Alexander: The Virtues of War

Having read Steven Pressfield's The Afghan Campaign which is most certainly one of the outstanding historical novels of this new century it was inevitable that I would turn to his earlier work. In Alexander: The Virtues of War Pressfield goes where few historical novelists dare to tread, he puts himself in the mind and personality of the towering figure of Alexander the Great and makes him narrate his own story. Using this method Pressfield reveals a character far from the self-centred glory hunting despot of some other works. Tutored by Aristotle but heavily influenced by his father's officers, well aware of the rift between his parents and anxious to claim the approbation of them both he is beginning to draw closer to his father when he is assasinated almost before his eyes and rumour places the blame at his door. After winning his father's officers to his side he begins the series of campaigns that make his name a byword for military genius and inspire other generals from Julius Caesar to Napoleon to imitate and try to surpass him. Alexander sees his conquests as more that just loot gathering brigandage on a massive scale but a chance to establish a stable and long lasting political entity encompassing all the peoples of his new empire. His promotion of Persian nobles and others into his personal circle did not go down well with his Macedonians and leads to potentialy dangerous friction. Alexander is also forced to confront the practical limits of his power as he changes from a local warlord to the administrative pinnacle of a complex and wide ranging empire. He finds himself powerless to stamp out cruel and corrupt practices that have become intrinsic parts of the administrative structure. (Tell us about it!) Steven Pressfield has written a book of outstanding quality which will be read for many years to come and can be compared with the greats of previous generations such as Robert Graves and Mary Renault.