The definitive biography of the towering hero of the classical world: a fearless general, the conqueror of the Persians, and the visionary ruler of a vast empire—from one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Greece. 
 
“An amazingly solid, balanced, and evocative view of the man.” —The Washington Post Book World 
 
Paul Cartledge gives us the most accessible, reliable, and intimate portrait of Alexander III of Macedon, the man himself, brilliantly evoking his remarkable political and military accomplishments, cutting through the myths to show why he was such a great leader. 
 
He explores our endless obsession with Alexander and gives us insight into both his capacity for brutality and his sensitive grasp of international politics. As he brings Alexander vividly to life, Cartledge also captures his enduring impact on world history and culture.

Alexander the Great is the towering hero of the classical world: a fearless general, the conqueror of the Persians, and the visionary ruler of a vast empire. In this seminal biography, Paul Cartledge, one of the world's foremost scholars of ancient Greece, gives us the most reliable and intimate portrait of the man himself.

Cartledge brilliantly evokes Alexander's remarkable political and military accomplishments, cutting through the myths to show why he was such a great leader. He explores our endless obsession with Alexander and gives us insight into both his capacity for brutality and his sensitive grasp of international politics. As he brings Alexander vividly to life, Cartledge also captures his enduring impact on world history and culture.

“May be the most accessible introduction in print.... An amazingly solid, balanced, and evocative view of the man.”
–The Washington Post Book World

“Readable and engrossing.... Immediate, discursive, insightful, and highly engaging.” –Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“Incisive and judicious.... What Cartledge does so well is explain the ancient world of Greeks and Persians.”
–The Sunday Seattle Times/Post-Intelligencer