Non-fiction book reviews #5

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Alexias
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Non-fiction book reviews #5

Post by Alexias »

NON-FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

The Medieval Alexander, George Cary (1928-1953), Cambridge, England, University Press, 1956
Reviewer: Forum Contributor


Excellent text for those interested in gaining perspective on how the medieval age viewed Alexander. The author asked the critical questions: 1. What did people think of Alexander in the Middle ages? 2. What did the moralists think of him? 3. What did the theologians think of him? 4. How was Alexander viewed during the Middle Ages? From these questions, George Cary (with some revisions by Dr. David Ross) drew a penetrating picture of how cultures and people interpret and mythologize historical figures, and, in doing so, can change the historical perception of a person or event. There is also some good discussion on the various sources for the development of the medieval Alexander. A must-have for the serious Alexander reader, given that the author’s style of analysis could be usefully applied to modern Alexander works as well. This was a good read, too, for exploring where many of our modern perceptions of Alexander probably derive from.

Alexander the Great (Life & Times), Nigel Cawthorne, Haus Pub., 2004, 192 p.
Reviewer: Marcus Pailing


Nigel Cawthorne is a professional writer rather than an academic, having written such books as “Sex Lives of the Great Dictators” and “Sex Lives of the Hollywood Screen Goddesses”. His book on Alexander should not be dismissed in the light of these lurid titles, however, for it is rather a good little volume. The publisher does not make it clear quite who this Alexander book is aimed at – it would, I suppose, work well as an introduction for the layman, or possibly as an overview for GCSE or even A-level students. It’s not a long book – 130-odd pages – and Cawthorne concentrates, with a few exceptions, on historical events according to the main sources. He adds some references from modern historians (notably Green and Lane Fox), but he also uses some cuneiform evidence. On the whole he makes no attempt to delve into Alexander’s psyche, which is what makes it appealing as a general introduction to Alexander. The book isn’t perfect. Cawthorne makes a few elementary errors, such as translating ‘hetairoi’ as ‘champions’, calling Prometheus a demi-god, and asserting that Alexander successfully introduced proskynesis after Callisthenes’ death. He also relies too heavily on some unproven assertions from the modern writers he uses. This leads to some bold polemics, such as an acceptance that Olympias was implicated beyond doubt in Philip’s murder; for this he references the unlikely stories about Olympias crowning Pausanias’ corpse. He also relies rather heavily on the vulgate; and the nature of the book does not allow a proper critical analysis of the sources. (However, to be fair, I was pleased to see that he omits any mention of Alexander’s alleged encounter with the Amazons.) I enjoyed the use Cawthorne makes of less well-known illustrations, which in itself is a good reason to buy the book. He fleshes out the text with informative ‘extra info boxes’, providing worthwhile source quotes, or additional information on people and events merely touched upon in the main text. It is also the best book I can remember reading for identifying ancient places with their modern equivalents (subject to controversy, of course). It is also appropriate to mention the list of Alexander websites Cawthorne gives at the back of the book, where Pothos gets an honourable mention. This is not the book for detailed study and academic source criticism. As a general overview it serves its purpose very well.

Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions, Frank L. Holt, University of California Press, 2003, 198 p.
Reviewer: Nick Welman


This is easily the most inspired book about Alexander that has a appeared in the last few years. Holt focusses only on one small fragment of Alexander's entire career --- the how, why and when of those few excavated Ancient medallions that show Alexander and his cavalry battling the Indian elephant corps of Poros. But Holt's search for the truth reads like an A-class detective novel. The first sentence of the book reveals it all: "This book aims to solve a great puzzle from the ancient past." And that is what it really is. Holt is guiding his readers along long, narrow and twisting roads, including the work of Charles Darwin for instance, which provides for a really fascinating journey through history. You will get a crash course in numismatics along the way, for a bonus. This is great reading for everyone. There are new aspects to discover for those with a long standing interest in Alexander. But even if you are a freshman, and if you have only read Michael Wood's illustrated 'Footsteps', the 'Elephant Medallions' is a great opportunity to broaden your knowledge in a truly enjoyable way. There is nothing wrong with this book, nowhere: all chapters and paragraphs all well written, to the point, and very amusing. I would figure that this a book not to be missed.

The Lost Histories of Alexander the Great, Lionel Pearson, American Philological Ass’n, 1960 (This was later reprinted by Scholars Press, 1983)

Features discussion on such texts as those by Callisthenes, Chares, Medeius, Polyclieitus, Nearchus, Ptolemy, Cleitarchus and others.

Alexander’s Path, Freya Stark, Overlook Press, 1988
Reviewer: Forum Contributor


Though this book is a travel diary based in Turkey, I found it more interesting than Michael Wood’s book. Ms Stark writes in an almost poetic style that can sometimes become too flowery, but she is a keen observer of people and places. I liked how she would comment on changes taking place that are beginning to destroy old routes and places, reminding us that it may be impossible in future to trace Alexander’s route easily. She wrote this book in 1988 and was already noting that many of the modernizations were destroying the appearance of the land and covering up traces of ancient routes and roads; she noted, too, that the landscape had changed much in the few years between this book and her first diaries written in the 1960’s.. so the text becomes valuable for the glimpses at what may be gone by now. One of the flaws of her writing is her tendency to apply modern moral views to the ancient world, especially as it concerns sexuality.

The Search for Alexander: An Exhibition, multiple contributors, New York Graphic Society Books, 1980
Reviewer: Forum Contributor


For most Alexanderphiles, this was the book in 1980. Published as a companion to the exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the book featured photographs and catalogue entries of the grave goods from the Vergina tombs. It is now considered a bit outdated in the text, but the photographs make it worth having.

Philip of Macedon, multiple contributors, Ekdotike Athenon S.A. 1980
Reviewer: Forum Contributor


Brief essays on the life of Philip of Macedon, as well as more from Manolis Andronicus on the tombs. Topics cover Philip as general, his relationships with other nations, his personality and his death.
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