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Ghost on the Throne
The Death of Alexander the Great and the War for Crown and Empire
Knopf, 2011
This book covers in gripping detail the events that began on June 1, 323 B.C., when Alexander the Great became ill with what would be a fatal fever, and ended seven years later with the death or imprisonment of his two surviving heirs. It follows the machinations of the half-dozen generals who grappled for the right to succeed Alexander as commander of the army, as well as the dynastic intrigues that played out among the royals who had sole rights to the throne. For those intrigued by how Alexander won his empire, this book tells the equally compelling story of how that empire was lost, fragmenting into the rival blocs that would dominate the Hellenistic world for centuries.
In his gripping new Ghost on the Throne, James Romm adds the
narrative verve of a born writer to the erudition of a scholar.
Taking what until now had been a murky gray area of ancient history
that was once the province of specialists—the eventful, convoluted,
and bitter struggles for power immediately following the death of
Alexander the Great—Romm has crafted a richly colored, expertly
narrated page-turner. For too long, the immense spreading shadow of
Alexander himself has eclipsed the careers of those around him:
Romm's new account now alters that balance, providing unforgettable,
darkly-glinting cameos of the dead conqueror's generals, friends, and
relatives--most of them grasping, some memorably hapless—among whom
figure a startling array of remarkable female players in this
"Macbeth"-like drama. A wonderful book for anyone interested in
history, power—or just an amazing tale.
— Daniel Mendelsohn, contributor, The New York Review of Books, and author of The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million