Voting Time

[nickw]

Hi Companions ---It's is time for our update of our Alexander Books Top 10 "The Christmas 2005 Edition". Is Heckel's Marshals still our No. #1 favourite? Does The Invisible Enemy deserve a higher ranking? Will Robin Lane Fox continue his desperate freefall since his illadvised contribution to Oliver Stone's boring epic? Has anyone read Into the Land of Bones yet? Or Baynham's Curtius? Are we at last developing some sympathy for Worthington's "Alexander the Accursed"?Please tell me. I will incorporate all comments --- on the Forum or by email --- in Alexander's Christmas 2005 Book Top 10.The basic ranking system: any book mentioned is 1 point. Previous ranking is also 1 starting point. Mentioning a book as your all time favorite is 3 points. Mentioning a book as the best runner up is 2 points.Everyone is invited to post or send votes. Deadline is December 22nd. If you don't want to share your thoughts on the Forum, please use: nickwelman -0- at -0- gmail -0- dot -0- com.Best regards ---Nick

[jan]

Hi Nick, Should we consider only contemporary authors?

[nickw]

Hi Jan ---Do as you like. It's your favorites.Nick

[marcus]

1. Heckel, The Marshals of Alexander's Empire
2. Holt, Alexander the Great in Bactria
3. Bosworth, Conquest and Empire
4. Holt, Into the Land of Bones
5. Holt, Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions
6. Heckel & Yardley, Alexander the Great: Historical Sources in Translation
7. Lane Fox, Alexander the Great
7=. Green, Alexander of Macedon, 356-323BC: A Historical Biography
9. Bosworth & Bayham, Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction
10. Wilcken, Alexander the GreatI haven't included any of the ancient authors in this list ...
10.

[nickw]

Thanks, Marcus! (Should we wait for the rest of the votes or just publish this one? Just kidding!)Regards ---Nick

[nickw]

Thanks, Marcus! (Should we wait for the rest of the votes or just publish this one? Just kidding!)Regards ---Nick

[amyntoros]

Well, I can't disagree with any of Marcus' selections, so instead of giving a full list I just want to add two more.First, the book that is still my favorite biography - John Maxwell O'Brien's Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy. A controversial book and probably a controversial choice, but I'll stand by my opinion. :-)The other book is a "first-timer" in my own list - Andrew F. Stewart's Faces of Power: Alexander's Image and Hellenistic Politics (Hellenistic Culture and Society). Though it's been mentioned here often enough over the years, I thought the cost prohibitive until I placed an interlibrary loan request to see what it's all about. The book arrived at a time when I couldn't read it in full before I had to return it, but I saw enough to know I finally had to cough up the purchase money. It would be worth it alone for one of the comprehensive appendices which includes all ancient sources in translation that refer to Alexander's appearance. Remember the thread recently that asked about Alexander's eyes? All the references are here, whether it was said he had blue eyes or one black and one grey. And there are more excerpts on other aspects of his appearance that I had never read before. My only regret is that I waited so long to purchase this book.Best regards,Amyntoros

[amyntoros]

Well, I can't disagree with any of Marcus' selections, so instead of giving a full list I just want to add two more.First, the book that is still my favorite biography - John Maxwell O'Brien's Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy. A controversial book and probably a controversial choice, but I'll stand by my opinion. :-)The other book is a "first-timer" in my own list - Andrew F. Stewart's Faces of Power: Alexander's Image and Hellenistic Politics (Hellenistic Culture and Society). Though it's been mentioned here often enough over the years, I thought the cost prohibitive until I placed an interlibrary loan request to see what it's all about. The book arrived at a time when I couldn't read it in full before I had to return it, but I saw enough to know I finally had to cough up the purchase money. It would be worth it alone for one of the comprehensive appendices which includes all ancient sources in translation that refer to Alexander's appearance. Remember the thread recently that asked about Alexander's eyes? All the references are here, whether it was said he had blue eyes or one black and one grey. And there are more excerpts on other aspects of his appearance that I had never read before. My only regret is that I waited so long to purchase this book.Best regards,Amyntoros

[nickw]

Thanks for you input Linda, very much appreciated.I must admit that I bought Faces of Power only because it appeared in our Top 10, mentioned by others. I didn't notice it before. And indeed, just like with Marshals, it is sometimes better to spend 70 dollars on a really good book than six times 20 dollars on disappointing ones.Regards ---Nick

[nickw]

Thanks for you input Linda, very much appreciated.I must admit that I bought Faces of Power only because it appeared in our Top 10, mentioned by others. I didn't notice it before. And indeed, just like with Marshals, it is sometimes better to spend 70 dollars on a really good book than six times 20 dollars on disappointing ones.Regards ---Nick

[nickw]

Thanks for you input Linda, very much appreciated.I must admit that I bought Faces of Power only because it appeared in our Top 10, mentioned by others. I didn't notice it before. And indeed, just like with Marshals, it is sometimes better to spend 70 dollars on a really good book than six times 20 dollars on disappointing ones.Regards ---Nick

[nickw]

Thanks for you input Linda, very much appreciated.I must admit that I bought Faces of Power only because it appeared in our Top 10, mentioned by others. I didn't notice it before. And indeed, just like with Marshals, it is sometimes better to spend 70 dollars on a really good book than six times 20 dollars on disappointing ones.Regards ---Nick

[Nicator]

1. Bosworth: "Conquest and Empire"
2. Green: "Alexander of Macedon"
3. Heckel & Yardley, Alexander the Great: Historical Sources in Translation
4. Heckel: "The Marshalls of Alexander's Empire"
5. Engels: "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army"
6. Fuller: "The Generalship of Alexander the Great"
7. Hammond: "The Genius of Alexander"
8. Arrian
9. Renault: "The Nature of Alexander"
10. Wilcken: "Alexander the Great"

[Nicator]

1. Bosworth: "Conquest and Empire"
2. Green: "Alexander of Macedon"
3. Heckel & Yardley, Alexander the Great: Historical Sources in Translation
4. Heckel: "The Marshalls of Alexander's Empire"
5. Engels: "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army"
6. Fuller: "The Generalship of Alexander the Great"
7. Hammond: "The Genius of Alexander"
8. Arrian
9. Renault: "The Nature of Alexander"
10. Wilcken: "Alexander the Great"

[nickw]

THNX --- Will be included.Regards ---Nick