Alexander the Great's Art of Strategy

The Timeless Leadership Lessons of History's Greatest Empire Builder

By: Partha Bose

Narrated by: James Langton

Alexander the Great endures as one of the most admired and emulated leaders in world history. In our time, his example of unprecedented and unparalleled success has inspired leaders of business and government, from media mogul Ted Turner (who keeps a bronze bust of Alexander in his office) to Desert Storm commander General Norman Schwarzkopf (who credits Alexander's tactical innovations for his dramatic flanking maneuver against the Iraqi army in the liberation of Kuwait).

In Alexander the Great's Art of Strategy, Partha Bose, one of the world's leading experts on business strategy, gives fresh insight into Alexander's leadership and legacy, and shows how you can use the secrets of his success to conquer today's challenges, as successful executives, politicians, and generals have.

Blending insights from his years of experience in the business world with his lifelong study of Alexander, Bose interweaves a gripping biography with compelling analyses of contemporary case studies of successful corporations that have applied Alexander's lessons to their business, including Dell, General Electric, Wal-Mart, and the Washington Post company. This is a provocative and invaluable audiobook for leaders everywhere.

©2003 Partha Bose (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"As inspirational reading for the managerial class...this book fits the bill." (The Wall Street Journal)

Solid History, Tenuous Connections

A captivating and quick jaunt through the life and expansion of the Mecedonian empire at the hands of Alexander. The parallels drawn to modern leadership outside of warfare are tenuous, but thought provoking at a minimum. Having not studied Greek history in a long time, I enjoyed the work and the narrators tempo and style. Worth the investment of time if you have interest in the period of the person.

Strategy and History

This is a wonderfully written and narrated book. It gives one great insight into the mind, and the revolutionary ideas of Alexander The Great. You get an idea how Alexander dealt with people which was the source of his great success. The strategies he employed were brilliant, and the author sites excellent examples in modern day business where these strategies are used to great effect. Definately worth a listen to.

Good Read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Enjoyed the book thoroughly. A good, brief, history of Alexander with good detail on some of his greatest battles.

I disagree with some of the commentators that the parallels were overly stretched. I think the author conveyed some lessons of Alexander well to modern business.

The only criticism I have is that the author did not chronologically go through the campaigns of Alexander. It was a bit confusing in that regard.

great book, great presentation

this the book that gave great lessons embedded in a great story, the sequence of event couldn't have been cronologicly presented in a better way!

Fascinating

I am always suspicious of business audiobooks masquerading as history lessons. This one does not always succeed but it does work on many levels. This offers a wonderful introduction to Alexander, the power of Macedonia and complex history of Greece. Time and again you come away amazed at Alexander's insight, skill, courage--and yes, brutality. The strategic lessons ARE valuable, but can they be traced to Alexander? Do they translate to busness settings? Only in the broadest sense. Still, this is well narrated and fascinating history. The author does draw parallels with current business situations which, at the least, add to the richness of this valuable audio selection.

good overall View and account of Alexander

good overall View and account of Alexander. this is especially good after you read a full biography of Alexander and then listen to this.

Engrossing

The lessons about business aren't profound but are nevertheless interesting. It's a great way to approach the subject matter - by seguaing, now and then, to how Alenxander's tactics relate to business. The narration is superb and overall the program is thoroughly 'listenable'.

Alexander the Great's Art of War

Well written and narrated. Worth listening to for history buffs. These specifics can be applied in many ways especially young students beginning at about 5-7 years old.

Insightful and Enjoyable

There is no doubt Alexander the Great is one of the most important leaders and strategists and that he had tremendous influence in shaping the world where we live today.

This audio book does a great job of providing a detailed, but always interesting account of his life, accomplishments and legacy. Even though it is audio, the description of the battles and the strategies followed are clear and incredibly interesting.

The author provides a fantastic summary of Alexander's strategy and legacy. The author's commentary about how it relates to corporate strategy is sparse and not very effective. Which makes this a poor book on strategy but a wonderful book on history and the legacy of Alexander the Great. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Lessons for succeeding,from the greatest conqueror

Very well written book, thoughtful, analytical and highly relevant to today's corporate environment. the point of reading history is not to just read for the sake of it, but to derive from it knowledge that will be beneficial for you and your life's environment.

The narration is brilliant.