Chicken soup for the hoplite soul.

my fascination with Alexander the great started with this book. pressfield, as always depicts battles in a way that makes you feel like you were there with the burning desire to fight alongside those ancient heroes and achieve glory. as if that wasn't enough, the philosophies and lessons presented in this book on what it is too be a soldier and what it means to be a man were truly captivating and inspiring. great read!

La lectura de este libro se me hizo larguísima en su momento al tratarse de una novela histórica. No obstante, leerlo vale la pena, a pesar de que no necesariamente todo lo que está ahí coincide con la realidad histórica, porque representa una fiel adaptación a la vida y obra de Alejandro Magno, el conquistador de Asia Menor. Expone su vida temprana, el autor recrea de una manera única y crea a un Magno diferente al que a veces acostumbramos a ver en los libros de historia. Nos enteramos que Alejandro era austero, humilde, psicótico y un apasionado, más allá de sus facultades en el campo de batalla y la estrategia. Además de centrarse en Alejandro, la historia va en torno a otros personajes como Hefestión, Seleúco, Ptolomeo y el resto de sus generales, posteriormente llamados diádocos. Interesado por el título, que en español es La Conquista de Alejandro, lo compré en una tienda de garage mientras estaba de viaje y valió la pena, además porque el precio era diminuto y porque acabé sacando una buena tajada del libro en cuanto a conocimientos, me enganchó algunos días. Recomendable.

I think the disappointment is stronger when you’ve read something before by the same author, something that you really loved, and about someone you’re interested in. So, yes, I was disappointed in this book. Especially since it started out so well. The book is written in the first person, something I don’t normally care for. But Pressfield had captured Alexander’s voice so eloquently.

Unfortunately, all Alexander wanted to talk about was war. Every iota of it. Each battle was described, bloody strike by bloody strike. He’s describing all this sort of like a memoir to Itanes, one of his brother-in-laws. I’m surprised the guy could stay awake.

The sections that were more about Alexander’s life, his friends, his family, are so sparse, that little is shown of what made the man, why he was the way he was. It’s just one battle after another. The book has no soul.

There are very few stories in the short history of civilization that can match that of Alexander the Great. The name alone inspires a kind of awe, and after reading Steven Pressfield's impressive historical-fiction account, I feel as though I have a better appreciation for just how amazing Alexander's life was. In his twenties he was breaking apart the Sacred Band of Thebes, assaulting the Persian empire, and conquering further and faster than anyone to the time had dreamed of doing. It's one thing to abstractly think, "Wow, Alexander controlled most of the known world at 32." It's quite another to be dropped into the battles, understand just how outnumbered he was most of the time, and the staggering genius it took to break the Persian empire in two.

Pressfield's style is one that I can understand how a few people might be turned off. Personally, I loved it. I enjoy military history, and so I have no problem with Alexander, in the first person, explaining exactly how the battle is going to go, and then having the actual battle scene follow. Pressfield's basic out is this: he's doing equal parts history and fiction, and not sacrificing either. Not to mention, being a tactician, this doubling up on battles makes a certain sense in the context of who Alexander is.

Aside from fantastic battle sequences, Pressfield found a clear voice for one of history's most extraordinary figures. Pressfield's Alexander is very aware of himself. On the one hand he's Alexander, a man who just loves being a soldier. On the other hand he's 'Alexander,' conquerer of the world, thought by many to be a deity, needing to plant his flag for his age and all the ages to follow by reaching the ends of the earth. He struggles to match his lofty dreams with the realities of a discontented army far from home in the sweltering heat of India. Through his own eyes we come to understand why people were able to love him so easily, and how dedicated he was to a singular ambition. The complexities, rewards and challenges of being the most powerful man to ever live bring life to what is usually the monotone of a history book.

On the fact front, it seems that Pressfield really did his homework. Sometimes when I read historical fiction and research the stuff later, discrepancies begin to appear. With what little I know of Alexander's conquest, Pressfield is as true to history as he is to telling a gripping story. Education and entertainment. What a concept.

Very, very solid novel. A real page-turner. Highly recommended, particularly to anyone interested in ancient history.

"The sarissa's song is a sad song.
He pipes it soft and low.
I would ply a gentler trade, says he,
But war is all I know."

I imagine that if reading about ancient battle strategy is your happy place, this is a pretty darn good book.
I must say, though - after all the build-up to Gaugamela, I really didn't understand how the battle ended up resolving. Seemed like a miss to me.
Also, who rules the kingdoms while the kings are out battling for decades?

Edit: this was a rec from my dad, he said it's the best book he's read

Gives a good fictional account of Alexander the Great, his rise to power, and his aggressive leadership style. "I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a lamb. I am afraid of an army of lambs led by a lion." One of Alexander's thoughts that give insight to his concept of leadership and what he expected from his generals on the field. Great tactical explanations that tell how the Macedonian army defeated the Persian army multiple times with a smaller force.

A fictional account of Alexander's life in 1st person. It has some interesting points, but it reads more like Pressfield's philosophy than Alexander's. It does have some amazing descriptions of battles, including the Granicus, Issus and especially Gaugamela. It would probably help if you know at least the basics of Alexander's life because the names abound, and can easily become confusing.

Strangely as I continued to read, the less I liked Alexander. His struggle to control his 'daimon', which is not an easy word to translate, brings out the bad and the good of his character. Pressfield leaves it to Hephaestion to question some of Alexander's actions, which Alexander professes to love about him, but you also have to wonder if that's mainly for 'publication' as they say.

I did enjoy the book, but frankly I think the real Alexander wouldn't have felt the need to express himself so much. He was what he was, take it or leave it.

The way Alexander tells his story from his point of view through Steven Pressfield's talented writing brings you back to that time. I am now more than ever interested in all the events of that time, and how those have formed the western society and philosophy of which we build upon today. This is a book I will return to, and one that honors its title, as it is filled with principles and virtues one can learn from and apply to today's life. There is much knowledge and psychology intertwined in the story and its characters. Characters I have grown affection and respect for.
I look forward to reading and learning from other books by Steven. Thank you.

Maybe Pressfield should have just written a military history of Alexander the Great. Way too many technical details about the military campaigns and the glorified version of Alexander portrayed in this novel seems unwarranted. So maybe Pressfield should NOT have tried his hand at an actual history...

This is my third historical novel by Steven Pressfield, following The Gates of Fire and Killing Rommel, and it's another engaging addition to his body of work. Coming into this, I didn't know much about Alexander the Great, but was excited to learn more through Pressfield's fictionalised lens.

As with his other works, he does justice to the subject matter, creating a vivid and immersive narrative. The book tracks Alexander's life and exploits from before his father's death to his own untimely end. It's an inspiring and fascinating journey, exploring not only the grand scale of his military campaigns but also the intimate details of his leadership and relationships with his officers and army.

Pressfield has a knack for bringing historical figures to life in a way that feels authentic and deeply human. That said, I've always found large-scale battles in Pressfield's books a bit of a struggle. He has a stylistic habit of cataloguing the individual units and forces involved in great detail, which can feel unnecessary and somewhat tedious at times. However, this doesn't detract from the overall impact of the story.

This is a great read for anyone interested in leadership, war, military history, or historical fiction in general. It's both a compelling narrative and a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to lead on and off the battlefield.

Come ammesso dall'autore, le battaglie descritte non rispettano il corretto ordine cronologico ma, a meno di non essere un "purista", non ha nessuna importanza. Un romanzo che ti fa affezionare non poco ad Alessandro