By the Spear

Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire

By: Ian Worthington

Narrated by: Phil Holland

Alexander the Great, arguably the most exciting figure from antiquity, waged war as a Homeric hero and lived as one, conquering native peoples and territories on a superhuman scale. From the time he invaded Asia in 334 to his death in 323, he expanded the Macedonian empire from Greece in the west to Asia Minor, the Levant, Egypt, Central Asia and "India" (Pakistan and Kashmir) in the east. Although many other kings and generals forged empires, Alexander produced one that was without parallel, even if it was short-lived. And yet, Alexander could not have achieved what he did without the accomplishments of his father, Philip II (r. 359-336). It was Philip who truly changed the course of Macedonian history, transforming a weak, disunited, and economically backward kingdom into a military powerhouse. A warrior king par excellence, Philip left Alexander with the greatest army in the Greek world, a centralized monarchy, economic prosperity, and a plan to invade Asia. For the first time, By the Spear offers an exhilarating military narrative of the reigns of these two larger-than-life figures in one volume. Ian Worthington gives full breadth to the careers of father and son, showing how Philip was the architect of the Macedonian empire, which reached its zenith under Alexander, only to disintegrate upon his death. By the Spear also explores the impact of Greek culture in the East, as Macedonian armies became avatars of social and cultural change in lands far removed from the traditional sphere of Greek influence. In addition, the book discusses the problems Alexander faced in dealing with a diverse subject population and the strategies he took to what might be called nation building, all of which shed light on contemporary events in culturally dissimilar regions of the world. The result is a gripping and unparalleled account of the role these kings played in creating a vast empire and the enduring legacy they left behind.

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Informative but flat narration

I thought this was read by some kind of voice synthesizer because it's so darn flat. The information is very dense and being unable to locate a good map of the ancient world, I was unable to make use of the material.

Narrator doesn't know how to pronounce Greek words

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. It's pop history and the narration seriously detracts.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Doesn't know how to pronounce Greek terms.

Did By the Spear inspire you to do anything?

Yes: uninstall it.

Any additional comments?

This book has some of the worst qualities of pop history: a dubious premise, writing badly in need of a competent editor, and overall very boring.

Great Book

The accomplishments of Both Philip and Alexander are covered outstandingly in this book. It is certainly a good book for those who are well versed with the Greatness of Alexander but not of his Father. I recently read "Alexander of Macedon" by Peter Green which covers pretty much the same topics as this book. I believe Green does a better job but for anybody looking to take in a new Narrative "By The Spear" will not disappoint.

Not recommended

A decent book that covers Philip and Alexander, both of whom deserve attention 2300 years on. Now for criticism. Flat narration, but tolerable. The author uses most sources but writes most on negative information of Alexander. The author is downright self contradictory at times in his analysis. He writes that Alexander was always pragmatic just sentences after saying he thought that he was a god. He writes Alexander failed as a statesman because he introduced foreigners and foreign practices in one section then criticizes him for insisting on Greek and Greek form. Later he writes that Alexander was thoughtless of the other cultures in his imposition of his authority and in his edicts. The wording is often clumsy. There is more difficulty, but suffice it to say that it is a good book but isn’t the best and isn’t one I’d recommend for the topic.

Good detail, poor narration

I liked the story because of the detail. The narrator's nearly monotone, sing-song style was annoying

Pitting one against the other?

While I love much of the information here, I don't like how it keeps being presented--and I'm not even finished.

One, trying to compare Philip and Alexander, even if the author leaves it up to the reader (or listener) is just silly. Would there be the latter without the former? Uhh...Some of the assertions about the two had me saying "duh!!", though maybe this is meant for someone who hasn't read all the source material available on Alexander.

I bought this primarily for information on Philip, and wasn't disappointed in the least. The military aspect of it was great, but when comparing him and his son, things get a little rocky. Why do it? They were clearly both great men in their own rights, and everyone (despite what the author thinks, apparently) knows it. It's unnecessary, because the other information presented in this book, and all together, is awesome! Philip and Alexander carved Macedon into history together, not one or the other more.


Two, the narration is positively. mind. numbing. Eleven hours of Arrian wasn't this bland. The only thing keeping me engaged was the fact that I wanted to know this stuff. Otherwise? My god. If you need to put your kid to sleep or something, this is the book for you.

Very good book....but the reading could be better

I particularly appreciated the well-balanced analysis of the reign of philip and alexander; it's neither a criticism nor a eulogy of the reign of both monarchs but a successful attempt at giving each one his due. Prof. Worthington's book deserved a better performance...but i wouldn't be as harsh as others on phil holland's reading...it wasn't so bad after all !!

A good listen.

Very good addition to my studies in Greek history. Easy to follow and listen to on the drive. I'm an amateur in historical studies but I thought the entertaining manner in which the material was presented improved my knowledge of Big Phil and Big Al.

Good overview

The overview of Philip and Alexander is great, although the narration can be a bit dry. Also, as an audio book, it can be a bit hard to follow all of the names and locations without a map a.

Ian Worthington Should've Narrated

Perfect book for falling asleep to. Subject matter is fascinating and well researched. Narration is monotony incarnate. Big fan of Prof. Worthington and his Great Courses.