Manfredi's Trilogy &ScreenPlay

[jan]

I have finally finished a tearjerker of an ending in the third book of Manfredi's series on Alexander the Great. It is very Hollywood! I actually did get a bit weepy at the end, and it has finally finished my interest in Alexander.My main interest is in children's books which will lead to a deeper study of Alexander. This book is suitable for high school students. I understand that he credits Ian Halliday for his great translation and I deplore some of the literary defects in this book, but the pace of the book kept me interested and enthralled.I like it mostly because he does not try to project his own personality into any of the characters. He merely spins his story. Of course, those who are long familiar with the story will find all kinds of areas in which he deliberately changes famous quotations and omits certain important speeches. Least wise, I was rather stunned at the end when he deliberately aborts one of Alexander's most famous and most important speeches.I like the trilogy in a kind of Nancy Drew way. It is not anything but a wet your whistle approach to the subject. It made me think of a dozen ways to improve upon what is probably a too long neglected subject. I am amazed that the world is so unaware of the influence that Alexander has had upon the stage of life since his exploits. To think that not only Caesar but Hitler were under his influence is something that most of us too little realize. I am glad that I have finally discovered his influence as well.Happy reading! It is a romp!Jan