Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors
 2020 Book jacket | |
| Author | Adrian Goldsworthy |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom, United States of America |
| Subject | Ancient Macedon, Ancient Greece, Ancient Persia |
| Genre | nonfiction |
| Publisher | Head of Zeus, Basic Books |
Publication date | October 13, 2020 |
| Media type | Print, Digital, Audio |
| Pages | 570+ |
| ISBN | 9781541646698 Hardcover |
| OCLC | 1143640045 |
| 938/.070922 B | |
| LC Class | DF233.8.A44 G65M 2020 |
| Website | Basic Books, Author website |
Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors is a single volume dual biography of Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great. It was written by Adrian Goldsworthy and published in 2020 by Head of Zeus in the United Kingdom and Basic Books in the United States.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Synopsis[edit]
This book is a historical biography about Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great. The book covers the lives of both men, from Philip's rise to power in Macedonia to Alexander's death in Babylon, a period of 78 years.[5] Goldsworthy argues that Alexander's success and achievements wouldn't have been possible without Philip. Philip's military reforms and victories, along with uniting the Greek city-states under Macedonian rule, laid the foundation for Alexander's future conquests..[2][8] Phillip built a strong army and greatly expanded his territory over decades. Then, due to his father's preparations, Alexander was able to launch campaigns that conquered significant swaths of Asia, the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and more territory all the way to the Indus River Valley.[1][2]
Philip II turned ancient Macedon from a backwater to a superpower of its day.[1][5] Philip and his army subdued the surrounding territories, and then heading south, conquered or politically controlled the ancient Greek poleis. [1] Diplomatically, he avoided invading ancient Athens, preferring instead a strong alliance for his planned invasion of the Persian Empire.[1][7] Stephen Batchelor, who reviews this book for Military History Matters says, "Through this narrative a clear picture emerges of Philip and Alexander as leaders, warriors, and politicians."[5]
About the book[edit]
The book is divided into three main sections that cover 31 chapters, and an epilogue. The section titles are: "Part One: Philip II", "Part Two: Alexander and Persia", and "Part Three: Lord of Asia."[7] It also has sixteen unnumbered pages of mostly colored plates, as well as maps and illustrations of battle formations. The book is referenced with notes for each chapter. It contains two appendixes, a bibliography and an index, showing that book is based on ancient and contemporary scholarly sources.[7] The work of sifting through the sometimes conflicting ancient sources to tell the story is also part of the narrative.[1][5]
Reception[edit]
James Romm for The Wall Street Journal writes, "[Goldsworthy's] Philip and Alexander is thus a compelling but temperate book, giving readers an in-depth but dispassionate account of its subjects."[1] Stephen Batchelor, writing for the Military History Matters review of this book says, "For readers both new to the period and those very familiar with it, there is much to enjoy and to ponder in this fast-paced, authoritative, and incisive study."[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g Romm, James (October 9, 2020). "'Philip and Alexander' Review: A Conqueror's Patrimony". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c Gray, Benjamin (September 10, 2021). "Kings of democracy: Monarchy and the Athenian city state". The Times Literary Supplement. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
- Full text is also available on Academic Onefile.
- ^ Pucknell, Danny (2021). "Philip & Alexander. Kings and Conquerors. (A.) Goldsworthy Pp.xliv +620, maps, b/W & colour PLS. London: Head of Zeus, 2020. Cased, £12.99. ISBN: 9781784978693". Journal of Classics Teaching. 22 (44): 122–123. doi:10.1017/S2058631021000313. S2CID 238044936.
- ^ "Review: Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors". Publishers Weekly. October 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Batchelor, Stephen (April 2021). "Review: Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors..." Military History Matters.
- ^ Donoghue, Steve (October 2020). "Philip and Alexander by Adrian Goldsworthy". Open Letters Review.
- ^ a b c d Goldsworthy, Adrian (2020). Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors. Basic Books. ISBN 9780465095506.
- ^ Goldsworthy, p.3
Further reading[edit]
- Grant, Richard (June 2020). "Was Philip of Macedon Even Greater Than His Son Alexander?". Smithsonian Magazine..
- Samuel, Alan E. (1988). "Philip and Alexander as Kings: Macedonian Monarchy and Merovingian Parallels". The American Historical Review. 93 (5): 1270–1286. doi:10.2307/1873539. JSTOR 1873539.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Head of Zeus (UK publisher).
- Author website
- Gage, Joan (25 December 1977). "Treasures from a Golden Tomb". The New York Times.
- The Rise of Macedon and the Conquests of Alexander the Great. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- "The Courts of Philip II and Alexander the Great." Published by De Gruyter. 2022.