Empire of Ashes: A Novel of Alexander the Great

by Nicholas Nicastro

Book Overview

323 BC. The great Alexander is dead--and the uneasy peace of his former empire is unraveling. Machon, the late king's friend and ally, is the scapegoat for Alexander's downfall, charged with the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451213661
• ISBN13: 9780451213662
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 369 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.5" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

Impossible to put down.

This is the second book I've read from this author. Absolutely no dull moments here. I have no real knowledge about Alexander, so I cannot venture an opinion into the veracity of this work, but as a "good read" I have to say that it IS that. Nicastro's eye for detail brings the reader to ground-level. You feel that you're walking the streets, noticing the sweat, the smells, it is a hypnotic experience to read the book. It really makes me want to read more. I love historical fiction, and I would love to see Nicastro, this author, specifically, tackle some of my favorite personalities in history- but since most of them are pretty darn obscure, I guess that won't happen. In any case, the book did not disappoint. I paid it the ultimate compliment by reading passages aloud to my wife. Yet another triumph. Can't wait to get my next order from this author. I heartily recommend it to all who want to curl up in a chair on a cold night and have a good, exciting read.

It stands up to scrutiny

After reading this book two years ago, I was skeptical that the author had really done his homework, especially since he offers a somewhat different view of Alexander's story than most of us have grown up with. Yet with time, and after reading more sources about the subject, I've grown to appreciate what has gone into this book. For example, the discussions about the fire-worshipping religion of the Persians (Zoroaster) seems far-fetched at first, but if you look into the facts, the author wasn't exaggerating. Likewise for many of the location descriptions, like the petroleum fields the Greeks encountered outside Babylon. I never thought about whether oil existed before we started using it for fuel, but of course it must have. Not everybody is going to like this approach, but I do.

A fine work unjustly attacked

I read Nicholas Nicastro's "Empire of Ashes" several years ago, and found it to be a very readable, very well-researched piece of historical fiction. When I came back to this page and saw that Nicastro's "Empire of Ashes" was under attack by a crazy person (and a plagiarist, no less) I thought how sad for the open nature of the internet, where freedom of expression can be unfairly abused by unbalanced individuals. Let me say it plainly to the person who continues to post shill one star reviews: you are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to have that opinion count 5, 10 or 20 times. Shame on you! By the way, I will not be using my real name for this review, because I don't want to be abused as other reviewers unfortunately have been.

Believable, startling, fast-paced

EMPIRE OF ASHES is great historical fiction. Nicholas Nicastro paints an entirely believable portrait of the world of Alexander the Great, with the period detail and nuance that gives the reader a true feel for the time period. Even better, he resists simply regurgitating our common understanding of Alexander, and instead presents an unexpected and at times startling picture of a hero we thought we knew, but perhaps did not. EMPIRE OF ASHES is both fast-paced and scholarly, a difficult combination to achieve, but Nicastro succeeds beautifully.

Best Book I Read in 2004

This is the third novel I've read by Nicholas Nicastro and he has officially become one of my favorite authors. His latest novel on Alexander the Great is his best to date. He exceeds the skillful character development he attained in his novels about John Paul Jones. As well, Nicastro manages to mix historical fact and fiction in the most entertaining fashion. And his third book adds an extra kick--packed with action on and off the battlefield. Weighing in at just over 350 pages, I read the book in one sitting. I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Alexander and the man accused of involvement in his ultimate demise. I hope Nicastro has another book ready to publish.