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Peter G. Tsouras

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[(Alexander: Invincible King of Macedonia )] [Author: Peter Tsouras] [May-2004] Paperback – May 30, 2004

by Peter G. Tsouras (Author)

4.7 12 ratings

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Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.E.), who reigned as king of Macedonia for only thirteen years, set a flame of conquest that introduced the dynamism of Hellenism to the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and South Asian worlds. Re-creating their ossified cultures, he established a standard of leadership and military conquest that the most successful of Roman emperors, medieval knights, and steppe barbarians would never truly match. Julius Caesar wept that he could not surpass Alexander, while Napoleon could only dream of such invincibility. Alexander had the great fortune to be born the able son of Philip II, one of the most talented men of war and politics produced by the Hellenic world, who created for Alexander the foundation of the Macedonian state and army that would be the tools of his future greatness. Alexander’s invincibility was the product of his profound genius - the perfection of body, boundless energy, imagination, daring, intellect, and vision in one man. He was a master tactician, strategist, logistician, diplomat, and statesman, with an ability to win the affection and quick obedience of others. Even his enemies fell victim to his valor and charm. His personal attributes and accomplishments were so far removed from those of ordinary men that he achieved almost superhuman status within his lifetime. Above all, he was the preeminent man of war. Even today, as the noise of battle rattles Kandahar, a city in Afghanistan that Alexander named for himself, war clings to his name.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B010DTRLR2
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brassey's US (May 30, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English

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Virtuoso Fan

Best Concise Biography of Alexander the Great

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2007

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I'm a hardcore Alexandrophile (having read nearly 3 dozen books about this remarkable historic figure) and I can say that this work by Peter G. Tsouras is the best concise biography of the man I've read to date. Considering that it's part of a Military Profiles series, I expected the book to be a rather dry military academia that strictly focused on Alexander's military achievements. While it's true that the focus is on the military aspects of Alexander's extraordinary life and career, I was pleasantly surprised by the broad range of Alexander's life that Tsouras covered with such clear prose and lucid writing style.

Tsouras takes a very balanced view of Alexander in light of today's mudslinging between the extreme pro-Alexandrian and anti-Alexander schools of thought. Overall, Tsouras comes to a fairly positive outlook and conclusion when it comes to Alexander's achievements and legacy after having thoroughly examined both sides of the story. I also have a very positive view although I am very well aware of the mistakes Alexander had made during his life. I just do not think it's Alexander's fault that the latter day imitators who followed in his footsteps didn't realize that they didn't have his immense talents and noble intentions and only focused on his military successes of vanquishing his enemies and enjoying the spoils of the victories. Tsouras is very well aware of this as he points out that many have tried to equal or surpass Alexander but fell woefully short and simply committed atrocities on a huge scale.

This is an insightful book that is chock full of interesting information and is easy to read. If you have time for only one concise biography of the greatest conqueror the world has ever known, this is the one to get. It's real history but isn't dry or overbearing with esoteric academia as so many classical history books tend to be. Tsouras also lays out the military aspects of Alexander's career in a manner both military buff and the layman can easily digest and learn from. There has never been a leader and military commander quite like Alexander the Great. Tsouras shows you why in a clear and lucid manner. I ended up finishing this book over a weekend but I expect to come back to it over and over again in the future. It's highly recommended to both serious Alexandrophiles and novices alike.

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Twiggy

An interesting , concise, readable book for all.

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2018

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This compact little book contained information about Alexander that I didn’t learn in two previous books. It was quite readable, as well.

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Carolyn

Excellent Book about the Greatest of Warriors---Alexander!

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2015

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Peter Tsouras' book is only 121 pages long, but it is written in a very detailed and engaging style. The book tells of Philip's life and how he influenced his son. It describes Alexander's lifelong determination to be the best king and the best warrior. Alexander's great personal courage in battle and his unwavering courtesy toward women pervades this book. Mr. Tsouras goes over the battles of Issus and Gaugamela in great military detail which is also very readable. "Alexander: Invincible King of Macedonia" truly captures the personality and accomplishments of this great man whose personal magnetism is felt even after the passage of 23 centuries. It is a book that I highly recommend.

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Ralph H. Peters

A Great Look at Alexander

Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2004

This concise, vivid retelling of Alexander's life is simply without equal. As both an accomplished historian and a military man (and, for that matter, a Greek-American), Tsouras is uniquely qualified to write on the subject; as a result, he's produced an analytical military biography to rank alongside the work of J.F.C. Fuller. Yet, for all the insight, there isn't a dry page in this book. In less than a hundred pages, the author catches the color and fire of a lost world, reminding us why Alexander remains a mythical presence in remote parts where American soldiers are fighting today. One of those sudden geniuses whose appearance changes the world, Alexander has long fascinated a wide range of intellects (beginning with his teacher, Aristotle), and it would seem that nothing new could be added to the library of works that exist on the subject. What Tsouras adds to the Alexandrine story is clarity. Writing for a series that might be called "brief military lives" forced authorial selectivity on the work. The result is not only the most lucid biography available of Alexander the Great, but one of the clearest, most readable biographies of any of the figures of antiquity. The writers of the classical age, from playwrights down to Plutarch, understood the art of capturing the total character in the gesture or the sculpted sentence. Tsouras has produced a highly readable biography that needs not one additional word, but couldn't spare one he included. It's a fine read, more relevant than one might at first think. And, if nothing else, with a big-budget Hollywood "sword-and-sandal" bio-pic of Alexander on the way, it's worth the while of any intelligent reader/viewer to learn about the man himself before settling down with the popcorn. Finally, I have to add that I've been a fan of Tsouras's broad body of work for years. I make no pretense of being anything less than a great admirer of his books--and only wish I could persuade still more readers to give him a try. His biography of Alexander is a great place to start.

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