Alexander the Great

His Life and His Mysterious Death

By: Anthony Everitt

Narrated by: John Lee

What can we learn from the stunning rise and mysterious death of the ancient world’s greatest conqueror? An acclaimed biographer reconstructs the life of Alexander the Great in this magisterial revisionist portrait.

“[An] infectious sense of narrative momentum.... Its energy is unflagging, including the verve with which it tackles that teased final mystery about the specific cause of Alexander’s death.” (The Christian Science Monitor)

More than two millennia have passed since Alexander the Great built an empire that stretched to every corner of the ancient world, from the backwater kingdom of Macedonia to the Hellenic world, Persia, and ultimately to India - all before his untimely death at age 33. Alexander believed that his empire would stop only when he reached the Pacific Ocean. But stories of both real and legendary events from his life have kept him evergreen in our imaginations with a legacy that has meant something different to every era: In the Middle Ages he became an exemplar of knightly chivalry, he was a star of Renaissance paintings, and by the early 20th century he'd even come to resemble an English gentleman. But who was he in his own time?

In Alexander the Great, Anthony Everitt judges Alexander’s life against the criteria of his own age and considers all his contradictions. We meet the Macedonian prince who was naturally inquisitive and fascinated by science and exploration, as well as the man who enjoyed the arts and used Homer’s great epic, the Iliad, as a bible. As his empire grew, Alexander exhibited respect for the traditions of his new subjects and careful judgment in administering rule over his vast territory. But his career also had a dark side. An inveterate conqueror who in his short life built the largest empire up to that point in history, Alexander glorified war and was known to commit acts of remarkable cruelty.

As debate continues about the meaning of his life, Alexander's death remains a mystery. Did he die of natural causes - felled by a fever - or did his marshals, angered by his tyrannical behavior, kill him? An explanation of his death can lie only in what we know of his life, and Everitt ventures to solve that puzzle, offering an ending to Alexander’s story that has eluded so many for so long.

©2019 Anthony Everitt (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Reads as easily as a novel.... [Anthony] Everitt has a wealth of anecdotes and two millennia of histories to work with, and he delivers and interprets them flawlessly. Nearly unparalleled insight into the period and the man make this a story for everyone." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

“Everitt, an expert storyteller, has written a riveting narrative that restores Alexander to his own context - and takes a whack at solving the remaining mysteries.... Along the way, he takes us on a spirited passage through the ancient world, from the Balkans to South Asia.” (BookPage)

"Ancient history expert Everitt attacks the young Macedonian king’s astonishing conquests on three continents - Africa, Asia, and Europe - with relish.... This detailed account of the intriguing ancient military genius will fascinate military history readers eager to learn more about Alexander’s motivation and the lifelong fearlessness that propelled him to near-mythic status." (Publishers Weekly)

Accent is hard to follow

The narrator kind of swollows the last vowel. Therefore, the last vowels get lost and often not heard.

The story of an extraordinary life

My main focus is on books i can learn something from on a practical sense for the day to day life. Normally a biography for me is something to enjoy without having to focus on it that much. In this one I however found quite a few lessons one can learn about intentions and motives of others for example. It was overall a great book!

Fantastic Journey!

Expertly read and captivating story of one of the most brilliant and ruthless commanders ever to live.

Fascinating look into the ancient past

This is the third book I have listened to by Anthony Everitt, I have been very impressed with all of them. He brings history together in an easy to follow and interesting format. Highly recommend.

Excellent Audiobook

As a student and enthusiast of ancient history, particularly the Hellenistic world, I have high standards in the materials I read or listen to. This book met and exceeded my expectations. Well written and narrated in an easy to follow, engaging style, I highly recommend this title.

A Very Engaging History of Alexander the Great

Listening to the audio book is much like listening to a story, it is not a dry or boring history, it is an engaging storytelling of the history of Alexander. He is fairly portrayed and reasonably presented, making it a very worthwhile addition to the body of work depicting the history of Alexander the Great.

Alexander never gets...old.

Fascinating story told with a brisk pace and narrated by the best. One cannot go wrong with this audiobook. In fact, I didn't listen to my car radio for the last week because I enjoyed Anthony Everitt's tale so much!

Terrific

Wonderful all the way around. John Lees voice occasionally trailed off to inaudible at the ends of sentences, that is my only critique.

Really balanced and engaging!

I’ve read many books on Alexander the Great, and this is one of the most balanced takes I’ve read. Some books try to paint him as a hero, some as a personification of evil. This paints the picture of a very complex, inquisitive, sometimes ruthless, sometimes compassionate military genius. And no matter one’s opinion on him as a person, there’s no denying he literally changed the world. This weaving of Alexander’s story is very engaging from beginning to end. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend.

Great summary

This is a great summary of Alexander's life and death, but suffers from the narrator's tendency to drop final syllables.