BY THE SPEAR by Ian Worthington ( 9780199929863 ) - Books & Audio Books at Pickabook.co.uk

Item Details

Title:

BY THE SPEAR
PHILIP II, ALEXANDER THE GREAT, AND THE RISE AND FALL OF THE MACEDONIAN EMPIRE

By:

Ian Worthington

Format:

Hardback

List price:

£30.49

Our price:

£22.26

Discount:

27% off

You save:

£8.23

ISBN 10:

0199929866

ISBN 13:

9780199929863

Availability:

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days.

Delivery rates

Stock:

Currently 1item in stock

Publisher:

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS INC

Pub. date:

2 June, 2014

Series:

Ancient Warfare and Civilization

Pages:

416

Description:

A unique military and cultural history that chronicles the reigns of Philip and Alexander the Great in one sweeping narrative

Synopsis:

Alexander the Great, arguably the most exciting figure from antiquity, waged war as a Homeric hero and lived as one, conquering native peoples and territories on a superhuman scale. From the time he invaded Asia in 334 to his death in 323, he expanded the Macedonian empire from Greece in the west to Asia Minor, the Levant, Egypt, Central Asia and "India" (Pakistan and Kashmir) in the east. Although many other kings and generals forged empires, Alexander produced one that was without parallel, even if it was short-lived. And yet, Alexander could not have achieved what he did without the accomplishments of his father, Philip II (r. 359-336). It was Philip who truly changed the course of Macedonian history, transforming a weak, disunited, and economically backward kingdom into a military powerhouse. A warrior king par excellence Philip left Alexander with the greatest army in the Greek world, a centralized monarchy, economic prosperity, and a plan to invade Asia. For the first time, By the Spear offers an exhilarating military narrative of the reigns of these two larger-than-life figures in one volume.Ian Worthington gives full breadth to the careers of father and son, showing how Philip was the architect of the Macedonian empire, which reached its zenith under Alexander, only to disintegrate upon his death. By the Spear also explores the impact of Greek culture in the East, as Macedonian armies became avatars of social and cultural change in lands far removed from the traditional sphere of Greek influence. In addition, the book discusses the problems Alexander faced in dealing with a diverse subject population and the strategies he took to what might be called nation building, all of which shed light on contemporary events in culturally dissimilar regions of the world. The result is a gripping and unparalleled account of the role these kings played in creating a vast empire and the enduring legacy they left behind.

Illustrations:

27 illus, 10 maps

Publication:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Returns:

Returnable

Some other items by this author:

A COMPANION TO ANCIENT MACEDONIA