooves and clash of metal on metal. True to the narrative, Alexander appears in cameos in a few chapters and never overshadows the lead characters at any point. The narrative is strikingly good at points where the writer tells of how the horrors of war transforms the minds of people. To sum up it is a tale of how a strapping 20 year old becomes a dispassionate killing machine in three years in brutal conditions.

A good read....

Ο Μακεδόνας Μαντίθεος κατατάσσεται στο στρατό του Αλεξάνδρου, μετά τις 3 μεγάλες μάχες με τις οποίες καταλύθηκε η Περσική αυτοκρατορία. Ουσιαστικά συμμετέχει στον βρώμικο ανταρτοπόλεμο εναντίον του Σπιταμένη στο Αφγανιστάν. Το βιβλίο τελειώνει με την ειρήνη που συνάπτεται μετά το γάμο του Αλεξάνδρου με την Ρωξάνη και πριν ξεκινήσει η Ινδική εκστρατεία.
Νομίζω ότι είναι πολύ κατώτερο από τις Πύλες της φωτιάς και τους Ανέμους του πολέμου που με ενθουσίασαν.
"Αυτή είναι η πρώτη μου αληθινή μάχη εκ παρατάξεως.... τίποτε δεν με είχε προετοιμάσει για το βαθμό, τον ήχο ή την ακατανίκητη μανία που σε παρασύρει. Η ταραχή των ζώων είναι συντριπτική. Όπως κι εμείς, τα άλογα αδειάζουν τα άντερα τους όταν φοβούνται ή είναι ταραγμένα. Όπου κι αν κοιτάξεις, ζώα αφοδεύουν και κατουράνε. Η έντονη μυρωδιά μας κτυπάει στα ρουθούνια. Οι αναθυμιάσεις βρομίζουν τον παγωμένο αέρα. Τα μικρόσωμα άλογα χτυπούν τα πόδια και χλιμιντρίζουν. Καταλαβαίνεις ότι ξεφεύγουν από τον έλεγχο των αναβατών τους. Επιστρέφουν στο νόμο του κοπαδιού. Το ίδιο κι εμείς. Το πεδίο πάλλεται σε έναν εφιαλτικό ρυθμό."

Upon comparing this novel with Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by this author, I liked it as much, or even more. Pressfield exhibited the same brilliant writing on ancient warfare. The novel was very thoughtful and one I will not soon forget.

This story is told by a raw recruit, Matthias, from Macedonia. He describes his 'signing up' with his best friend Lucas, and their adventures with Alexander the Great's Army in Afghanistan--a land of desert, mountains and light. Matthias develops from a tyro to a real soldier through his experiences. There are many skirmishes and battles; the harsh mores of the Afghans are laid out. A harrowing journey through the mountains in which many men are lost, but one soldier rescued, is described in horrific detail. Matthias and Lucas live through cruel captivity. The two soldiers were fleshed-out well and very sympathetic.

I really liked the main themes--bonding among the soldiers and the morality of war. A commonplace expression by now, but Shakespeare's Henry V, in his talk standing in front of his soldiers before Agincourt, in a future war, said it best. Matthias and his colleagues truly are welded into a "band of brothers."

The question of morality in war permeates the book; at one place, Lucas feels the soldiers' humanity is becoming diminished and sheer brutality is replacing it. As a new soldier, Matthias shrinks from killing a prisoner and later frees a woman slave who becomes his. This latter act breaks the Afghan moral code, which Matthias does not understand [and, neither do I, in truth].

I felt dimly there were parallels to the present-day conflicts in that area. Then I saw one of Pressfield's advisors was a man who had fought there. I could see how Pressfield probably incorporated some of his thinking into the novel.

Most highly recommended!!

Another solid read by Pressfield. Although it does not rise to the heights of his other works, "The Afghan Campaign" takes the perspective of a footsoldier following Alexander the Great in his conquest of Afghanistan. It offers a smaller, more human story that is intentionally cautionary of our country's own overseas adventuring.

If you like this, Pressfield's "The Virtues of War" is an easy recommendation.

Great book! Steven Pressfield has a unique gift for writing historical/military fiction. He seamlessly blended one soldier's tale with that of the entire campaign without having one overshadow the other. Probably my favorite aspect of this book is that the only difference between the way Alexander the Great and the Afghans fight compared to our modern day war in Afghanistan is the weapons used. I thought that was pretty fascinating considering the amount of time that has lapsed since the Macedonians marched through that part of the world.

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Imagine yourself preparing to go to battle against an unconquerable foe? How would you not only physically but mentally prepare? This is the journey that Steven Pressfield takes the readers through. As we follow Matthias from struggling to obtain his first kill to becoming head commander of his column. As the book progresses it becomes very obvious this is not the same boy from Macedonia. He has to watch his friends die and coem close to many near death experiences himself. For example, a treacherous climb through the mountains left his commander, Tollo, delirious from the freezing conditions. Matthias had to drag his dead friend back to the summit while also being frostbitten. He also deals with guilt from cheating on his wife back in Macedonia. On the march he calls a porter named Shinar his wife. He develops great feelings for her and they eventually get married. He tries to justify it by saying it was during a campaign. Yet it still bothers him. Pressfield did a great job tying together historical aspects with a great story about a soldier who loses his innocence. I loved the way Pressfield made sure to develop every character and location. I felt deeply immersed in the book and intrigued with how the characters would turn out. I also liked how he made sure to describe how Alexander The Greats army functioned. I learned a lot about how they would organize and fight. The formation was expalined and even how it would change depending on the circumstances. The only negative critique I have with this book is that the epilogue gave away a little too much. As it took place at the end of the war. i would have rathered not know whether Matthias would have survived or not. It also said how he ended up marrying Shinar. I wouldve liked if this was kept hidden. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in history. I felt like I was learning while reading. That is why I give this book 4/5 stars.

I'll recap here because I think my earlier note bears repeating, "Pressfield is amazing. Simply put. What he does in 44 pages...

This is already masterfully written. So many elements already included so seamlessly it's like this is a memoir straight from the time period."

I've now finished the book and what the author does in the first 44 pages spans across the entire novel. I love the way Pressfield writes, it's inspiring and pushes me to pick up the pen. He has a command over language that I envy at the moment. I'm pretty well-spoken and get my point across, or so I'm told (we can only get better, right?). With words Steven has the ability to touch emotional waters, once thought sacred to me as an individual, and pulls the curtain back to reveal humanity's virtue and vice as they are and as they are lived.

The book feels researched. Not everything is fiction. I suppose that's true of every novel now that I think about it...I feel the better for reading it. It glimpses history with cultures as distant physically as they are essentially and then it bridges them. It's a day-and-a-life for a soldier at war translated remarkably well. In all aspects. It reminds me of stories my papaw would tell me about World War II, which he always ended with a sombre and very serious tone saying, "war is hell."

I guess the best compliment I can give is that Pressfield reminds me of why I love storytelling. The reason I have for reading books and books like this is because it brings to life a tapestry from a superb imagination. I enjoyed the novel very much. Even after it tore out my heart and squeezed ever so slowly.

This is the second book of his I have read, and I've come to accept the fact that I just don't like Pressfield. The topics are interesting, which makes me want to like it, but the dialogue seems phony.