Latest Books.. ?

[athenas owl]

So today is my birthday and my tolerant husband has given me carte blanche (read, his money) to buy books on Alexander. He politely didn't pale in my presence when I told him that at least three of the books I wanted were over a hundred dollars a pop. What a guy!

Any suggestions on the newer books on Alexander and his period are welcome. Persian, Indian, and other areas included.

[marcus]

So today is my birthday and my tolerant husband has given me carte blanche (read, his money) to buy books on Alexander. He politely didn't pale in my presence when I told him that at least three of the books I wanted were over a hundred dollars a pop. What a guy!

Any suggestions on the newer books on Alexander and his period are welcome. Persian, Indian, and other areas included.

I'm currently reading "Alexander the Great in Legend" (I think that's the title) by Richard Stoneman, which is a revised and expanded version of his 1994 book "Legends of Alexander the Great". It's excellent, dealing with the various stories of the Alexander Romance and looking at how they were disseminated into the literature of other countries (eg. Persia specifically, but also into the Medieval legends/literature). There are other stories that aren't in the Romance but which feature Alexander, and he looks at those, too. I'm about two thirds of the way through, and it was an excellent buy!

I also have on the shelf the new Waldemar Heckel book, "The Conquests of Alexander the Great", although that appears to be a bit of a short dollop; and "Alexander the Great Failure" by John D. Grainger, which has an interesting hypothesis. I haven't embarked on either of those two, yet.

If you don't already have it, though, I would heartily recommend ... nay, insist ... on "Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great" by Waldemar Heckel. Superb!

ATB

[amyntoros]

Hi Athenas Owl:

I'm going to suggest a few books, none of which are "new" Alexander books, but you might not know of them. First up a novel … and one that was out-of-print and impossible to find for under $100 until recently.

Alexander (Hesperus Modern Voices) by Klaus Mann
It is difficult to know where to begin with this book. Mann's Alexander is a dark Alexander and you won't like him. I don't like his Alexander, and I'm not sure that anyone will. In fact, I suspect that even people who hate Alexander will say "No, no. This is not Alexander." There are so many things wrong in (and with) this novel that even when it is historically accurate there's still an underlying sense that something is just not quite right. David Carter in his 2007 introduction says that Mann "studied several of the sources thoroughly, including Aristotle and Plutarch, and the nineteenth century German history of Alexander … by Johann Gustav Droysen." This is undoubtedly true, but knowing the sources did not deter Mann from playing fast and loose with history, or from being utterly inventive whenever he felt like it. For instance ... Cleitus is the same age as Alexander and is the most beautiful boy at court ... it is he who Alexander truly loves and he who rejects Alexander ... the men of the army are all as young as Alexander, "none of them older than twenty-five" (oh, Paralus will choke at that one! ) ... the speech which brings about the death of Cleitus is his telling of the story of Gilgamesh ... Roxane is actually the Amazon Queen and their marriage is not consummated! I could go on and on, but I wouldn't want to spoil it for you! There is, however, an occasional flash of sheer genius in the storytelling, such as a particularly delightful little twist concerning Arrhidaeus.

Undoubtedly there are some Pothosians who remember how much I dislike historical inaccuracy in novels and they must be wondering why I, of all people, would recommend this book. Because I couldn't put it down! Part of me was fascinated by how Mann twists, bends and alters history in order to give substance to his vision of Alexander. And part of me just wanted to know where on earth he was going with the story! Well, when I came to the end I found out ... and it was a doozy ... one of those "Oh, no he didn't!" moments when your jaw drops in shock and amazement. Or perhaps shock and horror. I have to say something important here though. If you want the full effect of the ending DO NOT READ JEAN COCTEAU'S FOREWARD OR DAVID CARTER'S INTRODUCTION until after you have finished the story. Carter's intro contains a spoiler and Cocteau's foreword hints at it also. Better to reach the end without knowing any of this, trust me.

Jeanne Reames has a great review on her Beyond Renault site. Probably best to read it before deciding whether to purchase the book anyway. I cannot tell you that I like the book in the way that I would say I like Renault's Alexander fiction. It is not, however, easily forgotten and I haven't regretted the purchase.

Another book - and this one I wholeheartedly recommend - is probably not on your radar because it isn't about our boy (although there is a brief sub-chapter about the Roman view of Alexander). It is Memories of Odysseus: Frontier Tales from Ancient Greece The book wasn't on my radar either, and I've no recollection of exactly how or why it ended up on my wish list. When I purchased it quite recently I expected it to be all about the Odyssey, another one of my interests. I wasn't at all disappointed, however, to find that the book is actually about how the Greeks saw themselves and how they saw "The Other" (Hi Fiona! ) and how these perceptions changed during the course of history. The following is from the BMCR Review:

For some years now, the study of the other has been a concern of scholars of antiquity. Hartog himself is the author of a groundbreaking exploration of Herodotus in which the issue of otherness was analyzed with sophistication and charm (Le miroir d'Hérodote: essai sur la représentation de l'autre, 1980 [new edition, 1991], which appeared in English, in 1988, as The Mirror of Herodotus: The Representation of the Other in the Writing of History, also translated by Janet Lloyd). In the book under review, Hartog continues the discussion of otherness, and he does so here through analysis of travel and travellers. The book is a sustained and stimulating inquiry into cultural identity, alterity, and memory through the figure of the traveller. For Hartog, the travel voyage functions "as a discursive operator and a narrative device" through which he can better understand Greek self-definition, identity, openness, and attitudes to the foreign. He is interested less in the Realien of travel than in travel as a trope. Readers interested to learn about the facts and figures of ancient travel should read the work of scholars such as Lionel Casson or any number of articles in the standard handbooks and encyclopaedias. Readers also interested in understanding how the issue of travel opens onto questions of identity, otherness, cultural memory, and poetic anthropology should read this book. Hartog's book is not concerned solely with these questions, and those who ask him to go with them and be their guide will appreciate his extraordinary learning and acute mind.

Hmmm, am now thinking I might buy Hartog's Herodotus book also!

For a more traditional book concerning Alexander, how about Macedonia: From Philip II to the Roman Conquest by Rene Ginouves? It's a coffee table book and it won't inspire much in the way of debate, but I think it's worth the price for the photographs alone, especially if you buy it from one of the Amazon Marketplace dealers. I love it anyway. And there's a BMCR Review for this book also – by Waldemar Heckel, no less. I was bemused that he chose to review such a book, however he does recommend it!

In essence, however, the main purpose of Macedonia from Philip II to the Roman Conquest is the understandable, and not unwelcome, desire to put on display the splendid sites and artifacts of the Macedonian world. The end result is what looks and reads like a National Geographic article that seems never to end. And I trust that there will be many who will regard the purchase of the book for $75.00 as a good investment and will display it proudly in their livingrooms or studies.

Finally, a book that I'm unable to "recommend" because I haven't read it yet, but I'm chaffing at the bit until I have enough money put aside to make my next Amazon purchase (I like to pick up 3 or 4 books at a time). It's Alexander's Revenge: Hellenistic Culture through the Centuries. Doesn't the title alone make you want to buy it? I had never heard of it until it came up recently on a publisher's list. Who'd have thought a book with such an intriguing title would have escaped our attention? There's no review on BMCR as far as I can tell, even though it was listed on their "Books Received for Review" page in April of 2004. Hmmm, perhaps it isn't that good of a book? I really don't know. The editorial review on Amazon says: "Ranging in field from education, art, music, literature, biblical studies, philosophy ... to demography, this collection of essays offers an interdisciplinary focus in the field of cross-cultural studies demonstrating how the world of Alexander is still shaping the present world situation." Well … makes ME want to read it anyway!

Best regards,

[amyntoros]

Oh, I almost forgot.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATHENAS OWL!

Mine is on the 17th. Unfortunately those closest to me are unlikely to give me carte blanche to purchase books! Can't think why. After all, I have only 242 books on my Amazon wish list at a total of around eight and a half thousand dollars. I could perhaps hope that after all the years of hinting my son might finally buy me an Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift certificate, but I should probably brace myself for something akin to last year's earrings. Don't get me wrong. The earrings would look wonderful if I were to take up belly dancing. But I'm sure you know how it is - if your kid buys you something you have to thank him with an Oscar winning smile and wear it at least once. I do think the earrings frightened the staff at my local Dunkin Donuts though.

Best regards,

[Paralus]

For instance ... Cleitus is the same age as Alexander and is the most beautiful boy at court ... it is he who Alexander truly loves and he who rejects Alexander ... the men of the army are all as young as Alexander, "none of them older than twenty-five" (oh, Paralus will choke at that one! :wink: ) ... the speech which brings about the death of Cleitus is his telling of the story of Gilgamesh ... Roxane is actually the Amazon Queen and their marriage is not consummated!

Oh my god! What a pile of fast dromedary dung!"None of them older than twenty-five"??!!

This bloke is evidently being published by National Enquirer? Any wonder I almost always find "historical" fiction a great disappointment.


Happy bloody birthday girl!

A few you might like - not exactly on Alexander but on his immediate legacy:

The Legacy of Alexander: Politicas, Warfare and Propaganda under the Successors by Bosworth.

Eumenes of Cardia by Ed Anson - particularly if he's paying...Just on which, it's on its way here, can your husband pay for mine too??

The indespensible Marshalls of Alexander's Empireby Heckel. And the impossibly sourced, referenced, indexed and informative From Cyrus to Alexander. This last has to be read to understand just how far accross a topic one very talented individual can be! Again, this is given that HE is paying.

Lastly, not on Alexander himself, but a "should be on everyone's bookshelf": The Greek Wars by Cawkwell.

Now, go spend that money!

[athenas owl]

Thank you all for the suggestions. And the good wishes Amyntoros. I know what you mean about the jewelry, I can't break the husband of this habit...but this year I convinced him that books would make me happier. Though my dearest friend who sells fine jewelry dropped a little gift wrapped box off on Monday from him...I haven't opened it, and won't till he returns from his latest fishing trip in a few days...I guess I should be flattered. Mostly I think I shall keep those two separate a few months before my birthday next year, the little conspirators! That, or I'll go to my grave like some Archaic Macedonian lady, taking it all with me! Maybe he can get me a wreath next year... or the Guennol Lioness.

I do own Heckel's "Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great". I have probably read it from cover to cover 10 times. What a great tool. There is one for the Seleucids by Grainger that I would dearly love to have, but used copies start at 350 USD, so carte blanche or not, I can't bring myself to plonk down for it...yet, because I really, really want this. "A Seleukid Prosopography and Gazetter" By John D. Grainger. The Stoneman book looks interesting.. I haven't read much about the romances and perhaps I should.

The Ginoeves book, is it like Linda Foreman' book? I didn't think her text was that great, but the pictures are lovely and useful. Would this book be similar? " Memories of Odysseus: Frontier Tales from Ancient Greece" sounds fantastic.

The Klaus book...hmmmm....I did buy Aubrey Menen's " A Conspiracy Of Women" on Jeanne Reames' reccie..I love it. Wry, but completely twisting the history. I have to say that a large part of my view of Alexander ( and certainly incorrect) is similar to his.

I did just order the Bosworth book, Paralus..am looking forward to it very much. The Anson book, thank you! I meant to order that, had read a BMCR review of it awhile back. Thank you for reminding me. I really do want to read that.

Has anyone read "Women in Ancient Persia, 559-331 BC (Oxford Classical Monographs)" by Maria Brosius?

And my own little pet area, the Troad. I have been looking for books about the history there, after the Trojan War era. The influences of the Aeolians, the Persians, and the indigenous folks..Athens influence, etc. The "great" Satrap's revolt, etc...

I came across this one:
"Troia and the Troad (Natural Science in Archaeology)" by Günther A. Wagner (Editor), at 150 USD at least. But no real luck. Can someone help?

Also, anyone familiar with this book?

"Wealth, Aristocracy and Royal Propaganda Under the Hellenistic Kingdom of the Mithradatids in the Central Black Sea Region of Turkey (Colloquia Pontica) (Colloquia Pontica)" by Deniz Burcu Erciyas?

Or this one? "The Culture and Social Institutions of Ancient Iran"
by Muhammad A. Dandamaev (Author), et al.


Thank you again for the suggestions...

I did buy these books:

"Before Alexander: Constructing Early Macedonia" by Borza as well as "In the Shadow of Olympus"..very belated purchases. As is this one by Bosworth: "Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction".

"Alexander the Great: Historical Sources in Translation" and other translations of the histories.

"Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State " by Richard Billows

RLF's "The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian "

"The Legacy of Alexander: Politics, Warfare and Propaganda under the Successors" by Bosworth.

And Taphoi's "The Lost Tomb of Alexander The Great".

None of them new, but I've only them read from Google Books, I feel so pedestrian...nothing earth shatteriing.

The archaeology has out paced the publications in the last decade...in Macedonia, Turkey (anyone seen pics of the Can Sarcophagus?) and certainly in Iran...I have hunted for books on ancient India, but am still finding my way around the Indian scholars. So frustrating..I have to stay away from Rogueclassicism...

[amyntoros]

The Ginoeves book, is it like Linda Foreman' book? I didn't think her text was that great, but the pictures are lovely and useful. Would this book be similar?

Not at all. Macedonia from Philip II to the Roman Conquest is a large format book – 12-1/4” by 9-3/4” and it comes with a sleeve, albeit a rather cheap one (akin to Macy's store gift boxes). The text isn't a chronological history – reads more like a series of articles. Here's the index:

The Emergence of Macedonia
The natural and human resources
The rise of Macedonia

The Macedonia of Philip II

Alexander and the Diadochi
Alexander
The Diadochi
The organization of the kingdom

Cities and sanctuaries of Macedonia
The palaces
The cities
Cults and myths
The setting of everyday life

The "Macedonian tombs"
Architecture and rituals
The tombs of Vergina
The tombs of Lefkadia
The tomb of Langada
The tomb of Pydna
The monumental cist tombs
Macedonian tombs and Greece

Macedonian dedications outside Macedonia
Olympia
Megalopolis
Oropos
Delos
Samothrake
Other notable buildings
Macedonian baroque

The End of the kingdom of Macedonia
Macedonia in Greek history

I haven't read much of the text yet (the size of the book prohibits me from curling up with it in bed which is when I do most of my reading) so I can't say too much about it. Here's Heckel’s full BMCR Review

In the 'Preface' (p. 9), the General Editor expresses the hope that this book 'would interest enthusiasts of unusual archaeological discoveries and devotees of history; ... would please lovers of fine books and fine pictures and would be of use to teachers and to students; ... would offer an accessible synthesis to curious readers and make available to researchers as much factual and bibliographical information as possible, particularly with regard to recent discoveries.' In short, a 'coffee table' book for those who love Macedonia and its physical remains. And, in this light, it must be evaluated.

After a brief 'Preface' and 'Introduction', the book comprises seven chapters ('The Emergence of Macedonia' 16-43; 'The Macedonia of Philip II' 44-57; 'Alexander and the Diadochi' 58-81; 'Cities and Sanctuaries of Macedonia' 82-143; 'The "Macedonian tombs"' 144-91; 'Macedonian dedications outside Macedonia' 192-219; 'The end of the kingdom of Macedonia' 220-30), notes, bibliography, indices, glossary, list of figures, list of contributors, and 'Table of Contents'. The text has been translated from the French into highly readable English by David Hardy.

About two-thirds of the book concerns itself with archaeology and physical remains -- even more than that, if the pictures which accompany the 'historical' narrative are taken into account. The professional historian, whose field is Makedonika, will earn little that is new from the book, which offers an overview of material published with greater precision elsewhere. The teacher of history, art history or archaeology, for whom the Macedonian world is not a primary area of research, will find it a valuable tool and, in places, a breath-taking introduction to a part of the Mediterranean (and Balkan) world which has until recently been too little known.

As with most, if not all, 'coffee table' books the narrative is thin and occasionally misleading (though preposterous remarks -- like that on p. 59, which claims that the panel on the Alexander Sarcophagus showing the battle of Issos or, possibly, Gaugamela 'may depict Demetrios Poliorketes and Antigonos Monophthalmos' -- are rare). Similarly the book's aim to 'make available as much factual and bibliographical information as possible' must be taken to mean, 'as much as one can possibly squeeze in between or around the photographs'. Of course, such books never are terribly detailed, but the notes and bibliography show clear signs of the book's origins as a French and Greek enterprise: the contributions of Greek and French scholars predominate. Now, in the French edition, such a bias is acceptable, since the general reader will want to supplement his reading with works in his own language. The general reader whose first (and perhaps only) language is English will find the literature provided on pp. 236-41 less helpful; and, indeed, many English titles are, in fact, those of articles published in modern Greek.

Predictably, the strong point of the book is the excellent discussion of the Macedonian tombs excavated at Vergina in the last two decades by M. Andronicos and his colleagues (Chapter 5), and those at Lefkadia and Derveni found earlier. Here we are treated to succinct but informative descriptions, complete with dimensions, line-drawings, floor-plans and beautifully detailed photographs (note, for example, the treatment of the painting of the 'Abduction of Persephone', pp. 154-6, or the detail of the Derveni krater, pp. 188-91). The identifications of certain more interesting tombs as those of Eurydike (mother of Philip II), Philip II and 'the Prince' (possibly Alexander IV) reassert, naturally enough, conclusions drawn by Andronicos, Hammond and their supporters. Chapter 6, especially the sections on Delos and Samothrace, are equally remarkable for their exquisite plans and photos.

In essence, however, the main purpose of Macedonia from Philip II to the Roman Conquest is the understandable, and not unwelcome, desire to put on display the splendid sites and artifacts of the Macedonian world. The end result is what looks and reads like a National Geographic article that seems never to end. And I trust that there will be many who will regard the purchase of the book for $75.00 as a good investment and will display it proudly in their livingrooms or studies.

Must say that on my first inspection the misinformation about Demetrios Poliorketes and Antigonos Monophthalmos leapt right out of the page, and I'm rather pleased that such remarks are rare. I think it will be an interesting read, even if the archaeological info is a little dated now – the book was published in 1994. But oh, it is worth it for the pictures alone! Full page and double page photos of the Vergina tomb of "Eurydice" showing the chair in situ; close-ups of mosaics at Pella; half-page photographs of the lunettes in the tomb of Lyson and Kallikles; unretouched close-ups (again full page) of some of the wall paintings in the Vergina tombs, etc. And all in glorious color! And unlike Forman's book, all the photos are of Macedonian excavations and findings. Now that I've discovered this book I can only hope that they will publish another one with details of more recent excavations.

Has anyone read "Women in Ancient Persia, 559-331 BC (Oxford Classical Monographs)" by Maria Brosius?

Yes, I have. Buy it! I know you won't find the answer to all your questions about ancient Persian women because I didn't either. Biggest problem is that much information is lost in the mists of time. Brosius, however, does a marvelous job - her book is the best (the only?) book of its kind. And watch out for her brief mention of Barsine where she says Barsine was married to Alexander! Daniel Ogden said the same thing in his Polygamy, Prostitutes and Death. Oooh, there's another book that I highly recommend! It isn't available on Amazon, but there are two or three copies at around $84 to $100 dollars available from independent booksellers. If interested, go to Addall.com and use the "Used and Out of Print" link on the masthead to search for the book. Anyway … now what was I saying? Ah, yes. I asked Daniel Ogden why he thought Barsine and Alexander were married. His answer was brief, but priceless .. and quite convincing. Really must reactivate that An illegitimate Son thread one of these days so I can add Ogden's comment. Haven't done it yet because I will have to first clean up all those horrible and annoying little "codes" which have breeding in half of the posts. Am sure everyone has seen them in older threads – GÇÖ and GÇô are the most common. I figured out what they are and why they infect us. If one writes a post in Word and then copies it to the forum, after some unknown period of time the forum software converts all apostrophes and hyphens to these codes. The forum typeface uses only "straight" apostrophes, but Word doesn't have a single typeface which is compatible. These days when I copy a post to the forum I go through the whole darn thing, changing all the apostrophes, etc. Truly annoying, but still better than composing online and then losing every word if I'm bounced off unexpectedly!

Best regards,

[marcus]

Hi Athenas Owl.

The Stoneman book looks interesting.. I haven't read much about the romances and perhaps I should.

I got the title slightly wrong - that's what happens when you have so many unread books by your bed, and are in a completely different room when typing messages. The title is "Alexander the Great: A Life in Legend".

It is very good, although at times I find myself flicking back through the pages, trying to work out exactly which legend, and in which version, I am reading about ...

ATB

[marcus]

I asked Daniel Ogden why he thought Barsine and Alexander were married. His answer was brief, but priceless .. and quite convincing. Really must reactivate that An illegitimate Son thread one of these days so I can add Ogden's comment. Haven't done it yet because I will have to first clean up all those horrible and annoying little "codes" which have breeding in half of the posts. Am sure everyone has seen them in older threads – GÇÖ and GÇô are the most common.

Can't you just tell us here and now? The corruptions in that old thread aren't that bad, anyway - more interesting to me was the fact that "Barsine" always appears in bold ... intriguing!

ATB

[athenas owl]

Thank you Marcus. I don't know why i haven't really delved into the Romances and legends..except maybe my interest has always been first archaeology and history.

And I am with you, I want to know! Amyntoros, tell us. And a review of the Bacchae, too...pretty please.

So several books showed up in the last couple of days. I am almost finished with Borza's "In the Shadow of Olympus". I think Borza is my favourite scholar (I thought that before anyway from bit and articles I have read online). It is interesting to read a book only 20 years old and know how much has been found since then...I am waiting for his other one I ordered, "Before Alexander: Constructing Early Macedonia".

Anyway, back to reading...

[marcus]

Thank you Marcus. I don't know why i haven't really delved into the Romances and legends..except maybe my interest has always been first archaeology and history.

I am the same - never really that interested in the Romance. However, as this isn't just about the Romance, but looks at how Alexander has insinuated himself into an almost world-wide mythos, it is fascinating. I'm still more interested in the historical Alexander, though!

So several books showed up in the last couple of days. I am almost finished with Borza's "In the Shadow of Olympus". I think Borza is my favourite scholar (I thought that before anyway from bit and articles I have read online). It is interesting to read a book only 20 years old and know how much has been found since then...I am waiting for his other one I ordered, "Before Alexander: Constructing Early Macedonia".

I really enjoyed "In the Shadow of Olympus", although I confess it's been a few years since I read it. I didn't know about "Before Alexander" ... oh dear, more money to spend ...

ATB

[Phoebus]

"Eumenes of Cardia" caught my eye, and I decided to have it waiting for me as a "Wecome back from Afghanistan, Phoebus" gift in my mailbox.

Paralus, I was going to ask you what you thought of it and then remembered that it's on its way to you, as well. Have you (or anyone else here) heard good things about it?

[Paralus]

Yes indeed I have Phoebus. Read a review late last year that was quite complimentary. The only picky part being over the Macedonian / Greek "bigotry".

Aside from that, I read a bit of Ed Anson's stuff when making certain of my facts for an article I was writing on the history of the Argyraspids (and the associated campaign of Iran) last year. Another I read just recently has convinced me the bloke is both an original and logical thinker.

Then again, I might just think along his lines and so find him agreeable! Will find out when the book ships.

[Paralus]

By the way Phoebus you won't find "Eumenes" at Amazon. Being so expensive and "restricted" I imagine its print run wasn't huge.

Best to get it from the Publisher: Brill Academic. Least you still get to pay for it in USD; I get to pay in Euros.

The pusillanimous pip-squeaks! Oh William, the pain, the pain.

[Phoebus]

Paralus,

Thanks for the info and the tip--I purchased the very last copy from Amazon, for $10 extra than Barnes and Noble, but it was a new copy. It didn't occur to me until just now that checking through Brill would have been a smart idea.

A side note... I never fail to be impressed by the depth of knowledge most of you here demonstrate when posting about this particular era, and I'm ashamed to admit that it never dawned on me that many of you here may have had articles, positions, even outright books published. Your mention of an article on Argyraspids caught my eye; I would love to add anything I can find on them in my (meager library). Is it in a periodical or journal that I could access or purchase?

Thanks again!