The Virtues of War

A Novel of Alexander the Great

By: Steven Pressfield

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

I have always been a soldier. I have known no other life. So begins Alexander’s extraordinary confession on the eve of his greatest crisis of leadership.

By turns heroic and calculating, compassionate and utterly merciless, Alexander recounts with a warrior’s unflinching eye for detail the blood, the terror, and the tactics of his greatest battlefield victories. Whether surviving his father’s brutal assassination, presiding over a massacre, or weeping at the death of a beloved comrade-in-arms, Alexander never denies the hard realities of the code by which he lives: the virtues of war.

But as much as he was feared by his enemies, he was loved and revered by his friends, his generals, and the men who followed him into battle. Often outnumbered, never outfought, Alexander conquered every enemy the world stood against him - but the one he never saw coming....

©2004 Steven Pressfield (P)2004 Books on Tape, Inc.

Fantastic Book!

From the narration, to the story, the writing style, the depth of characters... everything in this book is a masterpiece!

loved it

Listened to it twice. Gives a glimpse into the minds of men as they might have been.

Ride on Great Leader!

This was a terrific listen...superbly narrated by Mr. John Lee (one of the best)
The narrative was excellent and John kept the story fascinating.
Usually I have just been marking the stars but this piece of art deserves a good word.
I love history and this is a great take on Alexander.
It is unbelievable the number of men he commanded, how language was no barrier to universal communication.
Alexander’s legend is strong and true... it is sad he died so young.

Masterpiece

For those who have served in the crucible of combat, or want to understand the warrior spirit, Virtues of War provides an enjoyable but powerful insight. As a Marine of 37 plus years this should be required reading for all noncommissioned officers and junior commissioned officers. Alexander was not perfect and this book offers many points to discuss ethical leadership and many other elements of the human aspect of war. Rising to the operational and strategic art of statecraft this book along with a more academic study of Alexander’s decisions and actions could serve as a great learning opportunity. I recommend this book in conjunction with the Great Courses lecture series on Alexander, and the classic book Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army.

Rare and beautiful book

Having read both of this author's works available on Audible, I am moved to highly recommend both. I am slowly, ever so carefully listening to Part 2 of Virtues of War because when it is over, there will be a week of searching around for something remotely as compelling as this book. The battle scenes are fascinating as are the character studies in each book. This book reminds me of a classic called "Bitter Lemons" by Lawrence Durrell because the character studies and the action are equally compelling. Cannot praise this book enough.

Wow

All I can say is Wow. Stephen Pressfield's books are always engrossing, but this one is absolutely riveting. Told from the perspective of Alexander the Great - you get amazing insight into the history of his rule and also into the possible persona of a great military leader. The book is intense, detailed, and a little disturbing, but forces you to really think about the psychology necessary to be a leader at Alexander's level.

Good story with an epic narration.

Good story with great narration. John Lee really does a solid job and his narration has an epic tinge to it that really sells the characters and atmosphere of the story.

A fantastic listen!

Any additional comments?

I love these gems that far exceed my expectations. This is a story skillfully written and perfectly performed. I really enjoyed everything about this tale. Beam me up, Scotty...ancient earth is a violent place!

Another Home Run for both Pressfield and John Lee

Full disclosure, I am something of a John Lee aficionado. Everyone has their own favorite narrators and it can really affect the enjoyment of a book, as audiobook listeners are well aware. He is at the height of his powers here. The right mix of enthusiasm and tonal accuracy, matched to Pressfield's great telling of the story of Alexander The Great. Excellent work in the grey area between fact and fiction,

Masterful

I’ve read and listened to many books on ancient civilization and war but this book is much more. A great work with examples of leadership and chivalry that ring true in the modern day. Pressfield is a master of his craft that does the research. A beautiful listen, I’ll be purchasing the book as well.