The Field Campaigns of Alexander the Great

by Stephen English

Alexander the Great is one of the most famous men in history, and many believe he was the greatest military genius of all time (Julius Caesar wept at the feet of his statue in envy of his achievements). Most of his thirteen-year reign as king of Macedon was spent in hard campaigning which conquered half the then-known world, during which he never lost a battle. Besides the famous set-piece battles (Granicus, Issus, Gaugamela, Hydaspes), Alexander's army marched thousands of miles through hostile territory, fighting countless smaller actions and calling for a titanic logistical effort.

There is a copious literature on Alexander the Great, but most are biographies of the man himself, with relatively few recent works analyzing his campaigns from a purely military angle. This book combines a narrative of the course of each of Alexander's campaigns, with clear analysis of strategy, tactics, logistics etc. Combined with Stephen English's The Army of Alexander the Great and The Sieges of Alexander the Great, it completes a very compelling examination of one of the most successful armies and greatest conquerors ever known.

Genres: History

192 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2011

Reviews

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of military history rejoice! This is not another biography of Alexander the Great but a thorough analysis of the field campaigns of one of the greatest military commanders of all times through an examination of the tactics, strategies, topography, and ancient sources of these battles. This is only about the set-piece military encounters, not the sieges or the make-up of the army which are covered in other volumes. One does not need specialized knowledge to understand this work for it is readable but it will most appeal to those interested in detailed military history, probably not the casual reader. Illustrations and maps supplement the text to help understanding as well. I did occasionally forget what Greek term referred to what type and size of grouping of military men and there was no appendix of such terms to clarify the meaning, though to be fair some of the original sources seemed to be loose in the use of such terminology and English points these out when they are particularly problematic.

Of particular interest are English’s suggestions in the reconstructions of some battles where the ancient sources are unclear or conflicting. Here English is able to distinguish himself from the usual interpretations. He makes clear where he differs from many other historians and what he believes supports his conjectures and even at times he is able to reconcile the contradictory sources but there is not always proof or even suggestions of his ideas in the ancient sources. His speculations seem to make sense but someone with a thorough knowledge of the sources may have good reason to dispute them.

Also, English gives Alexander’s opponents more credit than many historians. For example, Darius is often presented as being a coward and a poor military leader. English argues Darius used sound battle plans, even using tactics that had not been used against Alexander before, and “adapting..to the tactical situation of the battlefield.” However, Alexander had a better strategy, more adaptability and a trap. Alexander was simply more brilliant.

English does not have a formal conclusion to the book. He does not put in one place all the things he thought that made Alexander a genius military leader. He does not reinforce his own conclusions. The work seems to end abruptly.

You do not need to be a scholar to read this book but it is clear that this was written by a scholar and geared for those with a military history interest. Also, this is only one of three volumes and has a very specific focus. All three would be needed to be read to get the whole picture of Alexander’s military leadership and the army.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ogi Ogas · Rating 4 out of 5]

My ratings of books on Goodreads are solely a crude ranking of their utility to me, and not an evaluation of literary merit, entertainment value, social importance, humor, insightfulness, scientific accuracy, creative vigor, suspensefulness of plot, depth of characters, vitality of theme, excitement of climax, satisfaction of ending, or any other combination of dimensions of value which we are expected to boil down through some fabulous alchemy into a single digit.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but I have to confess it was a little bit beyond me. The details are astonishing and Dr English really knows his stuff. The beginning of the book is fascinating as the author takes us through how he establishes “truth” from so many, many years ago and how he triangulated from various historical sources allowing that each will have its own bias. This was a real insight into how historians determine what to believe, and I loved it. I also liked that he didn’t always give Alexander centre stage and it isn’t a hagiography. Due time is given to the various commanders Alexander fought against and Dr English gives their motivations and strategies when he can. The book is very readable and even as a novice I got a lot out of it and Alexander seemed more of a “real man” than when you just read biographies of him.

The distances travelled are huge and the depth of description at times puts you right in the action. But we also learn about how you defeat an army on elephants and how sensible it is to let your men rest before battle! The ability to give orders during the fighting is clearly not good and we feel the frustration amongst the melee.

I will read this book again and no doubt get something more out of it as there is a lot here. I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review

[Syed Saqib Mumtaz Hashmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book for the students of history. I enjoyed reading it.