Alexander the Great

By: Arrian

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

This is the incredible story of the world's greatest conqueror, a man who single handedly changed the course of history...and who was worshipped as a god. There have been many attempts in the 2,300 years since Alexander's death to tell the epic story of this enigmatic soldier. His deeds read like the stuff of legends. Of all the chroniclers of Alexander, and there have been many famous ones, including Plutarch and Ptolemy, none have given us a clearer and truer account than the one by Arrian.

Writing 450 years after Alexander's death, Arrian had the advantage of hindsight and the unique ability to sift through important historical material which is now lost. He was able to judge the motives of many of the detractors of Alexander and to set the record straight in many instances. Alexander's aims have always been a topic of intense debate and this history will tell you what this brilliant tactician was trying to accomplish and why. From his first encounter with the Persians at the Battle of the Granicus to his last battle on the banks of the Indus River, thrill to the extraordinary exploits of Alexander the Great as he turns the ancient world upside down. After his passing, nothing would ever again be the same....

Lucius Flavius Arrianus, or Arrian (circa A.D. 85 to 90 - circa 146) was born in Nicomedia, a Greek town which at the time was a part of the vast Roman Empire. It is fairly certain that Arrian's ancestors had been citizens for some time because his family was prominent, and he himself seems to have held an important priesthood as a young man. Arrian studied Stoic philosophy with the famous Epictetus and has left us an excellent book on the subject based on his notes. One of his fellow students was the future emperor, Hadrian, whose close friend he remained in later life. Arrian was a wealthy man with a great sense of responsibility. He put his considerable abilities to work on behalf of society and served with distinction as a senator and as a military commander. In fact, he was the first Greek ever to command Roman legions. He later served as governor of Cappadocia. In his spare moments, Arrian wrote many important books, of which his Anabasis of Alexander is by far the most popular.

©2004 Audio Connoisseur (P)2004 Audio Connoisseur

The good stuff...

What did you love best about Alexander the Great?

I love the history; the way it was & what it became...

What other book might you compare Alexander the Great to and why?

-NA-

What about Charlton Griffin’s performance did you like?

Yes, well done!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

F*cker, fighter & destroyer.

Any additional comments?

I like this kind of historical perspective.

Amazing

who could listen to the life of such a great man and not give it five stars

A Superb Chronicle of Alexander

This was a very good overview of Alexander of Macedon and the material was very well organized and presented. It begins with a short biographical sketch that brings us up to date on Alexander's youth, as this is missing from the account by Arrian. Arrian's writing is quite easy to digest and I had no problems understanding the chronology of events and the sometimes complex battle tactics. All in all, except in a few places, the action moves ahead briskly. The end of this recording is quite nice, as we are treated to several essays which successfully summarize and give us a greater perspective of Alexander and his time. The piece by Mary Reynault is particularly poignant. I was impressed by the narration, and the production values are extremely good.

If you don't know a thing about ancient history, this is probably not a good choice for you. However, if you have prepared yourself by doing some other readings (listenings) on ancient Greek and Near Eastern history, you will find this recording to be of excellent value and quite entertaining.

As near to a battle blow by blow as you can get

I was very interested in Alexander and chose this book. You have to take the good with the bad to absorb this book. To get to the really great strategy that Alexander used in battle you must listen to all the detail of how he managed each of his different regiments of troops. The good stuff lies between this information. The politician, the good and honorable man who let success take advantage of him, and the brillant tactician. If you are bored easily by repetitive details this one is not for you. It is arguably one of the most accurate versions of the life of Alexander. Keep in mind too that it is a very old text written when books portrayed history with little concern for entertainment value.

Please fix this audiobook and re-up. Thanks!

Charlton Griffin is spectacular as usual...I couldn't find any pronunciation that he botched and his musical cadences resonated long after he finished. Lucius Flavius Arrianus' probably the best existent text on Alexander's campaigns. There is Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus' short biography and Quintus Curtius Rufus' The History of Alexander but I thought Arrian was the best.

Anyway, I followed along with my Penguin edition and pages 162-3 are missing (about 26 minutes into Book 3. Please fix and re-upload. Thanks.

Wonderful !

I enjoy anything about Alexander, and especially excellent books. This one falls into that category. The narrator Charlton Griffin did and excellent job with the interpretation. I also suggest Alexander by Harold Lamb, it is also narrated by Charlton Griffin. If you are into historical fiction I would also recommend The Virtues of War by Steven Pressfield, narrated by John Lee. I have all three in my library and have listened to them more than once. You will not be wasting your points on any of these books. However this one is a MUST.

Excellent book, excellent reader

Very we'll said and excellent review of Caesar's life. Very enjoyable. This is a book that will leave you wanting more (in a good way) when it finishes.

Alexander The Great.

What can I say. He is Alexander The Great. Very Interesting and it will keep your interest. It's a very good book.

Best!

Best history is described! If you want to know history of Alexander the great, buy this!

Good

An interesting book, does not value too much but explains very well the history of the life of Alexander the Great