Alexander The Great Book Report

Alexander the Great by Winthrop Lindsay Adams, a history professor at the University of Utah, showcases the life of Alexander the Great from his childhood through his successful conquest leading to his great legacy. Alexander III of Macedon, also commonly known as Alexander the Great, was one of the legendary Kings of the Ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedon. In Alexander the Great, Adam begins the book with a clear introduction of what kingdom of Macedon was like during the period of Alexander’s father, King Philip’s rule. Adams does not immediately jump into the conquest and accomplishments of Alexander the Great. In the first half of the book, Adams gives the readers full background knowledge of Macedon’s political background before Alexander
King Phillip II transformed the army by “creating a national identity rather than a traditional one” (Adams 30). He used skilled military and diplomatic tactics to successfully expand Macedonia’s territory. King Philip II introduced the sarissa, about 18 feet long pike innovation that allowed King Philip II’s army to initiate the first strike, which developed them into a strong deadly force. Philip successfully achieved a series of victories in region, such as fighting with Athens for the control of Amphipolis and “bringing the majority of Greek city-states into an alliance that was beholden to Philip.” The author clearly showcases that King Philip’s strong fundamental building of city of Macedon and its army is what enabled Alexander to further expand the city. Adams emphasized how King Philip had not only conquered but also unified Greece. Greece was once separated by city-states and lacked cohesiveness. Although King Philip had hoped to reach Persia and gain their riches, he had failed to do so due to his unexpected assassination, “Philip’s relations with the Greeks and his expansion eastward further into Thrace” enabled Alexander to later on conquer Persia (Adams 52). Although the Greeks were conquered, their loyalty had lied on King Philip and Macedon. The unity not only improved the society, but it exceedingly increased the size
Adams portrays that it was due to extreme pressure of wanting expansion that drove him to succeed. Adams shows great illustration of Alexander’s journey from first defeating the major Battle of Granicus, Battle of Issus, to Battle of Gaugamela. Even through the end of the war and conquering Persia, Adams portrays Alexander as a sentimental character as she explains how Alexander had sent Darius’ body back to Persepolis to buried properly in royal tomb like the rest of his royal predecessors. The empires stayed together until Alexander’s death, this was due to his lack of flaw in governing. He had such talent for conquering that he preferred to go out and conquer lands, rather than governing the society. So when he died, there was no set governmental