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The Afghan Campaign
2,300 years ago an unbeaten army of the West invaded the homeland of a fierce Eastern tribal foe. This is one soldier’s story . . .
The bestselling novelist of ancient warfare returns with a riveting historical novel that re-creates Alexander the Great’s invasion of the Afghan kingdoms in 330 b.c.
In a story that might have been ripped from today’s combat dispatches, Steven Pressfield brings to life the confrontation between an invading Western army and fierce Eastern warriors determined at all costs to defend their homeland. Narrated by an infantryman in Alexander’s army, The Afghan Campaign explores the challenges, both military and moral, that Alexander and his soldiers face as they embark on a new type of war and are forced to adapt to the methods of a ruthless foe that employs terror and insurgent tactics. An edge-of-your-seat adventure, The Afghan Campaign once again demonstrates Pressfield’s profound understanding of the hopes and desperation of men in battle and of the historical realities that continue to influence our world.
The bestselling novelist of ancient warfare returns with a riveting historical novel that re-creates Alexander the Great’s invasion of the Afghan kingdoms in 330 b.c.
In a story that might have been ripped from today’s combat dispatches, Steven Pressfield brings to life the confrontation between an invading Western army and fierce Eastern warriors determined at all costs to defend their homeland. Narrated by an infantryman in Alexander’s army, The Afghan Campaign explores the challenges, both military and moral, that Alexander and his soldiers face as they embark on a new type of war and are forced to adapt to the methods of a ruthless foe that employs terror and insurgent tactics. An edge-of-your-seat adventure, The Afghan Campaign once again demonstrates Pressfield’s profound understanding of the hopes and desperation of men in battle and of the historical realities that continue to influence our world.
354 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
252 people are currently reading
3908 people want to read
About the author
Steven Pressfield
88 books5,771 followersI was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1943 to a Navy father and mother.
I graduated from Duke University in 1965.
In January of 1966, when I was on the bus leaving Parris Island as a freshly-minted Marine, I looked back and thought there was at least one good thing about this departure. "No matter what happens to me for the rest of my life, no one can ever send me back to this freakin' place again."
Forty years later, to my surprise and gratification, I am far more closely bound to the young men of the Marine Corps and to all other dirt-eating, ground-pounding outfits than I could ever have imagined.
GATES OF FIRE is one reason. Dog-eared paperbacks of this tale of the ancient Spartans have circulated throughout platoons of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan since the first days of the invasions. E-mails come in by hundreds. GATES OF FIRE is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Reading list. It is taught at West Point and Annapolis and at the Marine Corps Basic School at Quantico. TIDES OF WAR is on the curriculum of the Naval War College.
From 2nd Battalion/6th Marines, which calls itself "the Spartans," to ODA 316 of the Special Forces, whose forearms are tattooed with the lambda of Lakedaemon, today's young warriors find a bond to their ancient precursors in the historical narratives of these novels.
My struggles to earn a living as a writer (it took seventeen years to get the first paycheck) are detailed in my 2002 book, THE WAR OF ART.
I have worked as an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractor-trailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout and attendant in a mental hospital. I have picked fruit in Washington state and written screenplays in Tinseltown.
With the publication of THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE in 1995, I became a writer of books once and for all.
My writing philosophy is, not surprisingly, a kind of warrior code — internal rather than external — in which the enemy is identified as those forms of self-sabotage that I have labeled "Resistance" with a capital R (in THE WAR OF ART) and the technique for combatting these foes can be described as "turning pro."
I believe in previous lives.
I believe in the Muse.
I believe that books and music exist before they are written and that they are propelled into material being by their own imperative to be born, via the offices of those willing servants of discipline, imagination and inspiration, whom we call artists. My conception of the artist's role is a combination of reverence for the unknowable nature of "where it all comes from" and a no-nonsense, blue-collar demystification of the process by which this mystery is approached. In other words, a paradox.
There's a recurring character in my books named Telamon, a mercenary of ancient days. Telamon doesn't say much. He rarely gets hurt or wounded. And he never seems to age. His view of the profession of arms is a lot like my conception of art and the artist:
"It is one thing to study war, and another to live the warrior's life."
I graduated from Duke University in 1965.
In January of 1966, when I was on the bus leaving Parris Island as a freshly-minted Marine, I looked back and thought there was at least one good thing about this departure. "No matter what happens to me for the rest of my life, no one can ever send me back to this freakin' place again."
Forty years later, to my surprise and gratification, I am far more closely bound to the young men of the Marine Corps and to all other dirt-eating, ground-pounding outfits than I could ever have imagined.
GATES OF FIRE is one reason. Dog-eared paperbacks of this tale of the ancient Spartans have circulated throughout platoons of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan since the first days of the invasions. E-mails come in by hundreds. GATES OF FIRE is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Reading list. It is taught at West Point and Annapolis and at the Marine Corps Basic School at Quantico. TIDES OF WAR is on the curriculum of the Naval War College.
From 2nd Battalion/6th Marines, which calls itself "the Spartans," to ODA 316 of the Special Forces, whose forearms are tattooed with the lambda of Lakedaemon, today's young warriors find a bond to their ancient precursors in the historical narratives of these novels.
My struggles to earn a living as a writer (it took seventeen years to get the first paycheck) are detailed in my 2002 book, THE WAR OF ART.
I have worked as an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractor-trailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout and attendant in a mental hospital. I have picked fruit in Washington state and written screenplays in Tinseltown.
With the publication of THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE in 1995, I became a writer of books once and for all.
My writing philosophy is, not surprisingly, a kind of warrior code — internal rather than external — in which the enemy is identified as those forms of self-sabotage that I have labeled "Resistance" with a capital R (in THE WAR OF ART) and the technique for combatting these foes can be described as "turning pro."
I believe in previous lives.
I believe in the Muse.
I believe that books and music exist before they are written and that they are propelled into material being by their own imperative to be born, via the offices of those willing servants of discipline, imagination and inspiration, whom we call artists. My conception of the artist's role is a combination of reverence for the unknowable nature of "where it all comes from" and a no-nonsense, blue-collar demystification of the process by which this mystery is approached. In other words, a paradox.
There's a recurring character in my books named Telamon, a mercenary of ancient days. Telamon doesn't say much. He rarely gets hurt or wounded. And he never seems to age. His view of the profession of arms is a lot like my conception of art and the artist:
"It is one thing to study war, and another to live the warrior's life."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
November 12, 2017
4.5*'s.
It's somewhat amazing to think that Cyrus the Great, Darius of Persia, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, The Mughal Empire, The Sikh Empire, The British Empire, The Soviets and latest the Americans and Nato have all tried to tame this wild hard land.
This book deals with the time of Alexander. It's amazing the parallels between how the Afghan's fought a force both superior in manpower, conventional "advanced" war theory and technology to a standstill by knowing the terrain and using it against the enemy the same way they have in the most recent historical battles.
What this book offers is the rationale behind the Afghan mindset and how it's counterintuitive to all European based way of thinking. Not that I agree with that mindset but really it brings into the light how it still remains the same and how they are not going to change. The choice laid before the soldiers is genocide or withdrawal because as long as one member of a tribe survives there will always be a knife in the back.
Told through the eyes of a third son following his father and brothers into the "glory" of being a soldier this had the raw dessert warrior feel of Deadhouse Gates. Reading this Erikson definitely drew a lot of this campaign, as he did others, in telling that tale. The pure savagery on both sides taking on a barbaric level where nothing is out of bounds.
This is not a light tale. Nor does it have a happy ending. It is realistic, informative, brutal and in the end offers some uncompromising truths about war and trying to change the heart of a people.
It's somewhat amazing to think that Cyrus the Great, Darius of Persia, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, The Mughal Empire, The Sikh Empire, The British Empire, The Soviets and latest the Americans and Nato have all tried to tame this wild hard land.
This book deals with the time of Alexander. It's amazing the parallels between how the Afghan's fought a force both superior in manpower, conventional "advanced" war theory and technology to a standstill by knowing the terrain and using it against the enemy the same way they have in the most recent historical battles.
What this book offers is the rationale behind the Afghan mindset and how it's counterintuitive to all European based way of thinking. Not that I agree with that mindset but really it brings into the light how it still remains the same and how they are not going to change. The choice laid before the soldiers is genocide or withdrawal because as long as one member of a tribe survives there will always be a knife in the back.
Told through the eyes of a third son following his father and brothers into the "glory" of being a soldier this had the raw dessert warrior feel of Deadhouse Gates. Reading this Erikson definitely drew a lot of this campaign, as he did others, in telling that tale. The pure savagery on both sides taking on a barbaric level where nothing is out of bounds.
This is not a light tale. Nor does it have a happy ending. It is realistic, informative, brutal and in the end offers some uncompromising truths about war and trying to change the heart of a people.
March 2, 2018
A solid piece of social historical fiction (the Alltagsgeschichte of Afghanistan?). Pressfield's fiction manages well to express ideas and concepts that would be more difficult to tell in straigth-forward nonfiction, history or even memoir formats. Pressfield straddles the (often fine) line between warrior and poet, East and West, old and new Afghanistan, and the best and worst of human nature. Like Killing Rommel, _The Afghan Campaign_ uses minor/line/non-heroic characters to retell a historical period in a new way.
Pressfield's approach to historical fiction mirrors the recent push by historians like Ulrich who seek to capture "the silent work of ordinary people". Pressfield seems hellbent to capture the silent, difficult, and the often morally inconsistent work of the ordinary soldier.
Pressfield's approach to historical fiction mirrors the recent push by historians like Ulrich who seek to capture "the silent work of ordinary people". Pressfield seems hellbent to capture the silent, difficult, and the often morally inconsistent work of the ordinary soldier.
February 4, 2017
This book was rather strange. I do not know if it was just a bad book or a good story badly written. It is a historical fiction and I am unfamiliar with the author though from a GR check he does seem to be an accomplished professional. As an accomplished author I am at a loss to explain the apparent sloppiness of this book. For a historical fiction to meet my approval the story must mesh with the historical event(s) depicted. In this book the history concerns the invasion of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great in about 330BCE. The story is about a young Greek infantry recruit named Matthias. Sadly, Matthias' story simply uses the Alexander history as a backdrop and the Alexander history is thin at best. In actuality Matthias' story is pretty ordinary and typical of the story of any infantry grunt in any army, in any war, in any country, at any time. However, the story itself isn't bad or badly written but the sloppiness occurs in the history and its detail. If you are going to write historical fiction then you must get your history straight or you lose the real history readers. This author lost me. He describes Afghan warriors as "braves" and their women as "squaws". Terms used traditionally to describe Native American warriors and their women. He describes Afghan cultural practices that are more akin to practices in Muslim cultures but Islam won't be established for another thousand years. He calls native women "dames", a 20th century expression. And what is most laughable is that he has these soldiers sending and receiving mail from Greece to Afghanistan. This is 330 BCE. Paper, and he does refer to paper being used, won't be invented until roughly 100BCE and that will be in China. Paper doesn't reach Europe until well into the Middle Ages but this author has it being used centuries before its historical existence. If that isn't enough should we discuss literacy? It is unlikely that any of these soldiers were able to read or write so sending them mail is idiotic. How could this author make such mistakes? Again, he is an accomplished professional and the story is well written even though the detail is grossly in error. Why? The erroneous material spans cultures, times, peoples. Could there have been something else at play here? Could this book have been meant as some sort of allegory or parable on the futility war especially war in this part of the world? God knows Afghanistan seems to be an area frozen in time that defies any attempt at modern intrusion from any source regardless of intent. Well such a message would be one worth pondering but the fact remains that the author did a clumsy job of imparting it. If he had something important to say then he could have done it better than this.
July 24, 2025
I had not read Steven Pressfield's earlier book, "Gates of Fire," but I understand he is superb at getting us into the mindset of a warrior . In that book, the focus is on the Spartans. In this one, it's the Macedonians. We follow the army of Alexander the Great as it invades and attempts to occupy Afghanistan in 330 B.C. E. from the point of view of a young recruit named Matthias. We see him arriving in Central Asia as a "newbie" who is unsure whether or not he is capable of killing another human being face-to-face. As the story of the campaign unfolds, the youth becomes a hardened veteran who has adapted to the brutal conditions of a guerrilla war in the desolate hills of Afghanistan. Of course, the book, published in 2006, shows us a parallel to the American war in Afghanistan, which finally ended in 2021. We see the brilliant military leader Alexander, having smashed the mighty Persian Empire, get bogged down in a war against ragged tribal hillmen determined to fight to the death to expel the foreign invaders from their land.
A powerful narrative which I found to be riveting ( a word I've been wanting to use!) and, moreover, I found to be particularly thought-provoking. Why have humans fought war after war down through the centuries--and are still doing so? This book shows that leaders feel the need to win glory for themselves-but why do they have their followers, men who follow them so loyally right to the end....? This book does not cover Alexander's campaign in India, where the Macedonians finally had it with Alexander's dream of world conquest and only wanted to turn around and go home. Perhaps there is some hope for the human race, after all....
A powerful narrative which I found to be riveting ( a word I've been wanting to use!) and, moreover, I found to be particularly thought-provoking. Why have humans fought war after war down through the centuries--and are still doing so? This book shows that leaders feel the need to win glory for themselves-but why do they have their followers, men who follow them so loyally right to the end....? This book does not cover Alexander's campaign in India, where the Macedonians finally had it with Alexander's dream of world conquest and only wanted to turn around and go home. Perhaps there is some hope for the human race, after all....
December 24, 2021
Read this book in 2007, and its a standalone book about Alexander the Great's campaign in Afghanistan.
This tale is set in the years 330 until 327 BC, and in this tale the highlight will be Matthias, a young man who has volunteered for this campaign in Afghanistan.
Matthias and the rest of the Macedonian army will meet in this Afghan Campaign an enemy who's fighting is so unorthodox that at first it will confuse the Macedonians.
An enemy who will die for their held beliefs and thus a fervent willingness to die for their cause, and in this new kind of war Matthias and his comrades will come into their own as long as the war continues.
In this tale is wonderfully pictured the Afghan landscape, and the dangers that will arise from all sides that the Macedonian of Alexander the Great have to deal with, and all these actions against and negotiating with a ferocious enemy are superbly brought to us by the author.
Highly recommended, for this is a marvellous book about the Afghan Campaign by Alexander the Great, and that's why I like to call this book: "An Awesome Afghan Campaign"!
This tale is set in the years 330 until 327 BC, and in this tale the highlight will be Matthias, a young man who has volunteered for this campaign in Afghanistan.
Matthias and the rest of the Macedonian army will meet in this Afghan Campaign an enemy who's fighting is so unorthodox that at first it will confuse the Macedonians.
An enemy who will die for their held beliefs and thus a fervent willingness to die for their cause, and in this new kind of war Matthias and his comrades will come into their own as long as the war continues.
In this tale is wonderfully pictured the Afghan landscape, and the dangers that will arise from all sides that the Macedonian of Alexander the Great have to deal with, and all these actions against and negotiating with a ferocious enemy are superbly brought to us by the author.
Highly recommended, for this is a marvellous book about the Afghan Campaign by Alexander the Great, and that's why I like to call this book: "An Awesome Afghan Campaign"!
June 19, 2008
Stephen Pressfield has garnered laurels for his ability to describe the utter brutality of ancient warfare and his descriptions of battles fought during the campaign of Alexander the Great in Afghanistan in his novel "The Afghan Campaign" are as wrenching as those depicted in Pressfield's "Gates of Fire".
Told from the perspective of a common soldier rather than from Alexander's viewpoint or the viewpoint of one of Alexander's commanders, "The Afghan Campaign" provides the reader the opportunity to experience the grinding existence of a man struggling to maintain some shred of integrity in a hostile and intractable world.
Alexander is most often glimpsed from a distance and we are not privy to his strategic debates or daily dispatches to help us understand the "big picture" he sees in his efforts to add the tribes of the Hindu Kush to his role of conquered nations. We must, through Matteius' eyes, simply endure the relentless wind, quagmires of mud, and bitterly cold snow and sleet, as we climb and descend the deadly precipices that score the Afghan countryside in search of a foe that materializes suddenly to engage in deadly tribal rituals, counting coup and scalping or mutilating their victims, then escapes back into the mountains where, unlike the Macedonians, they appear to thrive. We feel Mattteius' frustration rise to an excruciating level as his comrades are butchered in ambushes or slain by duplicitous camp followers.
As the war wears on, he participates in retaliatory strikes where entire villages are put to the sword and torched as efforts intensify to "win" an ultimately unwinnable war. Matteius' acceptance of these measures poignantly demonstrates the ultimate result of living amidst so much brutality - the loss of one's own humanity as both sides must cultivate ruthlessness to simply survive.
Told from the perspective of a common soldier rather than from Alexander's viewpoint or the viewpoint of one of Alexander's commanders, "The Afghan Campaign" provides the reader the opportunity to experience the grinding existence of a man struggling to maintain some shred of integrity in a hostile and intractable world.
Alexander is most often glimpsed from a distance and we are not privy to his strategic debates or daily dispatches to help us understand the "big picture" he sees in his efforts to add the tribes of the Hindu Kush to his role of conquered nations. We must, through Matteius' eyes, simply endure the relentless wind, quagmires of mud, and bitterly cold snow and sleet, as we climb and descend the deadly precipices that score the Afghan countryside in search of a foe that materializes suddenly to engage in deadly tribal rituals, counting coup and scalping or mutilating their victims, then escapes back into the mountains where, unlike the Macedonians, they appear to thrive. We feel Mattteius' frustration rise to an excruciating level as his comrades are butchered in ambushes or slain by duplicitous camp followers.
As the war wears on, he participates in retaliatory strikes where entire villages are put to the sword and torched as efforts intensify to "win" an ultimately unwinnable war. Matteius' acceptance of these measures poignantly demonstrates the ultimate result of living amidst so much brutality - the loss of one's own humanity as both sides must cultivate ruthlessness to simply survive.
April 3, 2009
A really interesting book by Steven Pressfield. This is the second book of his that I have read and am hooked. He has been called an expert on ancient warfare and I believe it. This also reads like a history book. He does great character study and development while weaving in historical movements and happenings. I sometimes get caught up in wondering if things were as advanced as he makes them seem in that time but then remember that he has done far more research than me on the subject.
The obvious and intentional parallels to modern day warfare in Afghanistan this book seems to accurately portray the very reasons we will never fully subdue Afghans. There strategies and customs fit their region and culture so effectively that they have not had to change things much. I think this would be an excellent book for anyone who has interest in the current conflict there to read as well as people who just like well written historical fiction.
I am going to stick with Pressfield through a few more books as he is a very good author with a unique subject matter and specialty.
The obvious and intentional parallels to modern day warfare in Afghanistan this book seems to accurately portray the very reasons we will never fully subdue Afghans. There strategies and customs fit their region and culture so effectively that they have not had to change things much. I think this would be an excellent book for anyone who has interest in the current conflict there to read as well as people who just like well written historical fiction.
I am going to stick with Pressfield through a few more books as he is a very good author with a unique subject matter and specialty.
August 13, 2016
rating: 3.5/5
I have mixed feelings about this novel, it doesn't compare to Pressfield's Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae but has some great moments, descriptions, and characters despite a major flaw that annoyed me to no end.
I'll start with what I loved, mainly Shinar. It is so rare that historical fiction with battles and warriors has such a realistic portrayal of women in history that are strong but still within their prescribed culture. Many times portrayals of women veer into fantasy warriors (which I love in fantasy but not historical fiction) or to the opposite, to that of women concerned only about marriage and babies (which bores me to death). Instead, we have Shinar whose life has been devastated by war and yet who remained strong and defiant in a culturally complicated world. I won't go into everything here since I don't want to spoil the plot but Shinar was by far my favorite character and probably the most complex as well (despite the story being told from Matthias' first person POV).
It was also interesting to see another side to Alexander the Great's campaigns, from the point of view of a common soldier. I was disappointed at first when I realized that there is actually very, very little Alexander in this book. But then realized that maybe it was a good thing. I have an image of Alexander painted with Renault's beautiful words and am afraid other interpretations would not live up to it. Here I didn't have to worry. There is one generic scene with Alexander but not long enough to get anything but a vague idea of the kind of general he was.
Despite its slow start, by midway of the novel Pressfield paints beautiful and horrific images of Alexander's soldiers' tribulations. The realities of moving such a huge army, and moving as swiftly as historical accounts indicate, are presented beautifully and in detail. I gained an admiration for his logistics officers. And the battle scenes were amazingly drawn as well.
However, there was one huge negative that didn't allow me to get lost inside this ancient world he created and it was the language he used. I am not saying that the soldiers back then didn't use slang, I am sure they did, but Pressfield's use of modern slang and terminology grated. Additionally, he also used words like dames for women which I associate more with the 1920s (plus, that specific word just pisses me off in general). I'm sure this contributed to my rough start with the novel. By midway, either less slang was used or I had gotten used to it because the language didn't bother me, as much. Regardless, it left me annoyed and despite the amazing story and characters I just couldn't help being thankful that it was over.
I have mixed feelings about this novel, it doesn't compare to Pressfield's Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae but has some great moments, descriptions, and characters despite a major flaw that annoyed me to no end.
I'll start with what I loved, mainly Shinar. It is so rare that historical fiction with battles and warriors has such a realistic portrayal of women in history that are strong but still within their prescribed culture. Many times portrayals of women veer into fantasy warriors (which I love in fantasy but not historical fiction) or to the opposite, to that of women concerned only about marriage and babies (which bores me to death). Instead, we have Shinar whose life has been devastated by war and yet who remained strong and defiant in a culturally complicated world. I won't go into everything here since I don't want to spoil the plot but Shinar was by far my favorite character and probably the most complex as well (despite the story being told from Matthias' first person POV).
It was also interesting to see another side to Alexander the Great's campaigns, from the point of view of a common soldier. I was disappointed at first when I realized that there is actually very, very little Alexander in this book. But then realized that maybe it was a good thing. I have an image of Alexander painted with Renault's beautiful words and am afraid other interpretations would not live up to it. Here I didn't have to worry. There is one generic scene with Alexander but not long enough to get anything but a vague idea of the kind of general he was.
Despite its slow start, by midway of the novel Pressfield paints beautiful and horrific images of Alexander's soldiers' tribulations. The realities of moving such a huge army, and moving as swiftly as historical accounts indicate, are presented beautifully and in detail. I gained an admiration for his logistics officers. And the battle scenes were amazingly drawn as well.
However, there was one huge negative that didn't allow me to get lost inside this ancient world he created and it was the language he used. I am not saying that the soldiers back then didn't use slang, I am sure they did, but Pressfield's use of modern slang and terminology grated. Additionally, he also used words like dames for women which I associate more with the 1920s (plus, that specific word just pisses me off in general). I'm sure this contributed to my rough start with the novel. By midway, either less slang was used or I had gotten used to it because the language didn't bother me, as much. Regardless, it left me annoyed and despite the amazing story and characters I just couldn't help being thankful that it was over.
October 14, 2018
Upon comparing this novel with Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by this author, I liked it as much, or even more. Pressfield exhibited the same brilliant writing on ancient warfare. The novel was very thoughtful and one I will not soon forget.
This story is told by a raw recruit, Matthias, from Macedonia. He describes his 'signing up' with his best friend Lucas, and their adventures with Alexander the Great's Army in Afghanistan--a land of desert, mountains and light. Matthias develops from a tyro to a real soldier through his experiences. There are many skirmishes and battles; the harsh mores of the Afghans are laid out. A harrowing journey through the mountains in which many men are lost, but one soldier rescued, is described in horrific detail. Matthias and Lucas live through cruel captivity. The two soldiers were fleshed-out well and very sympathetic.
I really liked the main themes--bonding among the soldiers and the morality of war. A commonplace expression by now, but Shakespeare's Henry V, in his talk standing in front of his soldiers before Agincourt, in a future war, said it best. Matthias and his colleagues truly are welded into a "band of brothers."
The question of morality in war permeates the book; at one place, Lucas feels the soldiers' humanity is becoming diminished and sheer brutality is replacing it. As a new soldier, Matthias shrinks from killing a prisoner and later frees a woman slave who becomes his. This latter act breaks the Afghan moral code, which Matthias does not understand [and, neither do I, in truth].
I felt dimly there were parallels to the present-day conflicts in that area. Then I saw one of Pressfield's advisors was a man who had fought there. I could see how Pressfield probably incorporated some of his thinking into the novel.
Most highly recommended!!
This story is told by a raw recruit, Matthias, from Macedonia. He describes his 'signing up' with his best friend Lucas, and their adventures with Alexander the Great's Army in Afghanistan--a land of desert, mountains and light. Matthias develops from a tyro to a real soldier through his experiences. There are many skirmishes and battles; the harsh mores of the Afghans are laid out. A harrowing journey through the mountains in which many men are lost, but one soldier rescued, is described in horrific detail. Matthias and Lucas live through cruel captivity. The two soldiers were fleshed-out well and very sympathetic.
I really liked the main themes--bonding among the soldiers and the morality of war. A commonplace expression by now, but Shakespeare's Henry V, in his talk standing in front of his soldiers before Agincourt, in a future war, said it best. Matthias and his colleagues truly are welded into a "band of brothers."
The question of morality in war permeates the book; at one place, Lucas feels the soldiers' humanity is becoming diminished and sheer brutality is replacing it. As a new soldier, Matthias shrinks from killing a prisoner and later frees a woman slave who becomes his. This latter act breaks the Afghan moral code, which Matthias does not understand [and, neither do I, in truth].
I felt dimly there were parallels to the present-day conflicts in that area. Then I saw one of Pressfield's advisors was a man who had fought there. I could see how Pressfield probably incorporated some of his thinking into the novel.
Most highly recommended!!
May 8, 2022
Smooth as honey to read. I finished it in a day.
This is The Chain of Dogs section of Deadhouse Gates. Just for the whole book.
This is The Chain of Dogs section of Deadhouse Gates. Just for the whole book.
November 29, 2014
A modernist approach to depicting ancient warfare. Pressfield's story of a young Macedonian warrior embroiled in Alexander the Great's conquest of what is today called Afghanistan has more in common with a Vietnam war memoir than a poetic epic. Pressfield doesn't flinch from the brutality of war waged primarily with edged weapons but it's the inescapable parallels to contemporary troubles that are most striking: Afghanistan, it seems, has never been an easy place to invade.
August 12, 2009
This historical novel is about Alexander the Great's invasion of Afghanistan in 330 B.C. It's the one place where Alexander's army met with less than total success. More than once they invaded an area only to learn that their enemy had mysteriously appeared in their rear. This was frustrating to an army that knew they were the best in the world and were used to conquering any force that confronted them. This book is an amplification of one of the chapters of the book, The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great by the same author. The narrative of this book is told in first person from the point of view of a corporal in Alexander's cavalry (he's a foot soldier part of the time).
It's interesting to try to find parallels with more recent occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan by a foreign power. See if you and detect some similarities.
1. Alexander's forces were a western undefeated super power that was relatively high tech for their time. (Think shock and awe.)
2. Alexander's campaign arrogantly invaded the country, ignorant of its culture. (Think Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld's world view.)
3. Alexander prematurely declared victory. (Think "Mission Accomplished" on the aircraft carrier.)
4. Soon after the invasion, an insurgency popped up. (Think Iraq for the past seven years and Taliban more recently.)
5. Spitamenes, the leader of the resistance, was an educated son of a wealthy Persian, not a native to the country. (Think Osama bin Laden.)
6. Alexander responded with conventional military force. (Think Marines sacking Fallujah.)
7. Alexander tried sealing the borders. (Think Syrian or Pakistan borders.)
8. Alexander then called in additional reinforcements. (Think surge in deployments.)
9. In desperation Alexander began hiring the militias and the tribes who had been fighting him. (Think Anbar awakening.)
10. Part of Alexander's exit strategy was to marry a tribal chief's daughter. (Not sure that option will work today.)
11. One tactic used by Alexander's forces was to kill off the native population, women and children included. (I hope we're civilized enough to not try that tactic in today's global environment.)
12. The unconventional nature of the war hurt the morale of Alexander's forces. (Could the Abu Ghraib prison be a parallel here?)
13. In the negotiations to end the conflict it was important to reach an agreement in which both sides could claim victory. (Suggestions of negotiating with the Taliban?)
(Note to strict historians: I know a few things were stretched and conflated to make the above parallels.) It should be noted here that it was common for Alexander to incorporate former foes into his army. This particular book tells of action taken to repress the spread of the knowledge of certain atrocities in order to allow the hiring of former enemy tribesmen who had committed the atrocities. I don't know if the author had a historical basis for including that incident. Nevertheless, it created another modern parallel; propaganda and control of news coverage.
The following quote from the book explains in Alexander's words why it is time to cut and run (i.e. declare victory and leave):
"This is what war is," says Alexander. "Glory has fled. One searches in vain for honor. We've all done things we're ashamed of. Even Victory, as Aeschylus says, "in whose august glow all felonies are effaced," is not the same in this war. What remains? To prevent the needless waste of lives. Too many good men have perished without cause. More will join them if we don't make this peace now."
Other powers have invaded Afghanistan since the time of Alexander, and they all have had their problems. Over the past couple hundred years that included the British (two times) and the Soviets. If Alexander were still with us he'd probably say that it's the same o' same o'.
There's a love story of sorts woven into the plot as well. It turns into a parable of war. Romantics will be disappointed. The book ends with these words:
"Though blind, God sees; though deaf, He hears. ...
...Afghanistan's deity gives up nothing. One appeals to him in vain. Yet he sustains those who call themselves his children, who wring a living from this stony and sterile land."
I have come to fear this god of the Afghans. And that has made me a fighting man, as they are."
It's interesting to try to find parallels with more recent occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan by a foreign power. See if you and detect some similarities.
1. Alexander's forces were a western undefeated super power that was relatively high tech for their time. (Think shock and awe.)
2. Alexander's campaign arrogantly invaded the country, ignorant of its culture. (Think Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld's world view.)
3. Alexander prematurely declared victory. (Think "Mission Accomplished" on the aircraft carrier.)
4. Soon after the invasion, an insurgency popped up. (Think Iraq for the past seven years and Taliban more recently.)
5. Spitamenes, the leader of the resistance, was an educated son of a wealthy Persian, not a native to the country. (Think Osama bin Laden.)
6. Alexander responded with conventional military force. (Think Marines sacking Fallujah.)
7. Alexander tried sealing the borders. (Think Syrian or Pakistan borders.)
8. Alexander then called in additional reinforcements. (Think surge in deployments.)
9. In desperation Alexander began hiring the militias and the tribes who had been fighting him. (Think Anbar awakening.)
10. Part of Alexander's exit strategy was to marry a tribal chief's daughter. (Not sure that option will work today.)
11. One tactic used by Alexander's forces was to kill off the native population, women and children included. (I hope we're civilized enough to not try that tactic in today's global environment.)
12. The unconventional nature of the war hurt the morale of Alexander's forces. (Could the Abu Ghraib prison be a parallel here?)
13. In the negotiations to end the conflict it was important to reach an agreement in which both sides could claim victory. (Suggestions of negotiating with the Taliban?)
(Note to strict historians: I know a few things were stretched and conflated to make the above parallels.) It should be noted here that it was common for Alexander to incorporate former foes into his army. This particular book tells of action taken to repress the spread of the knowledge of certain atrocities in order to allow the hiring of former enemy tribesmen who had committed the atrocities. I don't know if the author had a historical basis for including that incident. Nevertheless, it created another modern parallel; propaganda and control of news coverage.
The following quote from the book explains in Alexander's words why it is time to cut and run (i.e. declare victory and leave):
"This is what war is," says Alexander. "Glory has fled. One searches in vain for honor. We've all done things we're ashamed of. Even Victory, as Aeschylus says, "in whose august glow all felonies are effaced," is not the same in this war. What remains? To prevent the needless waste of lives. Too many good men have perished without cause. More will join them if we don't make this peace now."
Other powers have invaded Afghanistan since the time of Alexander, and they all have had their problems. Over the past couple hundred years that included the British (two times) and the Soviets. If Alexander were still with us he'd probably say that it's the same o' same o'.
There's a love story of sorts woven into the plot as well. It turns into a parable of war. Romantics will be disappointed. The book ends with these words:
"Though blind, God sees; though deaf, He hears. ...
...Afghanistan's deity gives up nothing. One appeals to him in vain. Yet he sustains those who call themselves his children, who wring a living from this stony and sterile land."
I have come to fear this god of the Afghans. And that has made me a fighting man, as they are."
August 23, 2010
I love Steven Pressfield. I've read the majority of his books and have loved them all. Those books had a lot of emotional impact. Sadly, The Afghan Campaign does not.
The Afghan Campaign is a lot more technical. Pressfield's previous books dealt with the same material but for whatever reason, this one goes into more details when it comes to weaponry, occupation, fighting, campaigns, and everything else it is to be a soldier. Whenever there's a part in the story that would get emotional, it's told instead of shown. In fact, a lot of the story is told--be in what's happening or what kind of weapons there are.
There is a point way late in the story when Matthias gets a woman. That does open up things a bit as he's struggling with her, the campaign, the land, and of course his fiancée. Pressfield seems to take awhile going back to it so much so that I stopped caring. A lot of that is also told too.
The biggest problem with The Afghan Campaign is that it feels like it was created from his previous book, The Virtues of War. It's as if he had so much great stuff that he researched in that book that he didn't want to waste so he made this book.
I'll still list Pressfield as one of my favorite authors. I've loved all the other books he's written so I'm not surprised that this is the bump in the road.
The Afghan Campaign is a lot more technical. Pressfield's previous books dealt with the same material but for whatever reason, this one goes into more details when it comes to weaponry, occupation, fighting, campaigns, and everything else it is to be a soldier. Whenever there's a part in the story that would get emotional, it's told instead of shown. In fact, a lot of the story is told--be in what's happening or what kind of weapons there are.
There is a point way late in the story when Matthias gets a woman. That does open up things a bit as he's struggling with her, the campaign, the land, and of course his fiancée. Pressfield seems to take awhile going back to it so much so that I stopped caring. A lot of that is also told too.
The biggest problem with The Afghan Campaign is that it feels like it was created from his previous book, The Virtues of War. It's as if he had so much great stuff that he researched in that book that he didn't want to waste so he made this book.
I'll still list Pressfield as one of my favorite authors. I've loved all the other books he's written so I'm not surprised that this is the bump in the road.
May 5, 2018
Great book! Steven Pressfield has a unique gift for writing historical/military fiction. He seamlessly blended one soldier's tale with that of the entire campaign without having one overshadow the other. Probably my favorite aspect of this book is that the only difference between the way Alexander the Great and the Afghans fight compared to our modern day war in Afghanistan is the weapons used. I thought that was pretty fascinating considering the amount of time that has lapsed since the Macedonians marched through that part of the world.
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2JS8dla
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2JS8dla
July 23, 2014
Novela histórica con mensaje crítico intemporal.-
Género. Novela histórica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Durante la noche de bodas de Alejandro con la hija de Oxiartes, que traerá paz a una zona en la que entraron los macedonios para una campaña de tres meses y llevan tres años de combates y escaramuzas, Matías y sus compañeros van a llevar a cabo un crimen para evitar más derramamiento de sangre debido a costumbres tribales locales. Matías es un soldado bisoño que se incorporó a las fuerzas de Alejandro como parte de un contingente de reemplazo y fue descubriendo que la guerra es más horrible de lo que podía suponer.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Novela histórica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Durante la noche de bodas de Alejandro con la hija de Oxiartes, que traerá paz a una zona en la que entraron los macedonios para una campaña de tres meses y llevan tres años de combates y escaramuzas, Matías y sus compañeros van a llevar a cabo un crimen para evitar más derramamiento de sangre debido a costumbres tribales locales. Matías es un soldado bisoño que se incorporó a las fuerzas de Alejandro como parte de un contingente de reemplazo y fue descubriendo que la guerra es más horrible de lo que podía suponer.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
July 28, 2025
This historical fiction novel of Alexander the Great's three-year campaign in the Afghan kingdoms (330-328 BC) is told in first-person narrative by Matthias, a young, naive and eager Macedonian recruit. Matthias takes the reader along a visceral ride as he recounts the harsh realities and horrors of war, the brutality of combat, the psychological toll on soldiers, the grinding daily existence in the beautiful but unforgiving terrain, his questioning of the morality of war, and the cultural (often fatal) clashes between the Macedonian and Afghan ways of life. Brutal, harsh, evocative and uncompromising, suspiciously realistic in terms of soldiering and battle scenes, but I'm not sure how accurate Pressfield's depiction of ancient Eastern cultures is (e.g. did Pressfield fabricate 'nanglauli' code, as based on the more extreme version of the Sharia as practiced in certain parts of modern day Afghanistan? Or was this sort of thing common to the larger region and incorporated into Islam at it's inception?). In any event, this is not what I would term a happy book.
What stuck me on reading this novel was the vast swaths of exposition about the military organisation, and logistics, of Alexander the Great's armies, which doesn't make for good story telling no matter how historically accurate. Unless the objective of this novel is to try alleviate the boredom of military college recruits, in which case Pressfield has provided a text that is more entertaining and visceral than the proverbial dry and dusty textbook. I also can't say I was overly thrilled with Pressfield's writing style - the short, almost disjointed chapters and mediocre pose eventually become tedious. The choice to use anachronistic terminology (I really hope Pressfield was referring to "papyrus" mail and not "paper" (the term used) mail because paper hadn't been invented yet!) and excessive use of slang* (and sometimes modern slang) was also strange and jarring. This felt too much like a modern tale told by an American soldier running around modern Afghanistan, rather than a story told by an Ancient Greek Macedonian campaigning in the ancient Middle-East (Afghanistan as a regional name didn't exist back then).
*Referring to Macedonian soldiers as Macks just made me want to raid the fridge 🍜 or check that I put the raincoat 🧥 away properly - very distracting.
What stuck me on reading this novel was the vast swaths of exposition about the military organisation, and logistics, of Alexander the Great's armies, which doesn't make for good story telling no matter how historically accurate. Unless the objective of this novel is to try alleviate the boredom of military college recruits, in which case Pressfield has provided a text that is more entertaining and visceral than the proverbial dry and dusty textbook. I also can't say I was overly thrilled with Pressfield's writing style - the short, almost disjointed chapters and mediocre pose eventually become tedious. The choice to use anachronistic terminology (I really hope Pressfield was referring to "papyrus" mail and not "paper" (the term used) mail because paper hadn't been invented yet!) and excessive use of slang* (and sometimes modern slang) was also strange and jarring. This felt too much like a modern tale told by an American soldier running around modern Afghanistan, rather than a story told by an Ancient Greek Macedonian campaigning in the ancient Middle-East (Afghanistan as a regional name didn't exist back then).
*Referring to Macedonian soldiers as Macks just made me want to raid the fridge 🍜 or check that I put the raincoat 🧥 away properly - very distracting.
September 10, 2016
This is about a soldier in the time of Alexander the Great of Macedon, around 330 BC. Alexander the Great has conquered everywhere using standard tactics of drawing out his enemy and defeating it on the battlefield. And he has conquered the Persian empire, the greatest in the world. And, on the way to the riches of India, lay the Hindu Kush, present day Afghanistan.
The Afghan Campaign is written from the point of view of a new soldier. During the war against the Persians Matthias joins the Macedonian army, following in the footsteps of his brothers. However, he is too late to join in the glorious wars against the Persians. But, he arrives in the Hindu Kush, after the main battle. But the war is not over. Over the course of the campaign, Matthias sees victory, loss. Friends are killed in barbaric ways and he takes part in atrocities that make him sick. His family gives his support, and his fiance leaves him. And at the end, he is frustrated with the war, has the spoils of war that his brother tells him to take home, and decides to continue with Alexander.
So, what is the point? Why this pseudo-history of the ancient world? The question for this is not to present a history, but to present an experience. So, do I think it is accurate, all things considered. And, well, it is. When you are in the middle of things, you don't have too much time to think about the big picture, unless you have that kind of position. Your general thoughts as far as war is concerned are about the day in question. But there are times to think about other things. You are very concerned about your comrade around you, their fortunes, successes, failures. Their hurts and their victories are shared and felt by you. And you think of loved ones behind. Of people back home who support and love you. Of those who have forgotten you. And those who have let you go and gone their own way.
Someone asked me if I missed anything about serving in Afghanistan, it was that. The sense that we shared in the struggles, successes and frustrations of each other. The guy who we all said had the worst job in the office, as he was having his direction of effort changed almost hourly, and never could get what he was doing done well enough to be satisfying. The senior officer who did not have a well defined job, who spent his time making snide remarks and complaining about little mickey mouse issues. The guys who got regular packages and letters from home (I was one of them), especially the newlywed whose wife sent him a package including baked cookies weekly (the winner). We worried about the guy who was a bit of a loner and never got packages (and were real relieved when his mother sent something). I loved it when all the guys on the staff were pulling for me when I gave a big presentation that needed very senior officer support, giving me feedback, suggestions, and general "ask for whatever help you need" support. We talked to our families and shared in the fustrations, joys, stories (funny, sad, frustrating and proud). The ideas, dreams and hopes we had for the future. All the things that make us real human beings. And Pressfield presents that well, both the good and the bad.
Obviously, the book is for a certain type of person. The gore exists, as it is also a part of war. But it is not there for its own sake. It is there because it is part of the environment that shapes the people. And to that extent, it, like some of his other works (e.g. GatesofFire?), does the job wonderfully.
The Afghan Campaign is written from the point of view of a new soldier. During the war against the Persians Matthias joins the Macedonian army, following in the footsteps of his brothers. However, he is too late to join in the glorious wars against the Persians. But, he arrives in the Hindu Kush, after the main battle. But the war is not over. Over the course of the campaign, Matthias sees victory, loss. Friends are killed in barbaric ways and he takes part in atrocities that make him sick. His family gives his support, and his fiance leaves him. And at the end, he is frustrated with the war, has the spoils of war that his brother tells him to take home, and decides to continue with Alexander.
So, what is the point? Why this pseudo-history of the ancient world? The question for this is not to present a history, but to present an experience. So, do I think it is accurate, all things considered. And, well, it is. When you are in the middle of things, you don't have too much time to think about the big picture, unless you have that kind of position. Your general thoughts as far as war is concerned are about the day in question. But there are times to think about other things. You are very concerned about your comrade around you, their fortunes, successes, failures. Their hurts and their victories are shared and felt by you. And you think of loved ones behind. Of people back home who support and love you. Of those who have forgotten you. And those who have let you go and gone their own way.
Someone asked me if I missed anything about serving in Afghanistan, it was that. The sense that we shared in the struggles, successes and frustrations of each other. The guy who we all said had the worst job in the office, as he was having his direction of effort changed almost hourly, and never could get what he was doing done well enough to be satisfying. The senior officer who did not have a well defined job, who spent his time making snide remarks and complaining about little mickey mouse issues. The guys who got regular packages and letters from home (I was one of them), especially the newlywed whose wife sent him a package including baked cookies weekly (the winner). We worried about the guy who was a bit of a loner and never got packages (and were real relieved when his mother sent something). I loved it when all the guys on the staff were pulling for me when I gave a big presentation that needed very senior officer support, giving me feedback, suggestions, and general "ask for whatever help you need" support. We talked to our families and shared in the fustrations, joys, stories (funny, sad, frustrating and proud). The ideas, dreams and hopes we had for the future. All the things that make us real human beings. And Pressfield presents that well, both the good and the bad.
Obviously, the book is for a certain type of person. The gore exists, as it is also a part of war. But it is not there for its own sake. It is there because it is part of the environment that shapes the people. And to that extent, it, like some of his other works (e.g. GatesofFire?), does the job wonderfully.
Read
June 4, 2020Thrilling and wonderfully told, The Afghan Campaign recounts Alexander the Great's campaign in the Afghan kingdoms which began in the summer of 330 BC. This bloody and ruthless conflict is written from the perspective of a Macedonian recruit. The youngest of three brothers and eager to prove himself, Mathias has volunteered to join the leader he worships on his ambitious expedition into the unknown, unconquered country we now call Afghanistan.
I enjoy the way the writer puts forth his ideas and his use of language. For example... " You ask, my friend, how I can be a soldier and a poet? I answer: how can one be a soldier and not a poet?"
" I'm sorry for your girl, Matthias." I quote his proverb: Though blind, God sees; though deaf, He hears.
You would find it hard to put down the book once you start on it because not only does it take you through the war in Afghan but it gives you insight to the hopes and fears of men in battle and natures of wars past... and present.
I enjoy the way the writer puts forth his ideas and his use of language. For example... " You ask, my friend, how I can be a soldier and a poet? I answer: how can one be a soldier and not a poet?"
" I'm sorry for your girl, Matthias." I quote his proverb: Though blind, God sees; though deaf, He hears.
You would find it hard to put down the book once you start on it because not only does it take you through the war in Afghan but it gives you insight to the hopes and fears of men in battle and natures of wars past... and present.
September 16, 2023
This book was just boring. There was nothing that made me give a shit about any of the characters. They felt very cookie cutter. Sad because I loved Gates of Fire and was hoping I would love this one too.
June 9, 2022
Afghanistan has long been the breaking point of many a military campaign. Before aircraft and the mighty sea-going vessels that ruled the seas for the last few hundred years, the country held significant importance as a gateway to both South and East Asia. But Afghanistan, with its rugged landscape and equally rugged denizens, turned back most comers.
This story is set against the backdrop of Alexanders's invasion back in the 3rd century BCE. While it would be interesting to hear of Alexander's frustration first-hand (and we do a little), this is told from the perspective of one of his soldiers and brings to light the trials and the average soldier would have, experiences that Alexander would not have been privy to. It's fascinating and well told, in typical Steven Pressfield fashion, and one could easily equate the tasks facing them to the British, Russian, US and many other military incursions 0ver the last couple of millennia.
This is historical fiction at its finest and recommended to anyone who is interested in why and how wars are won and lost, and the problems the average soldier faces.
This story is set against the backdrop of Alexanders's invasion back in the 3rd century BCE. While it would be interesting to hear of Alexander's frustration first-hand (and we do a little), this is told from the perspective of one of his soldiers and brings to light the trials and the average soldier would have, experiences that Alexander would not have been privy to. It's fascinating and well told, in typical Steven Pressfield fashion, and one could easily equate the tasks facing them to the British, Russian, US and many other military incursions 0ver the last couple of millennia.
This is historical fiction at its finest and recommended to anyone who is interested in why and how wars are won and lost, and the problems the average soldier faces.
November 24, 2020
An anachronistic allegory.
It's a little hard to to ignore the parallels in Pressfield's story of Alexander's invasion and conquering of Afghanistan and the U.S. invasion of the same. But Pressfield's 2006 novel sounds positively quaint in recounting that it took Alexander THREE WHOLE YEARS to conquer Afghanistan. Even at the time of of writing, the US was 5 years in and is still there nearly 20 years later.
So a culturally diverse and technologically advanced Macedonian army invades the tribalistic and remote region of Afghanistan in an attempt to spread the farmer's values... hijinks and guerilla warfare and attrition ensue.
The problems are in the frequent use of anachronistic language Pressfield employs. Too many modern terms and concepts (including the Macedonians using modern house clearing tactics and cordoning off neighborhoods, among others).
Anyway, this particular tale focuses on the end of the war where Alexander was able to buy peace by marrying the daughter of a major warlord. Kinda wish Bush or Obama had tried that (at least for the comedy). But this is more a tale of Matthias, a common soldier who has to find his way in the Macedonian army while also navigating the foreign cultural norms of the Afghans.
These norms (pre-Islamic but still very tribalistic) form the central conflict as Matthias meets an Afghan girl, falls in love, and "marries" her. But we've still got honor codes to deal with... and Alexander remains on the march.
The story hits most of the beats of a period historical fiction novel: soldiers griping, cameos by major historical figures, and some reasonably accurate battles. But the somewhat strained attempts at allegory (or maybe analogue), leaves this 2006 effort somewhat wanting.
It's a little hard to to ignore the parallels in Pressfield's story of Alexander's invasion and conquering of Afghanistan and the U.S. invasion of the same. But Pressfield's 2006 novel sounds positively quaint in recounting that it took Alexander THREE WHOLE YEARS to conquer Afghanistan. Even at the time of of writing, the US was 5 years in and is still there nearly 20 years later.
So a culturally diverse and technologically advanced Macedonian army invades the tribalistic and remote region of Afghanistan in an attempt to spread the farmer's values... hijinks and guerilla warfare and attrition ensue.
The problems are in the frequent use of anachronistic language Pressfield employs. Too many modern terms and concepts (including the Macedonians using modern house clearing tactics and cordoning off neighborhoods, among others).
Anyway, this particular tale focuses on the end of the war where Alexander was able to buy peace by marrying the daughter of a major warlord. Kinda wish Bush or Obama had tried that (at least for the comedy). But this is more a tale of Matthias, a common soldier who has to find his way in the Macedonian army while also navigating the foreign cultural norms of the Afghans.
These norms (pre-Islamic but still very tribalistic) form the central conflict as Matthias meets an Afghan girl, falls in love, and "marries" her. But we've still got honor codes to deal with... and Alexander remains on the march.
The story hits most of the beats of a period historical fiction novel: soldiers griping, cameos by major historical figures, and some reasonably accurate battles. But the somewhat strained attempts at allegory (or maybe analogue), leaves this 2006 effort somewhat wanting.
June 22, 2023
The Afghan Campaign follows the story of a soldier who fights under Alexander the Great during his grueling war to try and conquer the people of Afghanistan. There were many bright spots in this book. The battle tactics were clearly well-researched. The depiction of PTSD, sympathetic portrayal of the enemy, and horrors of war were the best I've ever read.
Unfortunately, the story itself didn't read much like a book but more as a glorified textbook. Furthermore, there was little sense of overall narrative structure. Every chapter felt the same.
The end was brutal but realistic. If I had felt more for the characters, I think it would have hit me harder.
Unfortunately, the story itself didn't read much like a book but more as a glorified textbook. Furthermore, there was little sense of overall narrative structure. Every chapter felt the same.
The end was brutal but realistic. If I had felt more for the characters, I think it would have hit me harder.
May 19, 2018
3.5/5
dat ending
dat ending
March 27, 2011
Η ιστορία της εκστρατείας του Μέγα Αλέξανδρου μέσα από την προσωπική ιστορία ενός απλού στρατιώτη. Κατά τη γνώμη μου ένα από τα καλύτερα ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα που έχω διαβάσει ποτέ! Τα 4 αστέρια ίσως είναι λίγα για το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο. Όμως σε ορισμένα σημεία του βιβλίου η πλοκή έμενε πίσω για χάρη της λεπτομερούς περιγραφής των στρατοπέδων και των τοπίων, κάτι που πολλούς μπορεί να τους κουράζει.
Ο Πόλεμος
Το βιβλίο δεν καταπιάνεται με ολόκληρη την εκστρατεία του Αλέξανδρου αλλά ξεκινά μετά την κατάκτηση της Περσικής Αυτοκρατορίας και την εξάπλωσή του στην γη των παιδιών του Αφγάνα, το σημερινό Αφγανιστάν. Αυτό που μου έκανε θετική εντύπωση είναι ότι ο Pressfield δεν παρουσίασε την εκστρατεία των Μακεδόνων ως μια ένδοξη πορεία με στόχο να διδάξουν τον πολιτισμό στους "βαρβάρους", όπως προωθείται από την δυτική σκέψη και ιστοριογραφία. Αντίθετα τίθεται στα σωστά πλαίσια του επιθετικού - επεκτατικόύ πολέμου χωρίς βέβαια να υποτιμάται η σπουδαιότητα του κατορθώματος αυτού. Παρουσιάζονται όλες οι αθλιότητες και οι αγριότητες του πολέμου και από τις δύο αντίπαλες πλευρές.
Ο Μαντίθεος και οι Μακεδόνες
Το κεντρικό πρόσωπο του βιβλίου είναι ο Μαντίθεος, ένας νεαρός από την Μακεδονία που επιλέγει να καταταγεί στον στρατό για να κερδίσει δόξα, πλούτη και να τιμήσει τον πατέρα του και τα αδέλφια του που πολέμησαν στο πλευρό του Αλέξανδρου. Ήδη όμως από την αρχή καταλαβαίνει ότι ο πόλεμος δεν είναι μόνο ένδοξες στιγμές και νίκες. Το να σκοτώσεις έναν άνθρωπο δεν είναι τόσο απλό όσο του φαινόταν και η ζωή του στρατιώτη ξεδιπλώνεται σαν μια καταδίκη σε μια ζωή βιαιότητας. Οι Μακεδόνες είναι πλεόν μια μειοψηφία σε έναν τεράστιο μισθοφορικό στρατό που πρέπει να μάθουν να ζουν και να πολεμούν μη γνωρίζοντας ποιος είναι ο σύμμαχος και ποιος ο εχθρός.
Η Σινάρ και "Οι Βάρβαροι"
Ο Μαντίθεος κατά τη διάρκεια της εκστρατείας σώζει μια από τις ντόπιες γυναίκες που χρησιμοποιούσε ο μακεδονικός στρατός μαζί με τα ζώα για να μεταφέρουν προμήθειες. Βλέπουμε πως ένας έρωτας γεννιέται μέσα στην εσκτρατεία που δεν είναι όμως ο μόνος καθώς πολλοί ήταν οι Μακεδόνες που έκαναν οικογένεια με ντόπιες γυναίκες. Οικογένειες όμως που συνήθως ήταν καταδικασμένες εξ' αιτίας του σκληρού κώδικα τιμής των λαών της περιοχής που επέβαλλαν την εκδίκηση. Βλέπουμε τους λαούς αυτούς κατεστραμένους να προσπαθούν να επιβιώσουν υποχρεωμένοι να συμβιβαστούν με τον κατακτητή και παράλληλα να παλεύουν για τη διατήρηση του πολιτισμού τους και του τρόπου ζωής τους. Τι διαφορά είχε άραγε εκείνη η μακρινή εποχή από σημερινές ανάλογες περιπτώσεις;
Ο Πόλεμος
Το βιβλίο δεν καταπιάνεται με ολόκληρη την εκστρατεία του Αλέξανδρου αλλά ξεκινά μετά την κατάκτηση της Περσικής Αυτοκρατορίας και την εξάπλωσή του στην γη των παιδιών του Αφγάνα, το σημερινό Αφγανιστάν. Αυτό που μου έκανε θετική εντύπωση είναι ότι ο Pressfield δεν παρουσίασε την εκστρατεία των Μακεδόνων ως μια ένδοξη πορεία με στόχο να διδάξουν τον πολιτισμό στους "βαρβάρους", όπως προωθείται από την δυτική σκέψη και ιστοριογραφία. Αντίθετα τίθεται στα σωστά πλαίσια του επιθετικού - επεκτατικόύ πολέμου χωρίς βέβαια να υποτιμάται η σπουδαιότητα του κατορθώματος αυτού. Παρουσιάζονται όλες οι αθλιότητες και οι αγριότητες του πολέμου και από τις δύο αντίπαλες πλευρές.
Ο Μαντίθεος και οι Μακεδόνες
Το κεντρικό πρόσωπο του βιβλίου είναι ο Μαντίθεος, ένας νεαρός από την Μακεδονία που επιλέγει να καταταγεί στον στρατό για να κερδίσει δόξα, πλούτη και να τιμήσει τον πατέρα του και τα αδέλφια του που πολέμησαν στο πλευρό του Αλέξανδρου. Ήδη όμως από την αρχή καταλαβαίνει ότι ο πόλεμος δεν είναι μόνο ένδοξες στιγμές και νίκες. Το να σκοτώσεις έναν άνθρωπο δεν είναι τόσο απλό όσο του φαινόταν και η ζωή του στρατιώτη ξεδιπλώνεται σαν μια καταδίκη σε μια ζωή βιαιότητας. Οι Μακεδόνες είναι πλεόν μια μειοψηφία σε έναν τεράστιο μισθοφορικό στρατό που πρέπει να μάθουν να ζουν και να πολεμούν μη γνωρίζοντας ποιος είναι ο σύμμαχος και ποιος ο εχθρός.
Η Σινάρ και "Οι Βάρβαροι"
Ο Μαντίθεος κατά τη διάρκεια της εκστρατείας σώζει μια από τις ντόπιες γυναίκες που χρησιμοποιούσε ο μακεδονικός στρατός μαζί με τα ζώα για να μεταφέρουν προμήθειες. Βλέπουμε πως ένας έρωτας γεννιέται μέσα στην εσκτρατεία που δεν είναι όμως ο μόνος καθώς πολλοί ήταν οι Μακεδόνες που έκαναν οικογένεια με ντόπιες γυναίκες. Οικογένειες όμως που συνήθως ήταν καταδικασμένες εξ' αιτίας του σκληρού κώδικα τιμής των λαών της περιοχής που επέβαλλαν την εκδίκηση. Βλέπουμε τους λαούς αυτούς κατεστραμένους να προσπαθούν να επιβιώσουν υποχρεωμένοι να συμβιβαστούν με τον κατακτητή και παράλληλα να παλεύουν για τη διατήρηση του πολιτισμού τους και του τρόπου ζωής τους. Τι διαφορά είχε άραγε εκείνη η μακρινή εποχή από σημερινές ανάλογες περιπτώσεις;
May 9, 2016
I started this book on a recommendation. Actually on numerous recommendations as I've been hearing about Steven Pressfield and his historic novels for a while. In other words, I started this without knowing anything more than the title and an assumption it would take place in Afghanistan.
Well, I was right that it took place in Afghanistan. My guesses about Russian or current occupation were way off, but strangely pertinent. This was Alexander's push to the East in expanding his empire. Alexander had conquered Persia (modern day Iran) and was moving toward India, but first needed to conquer Afghanistan.
The book is written from the perspective of an infantry soldier from Macedon named Matthias. Matthias and his friend Lukas join the army with dreams of glory and wealth. Both of Matthias' older brothers are members of Alexander's elite cavalry, but Matthias accepts a role as an infantryman.
The book covers Matthias' long trek to Afghanistan and the many hardships entailed. When he is finally thrust into combat, Matthias is a mess. Terrified, reluctant to do violence and laughed at by the troops. We follow Matthias over the years in Afghanistan and learn of the people, the terrain and how Alexander's army operates. Over time Matthias becomes a soldier, but it is at the expense of being who he was. He is hardened and desensitized to violence.
A very interesting aspect of this book is talking about how hard it is to conquer Afghanistan. The native people are hardened and willful. The land is treacherous and works against invaders. Where thus far, Alexander the Great has had relatively easy conquests, Afghanistan forces him into compromises.
This really was an excellent book. It gives a view into an area of history and culture I was not familiar with. The main character and his friends are enjoyable and the story riveting. There are some very dark events in the book that drive home the harshness of this war.
Well, I was right that it took place in Afghanistan. My guesses about Russian or current occupation were way off, but strangely pertinent. This was Alexander's push to the East in expanding his empire. Alexander had conquered Persia (modern day Iran) and was moving toward India, but first needed to conquer Afghanistan.
The book is written from the perspective of an infantry soldier from Macedon named Matthias. Matthias and his friend Lukas join the army with dreams of glory and wealth. Both of Matthias' older brothers are members of Alexander's elite cavalry, but Matthias accepts a role as an infantryman.
The book covers Matthias' long trek to Afghanistan and the many hardships entailed. When he is finally thrust into combat, Matthias is a mess. Terrified, reluctant to do violence and laughed at by the troops. We follow Matthias over the years in Afghanistan and learn of the people, the terrain and how Alexander's army operates. Over time Matthias becomes a soldier, but it is at the expense of being who he was. He is hardened and desensitized to violence.
A very interesting aspect of this book is talking about how hard it is to conquer Afghanistan. The native people are hardened and willful. The land is treacherous and works against invaders. Where thus far, Alexander the Great has had relatively easy conquests, Afghanistan forces him into compromises.
This really was an excellent book. It gives a view into an area of history and culture I was not familiar with. The main character and his friends are enjoyable and the story riveting. There are some very dark events in the book that drive home the harshness of this war.
April 7, 2012
The story of Matthias, a Macedonian youth who slips away to join Alexander’s corps as it treks across Afghanistan on its way to India. A raw recruit, he is taken under the wing of Flag, a grizzled sergeant who sees him grow in military experience and in cynicism. He buys a slave girl who later becomes his lover, but he learns that this harsh desert land, where even women and children are enemies, is totally alien, and can never accept him.
After the excitement of Pressfield's Gates of Fire, this book disappoints, though it’s not a total failure. Matthias’ growth from a tyro who fails to kill a trussed prisoner and cuts his own leg instead, vomiting, into a vet who has seen it all is handled well. And the sharp, sudden brutality of it all --- the mass slaughter of the female prisoners, the gory battles --- is of course shown in all its disturbing glory. But it seems Pressfield tried too hard to draw parallels between Alexander’s wars and the current Iraq war, and while he may have a general point, it’s out of place in a historical novel and the plot and characterization suffer as a result. And it may be that the drama suffers from the scope of the book being too vast; instead of focusing, or even climaxing, on one battle or area, “the Afghan campaign” is just too large for what Pressfield is trying to do. Still, there’s no denying that this book is packed with entertaining and suspenseful scenes, and it’s a highly enjoyable read. I’m just not entirely sure it works as a whole.
After the excitement of Pressfield's Gates of Fire, this book disappoints, though it’s not a total failure. Matthias’ growth from a tyro who fails to kill a trussed prisoner and cuts his own leg instead, vomiting, into a vet who has seen it all is handled well. And the sharp, sudden brutality of it all --- the mass slaughter of the female prisoners, the gory battles --- is of course shown in all its disturbing glory. But it seems Pressfield tried too hard to draw parallels between Alexander’s wars and the current Iraq war, and while he may have a general point, it’s out of place in a historical novel and the plot and characterization suffer as a result. And it may be that the drama suffers from the scope of the book being too vast; instead of focusing, or even climaxing, on one battle or area, “the Afghan campaign” is just too large for what Pressfield is trying to do. Still, there’s no denying that this book is packed with entertaining and suspenseful scenes, and it’s a highly enjoyable read. I’m just not entirely sure it works as a whole.
May 9, 2016
I have come to know this man whom, before, I regarded more with awe and fear than respect. I see the whole of him now. He is a soldier in the noblest sense of the word. Tough, selfless, long-suffering.
Story of a young man who enters the service of Alexander the Great's army. Pressfield does a great job of weaving the narrative between pure historical facts and the story of Matthias, a young idealistic man who signs on to serve with his friend Lucas. From the beginning as raw recruits, through their struggles with killing and who they are becoming, Pressfield never shies away from the truths of the life of a soldier.
You couldn’t set down a heel of bread without somebody snatching it, and a decent hat or a pair of road-slappers were sure goners. A man hung his purse next to his testicles and, after shaking hands with a stranger, checked to make sure both sacks were still where he had left them.
The fact is clear, though no rookie other than Lucas owns the bowels to give it voice, that we have entered a crucible of the soul, of war’s horror, and that will change us. It has changed us already. Where will it end? Who will we be then? Myself, I feel its weight nightlong inside my skull, as spectacles of slaughter re-present themselves with such ghastliness that I dare not even shut my eyes.
Really top notch historical fiction
8/10
Story of a young man who enters the service of Alexander the Great's army. Pressfield does a great job of weaving the narrative between pure historical facts and the story of Matthias, a young idealistic man who signs on to serve with his friend Lucas. From the beginning as raw recruits, through their struggles with killing and who they are becoming, Pressfield never shies away from the truths of the life of a soldier.
You couldn’t set down a heel of bread without somebody snatching it, and a decent hat or a pair of road-slappers were sure goners. A man hung his purse next to his testicles and, after shaking hands with a stranger, checked to make sure both sacks were still where he had left them.
The fact is clear, though no rookie other than Lucas owns the bowels to give it voice, that we have entered a crucible of the soul, of war’s horror, and that will change us. It has changed us already. Where will it end? Who will we be then? Myself, I feel its weight nightlong inside my skull, as spectacles of slaughter re-present themselves with such ghastliness that I dare not even shut my eyes.
Really top notch historical fiction
8/10
December 8, 2016
When I saw the title The Afghan Campaign, my first thought was which Afghan Campaign - 2001-2014 or 1978-1989 or 1838-1842 or ... To paraphrase Monty Python, I didn't expect the Macedonian invasion.
Perhaps that is the main point of this book, that no matter how much things change in the rest of the world, things haven't changed much for fighting in Afghanistan.
This book follows the career of a young Macedonian recruit fighting as a dragoon in Alexander's Afghan campaign. It describes in detail the tactics, strategy, logistics and administration of Alexander's army as seen from a low level, as well as the recreation of the soldiers (drugs, alcohol and the local women). It ends with Alexander's face-saving exit.
Perhaps that is the main point of this book, that no matter how much things change in the rest of the world, things haven't changed much for fighting in Afghanistan.
This book follows the career of a young Macedonian recruit fighting as a dragoon in Alexander's Afghan campaign. It describes in detail the tactics, strategy, logistics and administration of Alexander's army as seen from a low level, as well as the recreation of the soldiers (drugs, alcohol and the local women). It ends with Alexander's face-saving exit.
February 21, 2013
This is the second book of his I have read, and I've come to accept the fact that I just don't like Pressfield. The topics are interesting, which makes me want to like it, but the dialogue seems phony.
May 1, 2013
Afghan 330 BC or Afghan 2004 AD?
You can feel the sweat drip down the neck of Matthais, the young warrior in Alexander's army, as awaits the attack.
His fear is physical - you can taste it, smell it.
Pressfield is a wonderful writer and I look forward to reading more of his books.
You can feel the sweat drip down the neck of Matthais, the young warrior in Alexander's army, as awaits the attack.
His fear is physical - you can taste it, smell it.
Pressfield is a wonderful writer and I look forward to reading more of his books.
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