In the Footsteps of Alexander The Great: A Journey from Greece to Asia

interesting account of a journey through turkey, iran, iraq afghanistan and pakistan following the route of alexander the great. As always Wood's command of the sources is impeccable but what truly adds value is his accounts of the impact on Alexander's campaign on folk memory, despite the lack of hard evidence on the ground, and his ability to relate the sources to the geography he sees in front of him, for example to relate his experience climbing the khawak pass and its impact on the logistics of the macedonian army.

a book that leaves you asking questions and wanting to learn more

This companion book to a television documentary examines Alexander the Great's conquest of Asia by retracing his path from Greece to India. Centuries later, the author and his travel companions find traces of Alexander and Greek civilization in the remnants of ancient cities and monuments and in the legends that survive in the memories of local cultures. Wood's first-hand experience of the geography and climate faced by Alexander and his army leads him to draw conclusions about questions that have puzzled scholars. I was a little annoyed that some of the places mentioned in the text don't appear on the maps that accompany each chapter. The number of punctuation and grammar errors that slipped past the proofreaders suggest that the show more publication might have been rushed to meet the documentary's broadcast schedule. Even so, this is a nice overview of Alexander's conquest for non-specialists. show less