From student of Aristotle to conqueror of the world, Alexander the Great left a legacy that reverberates across the ages.
•••••DVDs
ALEXANDER THE GREAT William Shatner plays the conqueror in this TV pilot from 1968.
ALEXANDER REVISITED: The Final Cut 2-disk unrated Collector’s Edition of Oliver Stone’s most controversial movie.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT (1956) Did brash young Richard Burton make a more compelling Alexander than Colin Farrell? You decide!
•••••Nonfiction
THE MAKING OF ALEXANDER by Robin Lane Fox Official guidebook to the epic movie; foreword by director Oliver Stone.
ALEXANDER: THE CONQUEROR by Laura Foreman A new biography profusely illustrated with maps, illustrations, and photos of artifacts and landscapes.
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT Michael Wood literally follows the footsteps of Alexander, bringing his travails and triumphs vividly to life. View the mini-series on VHS or DVD and read the book.
THE NATURE OF ALEXANDER by Mary Renault Insightful biography by the greatest novelist to write about Alexander.
THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT by Paul Doherty examines one of history’s most tantalizing puzzles: what (or who) really killed the young conqueror?
ALEXANDER AND THE MYSTERY OF THE ELEPHANT MEDALLIONS by Frank Holt Fabled artifacts from Afghanistan and Iraq shed light on Alexander’s psyche and his theology of war.
ALEXANDER THE FABULOUS by Michael Alvear The gay sex columnist’s take on Alexander delivers a camp quotient you won’t get from Oliver Stone (or Mary Renault, for that matter)!
•••••Novels
EPICURUS THE SAGE by Messner-Loebs & Keith Offbeat graphic novel spoofs ancient Greek philosopers and myth, featuring 8-year-old Alexander the not-yet-Great.
THE ALEXANDER TRILOGY by Mary Renault set a standard few historical novelists can match: I. Fire From Heaven, II. The Persian Boy, and III. Funeral Games. She also wrote a nonfiction work, The Nature of Alexander. For more Renault classics, click here.
THE VIRTUES OF WAR by Steven Pressfield Stirring novel of Alexander. By the same author: THE AFGHAN CAMPAIGN, in which a young infantryman recounts Alexander’s invasion of the Afghan kingdoms in 330 B.C.
A CHOICE OF DESTINIES by Melissa Scott Alternate history in which Alexander takes his campaign of conquest to Rome and Carthage instead of India.
LION OF MACEDON by David Gemmell and its sequel, DARK PRINCE, re-imagine the world of Alexander the Great with wizardry and magic.
EMPIRE OF ASHES by Nicholas Nicastro proposes a startling new spin on the career of Alexander; by the author of The John Paul Jones Trilogy and The Isle of Stone.
THE ALEXANDER TRILOGY by Valerio Massimo Manfredi Sensational bestsellers across Europe: I. Child of a Dream, II. The Sands of Ammon, and III. The Ends of the Earth. For other books by Manfredi, click here.
THE HOUSE OF DEATH by Paul Doherty kicks off a series of mystery novels centered on Alexander, followed by THE GODLESS MAN and THE GATES OF HELL.
THE CONQUEROR by Judith French When Alexander conquers her territory and takes her as his wife, the princess Roxanne falls under his spell. Sequel: The Barbarian.
IN THE SHADOW OF ALEXANDER by G.A. Hauser A young soldier, in love with Alexander the Great, strives to prevent the conqueror’s death.
ALEXANDER AT THE WORLD’S END by Tom Holt Parallel tales of two Alexanders — one busy conquering the world, the other struggling to care for his own village. Also by Holt: Olympiad, a comic novel of the of the first Olympic Games.
A BLOODLINE OF KINGS by Thomas Sundell Epic novel of Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. “A great saga!” (Bernard Cornwell)
QUEEN OF THE AMAZONS by Judith Tarr Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, encounters Alexander the Great as he sweeps through Persia.
•••••Fiction for Younger Readers
ALEXANDER THE GREAT by Nikos Kazantzakis The conqueror is seen through the eyes of a young boy in the Macedonian court; by the author of Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ.
I AM THE GREAT HORSE by Katherine Roberts The tale of Alexander as told by his famous steed, Bucephalos.
