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Ian Worthington
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Alexander the Great - Man & God (04) by Worthington, Ian [Paperback (2004)] Unknown Binding

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4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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Alexander the Great - Man & God (04) by Worthington, Ian [Paperback (2004)]
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Longman, Paperback(2004)
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008CMKK7Q
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.6 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

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Ian Worthington

Ian Worthington

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4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Caleb Logsdon
5.0 out of 5 stars Questioning the Legend
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2012
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This book really is easy to read and flows rather easily. The author lays out the history and while doing such, talks about events that were going on at that time and gives other opinions why certain actions were taken. It really collects most of the evidence out there for Alexander the Great and compiles it and gives you the story with specifics without feeling like you are bogged down reading a textbook.

This man that many people consider to be a great human being conquered a lot of the world. However in doing so, he also slaughtered millions, not only in battle but he had is armies kill civilian populations. He might even had a hand in the assassination of his father just like it is possible his men, the ones closes to him, might have had a hand in killing him. He was a great tactician but is it possible that his reputation as a great general is undeserved because he may have faced overwhelming numbers but the quality of those troops was like comparing little league to the majors? And the leaders he faced were more likely to run than fight? Also, was he great because he forged the force and conquered the lands or is it because he was set up by his father with the best fighting forces at that time and an economy that could support it?

Be the judge, read this book.
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Nadia Azumi
3.0 out of 5 stars How can a man become a god? By doing something that a man cannot do.
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2008
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The quantity of books that I have read of Alexander the Great are self explanatory in by looking at my comments.
I was born in the first Alexandria that he created and from his dreams. Mixtures of cultures.Italians came centuries ago,hence I was born.
It is very hard to judge Alexander,as all of the papyruses regarding his life and conquest were distroyed when the library of Alexandria was burned down centuries after his death.
However some and other related documents have survived the centuries.It is hard not to admire such a bright kid,who captured the lives of many over the centuries with his astonishing tactics of war.
Many books have been written and I am sure that many more will come.The point however is that nothing new has been discovered,therefore these are all assumptions of his character and megalomaniac attitudes.This book is very well written,with some sections that are new to me.How did these come to be,and not by famous historians I am not sure.
There are more details in this book about Bessus,the women in Darius life,the invasion of Sogdiana,Bactria,the Hindu Khush.Details of the cities that Alexander invaded with the actual modern location is important for the reader.
It is not a stunning book but very well written.
To me Alexander was not born a conqueror instead he was a discoverer.He wanted to discover the world,but in doing so he had to invade in order to go on.He did not seem to be interested in gold and precious things rather he gave them away.
His tactics for war,were cunning and seemed like a little kid playing with tin soldiers with his friends.
I still have not read or heard of anyone in history who has accomplished so much in such a little time in his life.
I liked the maps with the details of the assaults in this book.as well as the maps altogether.I like to follow the trails of the battles.
He certainly was not a God, never the less you can find him in the Bible as well as the Koran.Isn't that strange?
A lot of discoveries and archaeological sights have been discovered in Alexandria Egypt in recent years.Still the mystery remains.Where is Alexander's body? Are we every going to find him? I hope so.
If we do, we may also discover the papyruses that were also buried with him.What a breakthrough in history that would be.
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James
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellence
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2014
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Ian Worthington is by far the best author when it comes to Alexander and or Phillip II. I found this book difficult to put down, he is detailed and meticulous but at the same time makes history exciting and fun. What I also love about Mr. Worthington is that he does not hide his feelings towards Alexander, writes as such, and gives clear reasons as to why he does not like him. However he still gives the reader the information and freedom to decide for themselves how to view Alexander, as a great human being, or a meglomaniacal mass murderer.
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Mellow C
4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2005
This book is a wonderful chronical both of Alexander the Great's life and conquests. It's primary strength is in the amount of sheer details of Alexander's conquests, his social programs, etc. By reading this book you'll get an excellent understanding of the politics during his time, the practical difficulties that Alexander had conquering such vast regions, and the various ramifications of Alexander's decisions.

However, this book does go a bit politically correct when it gets into the issue of whether Alexander the Great should be called "the great" or "the accursed" (which btw the Iranians seem prefer...seems they haven't gotten over Alexander ending their golden age). Although, to be fair the author does lay out a good case for relabeling Alexander "the accursed"...or at least acknowledging that his legacy was mixed.

This book does an excellent job imparting a comprehensive understanding of Alexander the great, his life and his effect on history, etc. You even learn enough to see how thing could have gone differently (if Alexander had an obvious heir when died, if he accepted the proposal of Darius to accept all land west of the Euphrates, if he had lived longer and conquered Arabia and Carthage which he was planning on doing).
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Top reviews from other countries

Argyraspid
3.0 out of 5 stars disappointing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2017
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After reading Ian Worthington’s book Philip II, King of Macedonia, I had high hopes for a book about Alexander by the same author.
Alexander the Great, Man and God follows Alexander from the first day when he became king after the assassination of his father, Philip II of Macedonia, until his death in Babylon.

The author expresses a surprising and unexpected strong opinion of Alexander as he clearly is pro-Philip while here he appears as an anti-Alexander. At times I find it difficult to accept this point of view, but that is evidently a matter of opinion. Each and every historian writing about Alexander has his own appreciation and conclusions.

For me, the most inspiring chapters are the last ones in this book where Worthington analyses the impact of Alexander’s untimely death in the then known world and the imprint he left for posterity. The author also takes a closer look at the “Man and God” part of his title, quoting very appropriately the Indian philosophers Alexander consulted when he was in that country. “How can a man become a god?” was his question, and the answer he received was “By doing something a man cannot do”. Whether this quote is true or pure propaganda is open for discussion, of course, but the subject is worth consideration. Another chapter, "Philip’s Ghost", develops the role which Philip as a king played in Alexander’s upbringing but more so in his life – a point that is generally overlooked by Alexander authors.

Sadly, this book does not make it to my top ten but that does not mean that it does not deserve a place on the bookshelves of the true Alexander aficionado.
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Marcus Pailing (Bartlesnipe's Revenge)
3.0 out of 5 stars Is it the publisher's or the writer's fault?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2004
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I have a great deal of respect for Ian Worthington as a scholar. However, my generous assessment of this book is that he has been ill-served by the publisher and I hope that he is fuming about it.
I don't have a particular problem with Worthington's take on Alexander - everyone is entitled to his opinion, although I don't happen to share his. My biggest criticism is that he appears to have allowed himself to get carried away with his anti-Alexander stance - he writes about Alexander murdering great swathes of his friends in fits of paranoia, and I completely fail to see how he can reasonably expect us to believe that (if we have read the sources: if we haven't read the sources then unfortunately we will end up swallowing his hyperbole hook, line and sinker).
But the worst thing about the book is the appalling editing (or complete lack of editing) that went on. Worthington has been allowed to repeat himself time after time - obviously there were phrases which he particularly liked and used over and over... but it's the editor's job to deal with this. And some of the sentence and paragraph structure is abysmal - again, were the editors on strike? This means that what could be quite an entertaining (if flawed) read is turned into a tortuous exercise at times. The publishers really need to get their act together and re-issue the book after some proper editing (and provide free copies for those of us who have shelled out for a sub-standard book).
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