In what respects was Alexander 'Great'? It is an exciting task for
the historian to answer that question, and in this fascinating study Nicholas Hammond
undertakes it with enthusiasm. His thorough acquaintance with the
ancient sources enables him to judge whether the many recorded
incidents of Alexander's brilliant life are drawn from reliable
contemporaries or fictional writers.

As a commander of men of
many races, Alexander was and is incomparable. As a statesman he
envisaged, and to some extent created, an ecumenical kingdom which rose
above race and nation and which enjoyed peace and prosperity, extending
from his birthplace in Macedonia to the borders of Kashmir. His
intellect and charismatic personality so fascinated those he conquered
that they served in his army and administration and adopted him as the
hero of their quasi-mythical romances. We have much to learn today from
this genius of a man who died having achieved so much at the age of
thirty-two.