Most Comprehensive Book

Recommend, or otherwise, books on Alexander (fiction or non-fiction). Promote your novel here!

Moderator: pothos moderators

Semiramis
Hetairos (companion)
Posts: 403
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:24 pm

Post by Semiramis »

Heckel's Marshals has most on Haphaistion. Robin Lane Fox is probably the most sympathetic to Hephaistion out of all I've read. :)
athenas owl
Hetairos (companion)
Posts: 401
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:07 am
Location: US

Post by athenas owl »

Semiramis wrote:Heckel's Marshals has most on Haphaistion. Robin Lane Fox is probably the most sympathetic to Hephaistion out of all I've read. :)
If you are interested in Hephaistion two books, or rather a book and a dissertation are good.

Andrew Chugg's Alexander's Lovers and Jeanne Reames-Zimmerman's dissertation which is available online for order (I paid 41.00 dollars for it. If I remeber correctly there's a link on the wbsite she maintains for ordering it..

I'd recommend both for the wealth of information and the lack of "dumb brute" cracks. :wink:
Tantalus
Pezhetairos (foot soldier)
Posts: 53
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:07 pm

Post by Tantalus »

athenas owl wrote: ... and Jeanne Reames-Zimmerman's dissertation which is available online for order (I paid 41.00 dollars for it. If I remeber correctly there's a link on the wbsite she maintains for ordering it.
I just got that dissertation last week. Hephaistion Amyntoros: Eminence grise at the court of Alexander the Great by Jeanne Reames-Zimmerman. 301 pages. I have not read it yet.

Get it from here:
Dissertation Express

Yes, it was $41. FYI, at the same site I also got The 'Orientalism' of Alexander the Great: His Persian clothes by Janell Marie Reyes. 106 pages. She goes over what these clothes would have been like and more importantly why he adopted them. I've only read the first 5 pages but it appears insightful and well done.

Unfortunately the $ adds up quick at Dissertation Express.
.
Semiramis
Hetairos (companion)
Posts: 403
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:24 pm

Post by Semiramis »

Oh I was so sore at Cartledge for the "dumb brute" crack... That was his segue from Bucephalas to Hephaistion... So unjustified! Assuming that's what you're talking about? :)

Hehe... notice I didn't recommend Cartledge as a good biography. It's not bad... He tries to bring some originality into it. But in the absence of a coherent opinion of his own, wildly veers between the critical and admiring schools of Alexander studies, rather than finding a common threat throughout.

It wasn't the most well edited book. There were many repeats, some paragraphs verbatim. It was arranged not chronologically, but by theme. AWhich is a neat idea but organizing the story that way is always going to take more work. He's normally a Sparta Man - Cartledge - but he probably could've done a better job given more time. Maybe they were rushing to get the book printed in time for the Alexander fan revival after the Stone movie.. Did that predicated surge in interest actually happen? :)
User avatar
Theseus
Pezhetairos (foot soldier)
Posts: 214
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:58 pm
Location: USA

Post by Theseus »

Thank you all for your information on sources for Hephaestion. I have known about Jeanne's dissertation and will probably get that. I did order Alexander's Lovers today and will look forward to reading that one. :D
athenas owl
Hetairos (companion)
Posts: 401
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:07 am
Location: US

Post by athenas owl »

Dissertation Express is a dangerous place...too easy to spend the loot. I have been considering donating money to the local Community College, trying to get together with some friends to fund JSTOR for the school..with the proviso that I can get my sticky little fingers on it, too.

There is nothing more frustrating for me than reading the first page of an article online and not being able to read the rest. A few have been tear inducing.

I did just buy 170.00 worth of Alexander related books through Amazon. I could have easily doubled that (with 1 or 2 books), but thankfully I just put the others on my wishlist. That thing is way too long.
Tantalus
Pezhetairos (foot soldier)
Posts: 53
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:07 pm

Post by Tantalus »

athenas owl wrote:Dissertation Express is a dangerous place...too easy to spend the loot. I have been considering donating money to the local Community College, trying to get together with some friends to fund JSTOR for the school..with the proviso that I can get my sticky little fingers on it, too.

There is nothing more frustrating for me than reading the first page of an article online and not being able to read the rest. A few have been tear inducing.

I did just buy 170.00 worth of Alexander related books through Amazon. I could have easily doubled that (with 1 or 2 books), but thankfully I just put the others on my wishlist. That thing is way too long.

LOL! I could have written that post including the recent Amazon purchase. :)

That's a great idea you have for JSTOR. I too get soooo very frustrated with not having access to JSTOR.

Even though I know it wouldn't do any good, to get my frustration out I wrote them an email. I told them that there are many people who have a great passion for history but who are not connected to a university, or anything that allows them access to JSTOR. And what a shame that was that information is being withheld from those passionate people. I said that I would gladly pay for articles or for an affordable individual subscription. They actually wrote back but basically just said "Sorry."

So I end buying out of print journals for $20 to $45 just to get one article. sigh...

.
athenas owl
Hetairos (companion)
Posts: 401
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:07 am
Location: US

Post by athenas owl »

Tantalus wrote:
athenas owl wrote:Dissertation Express is a dangerous place...too easy to spend the loot. I have been considering donating money to the local Community College, trying to get together with some friends to fund JSTOR for the school..with the proviso that I can get my sticky little fingers on it, too.

There is nothing more frustrating for me than reading the first page of an article online and not being able to read the rest. A few have been tear inducing.

I did just buy 170.00 worth of Alexander related books through Amazon. I could have easily doubled that (with 1 or 2 books), but thankfully I just put the others on my wishlist. That thing is way too long.

LOL! I could have written that post including the recent Amazon purchase. :)

That's a great idea you have for JSTOR. I too get soooo very frustrated with not having access to JSTOR.

Even though I know it wouldn't do any good, to get my frustration out I wrote them an email. I told them that there are many people who have a great passion for history but who are not connected to a university, or anything that allows them access to JSTOR. And what a shame that was that information is being withheld from those passionate people. I said that I would gladly pay for articles or for an affordable individual subscription. They actually wrote back but basically just said "Sorry."

So I end buying out of print journals for $20 to $45 just to get one article. sigh...

.
I agree, I wish they's offer private subscriptions. I'd pay for that, happily.

Bosworth wrote an article on the origins of the Pontic House that I want :cry: . I will have to break down and try to find/buy it in back issue.

I'll get back to you a bit later, btw. :D
Alita
Pezhetairos (foot soldier)
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:15 pm

Re: Most Comprehensive Book

Post by Alita »

rocktupac wrote:I'm wondering which book all of you think is by far, the most comprehensive book on Alexander out there. (By modern or ancient, all opinions welcome) Which book has the most information about Alexander, his family, his men, the battles, the logistics, terrain, weapons, various enemies, etc?

I'm just curious which stands out to everyone. You can either list or give a full explanation. Thanks all.
The best thing for you to do is read the original sources, as everything else that has been written equals original sources plus opinion.
First, be human.
Post Reply