Alexander the Great by Paul Cartledge

I think Alexander the Great: The Hunt for a New Past gives an excellent and unbiased view of the life of Alexander the Great. It examines what sources are available and talks about both positive and negative interpretations before going into the author’s own views. The book presents a comprehensive historical overview with the appropriate contextual elements woven into it. It draws a lot from historical sources and makes very insightful conclusions. Every aspect of Alexander’s life is broken down into a chapter (for example: “Alexander and the Persians,” “The Divinity of Alexander,” etc.) and explored in depth, with references to events described earlier. Overall, I think this is a great picture of Alexander’s life that not only gives the reader an in-depth introduction to the man himself, but also to the historiography and controversy that surround him. For anyone interested in Alexander, this is a must read. Even for those without any great interest in history, this book presents a case where fact is often much more fantastic than fiction in a well-written (if occasionally very academic) way.