Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy: A Biography

by John Maxwell O'Brien

Book Overview

Despite Alexander the Great's unprecedented accomplishments, during the last seven years of his life, this indomitable warrior became increasingly unpredictable, sporadically violent, megalomaniacal, and suspicious of friends as well as enemies. What could have caused such a lamentable transformation?
This biography seeks to answer that question by assessing the role of alcohol in Alexander the Great's life, using the figure of Dionysus as a symbol...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415072549
• ISBN13: 9780415072540
• Release Date: August 1992
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

O'Brien's Book is really great

I had the opportunity to be a student in Professor O'Brien's Alexander the Great class at Queens college. He was so knowlegdeable and eloquent in that class, his book is also a really well-rounded inquiry to Alexander. In his book, aside from his on take on Alexander, O'Brien reveals many of the differing characterizations that other leading historians such as Peter Green, Mary Renault, Robin Lane Fox, etc. attribute to Alexander. I have read a bunch of Alexander biographies, however, O'Brien's is one of the more well-rounded. Plus, he gives his own interesting opinion on the role alcohol played in Alexander's life and death. This book is excellent for someone who is a serious historian or history student, but it is also written clear enough that you don't have to be one of the latter in order to understand it. I recommmend this book, because the fair balance O'Brien gives to the debate over Alexander's mysterious and multi-faced personality.

Great book on Alexander the Great

I find this book fascinating, full of interesting facts and references. A great reading for someone who is curious to find out more about the phenomenon we call Alexander the Great.

A Very Unusual Biography of Alexander the Great

This particular book is full of references from ancient greek literature quoted to illustrate various aspects of Alexander the Great's life. It has the most complete bibliography on Alexander and students will find it is a must buy for that feature alone. The author concentrates on the deterioration of Alexander from alcohol and his parallel life with the god of wine Dionysus. Very unusual indeed...