Macedonia Books

A very informative book that tells really a lot about Macedonian king Philp the 2nd and the way he forced himself on the Greeks. There's not as much in there about his son, Alexander, but it was worthwhile anyway for anybody who wants to know about the wars of that time in ancient Greece. I highly recomend it.

This book is the best book I have seen about King Philip II for general readers. Several scholarly books that are available contain more information of course. But for those who want a simple, straightforward overview, this book is excellent. The book contains a good deal less on Alexander and seems to make the case that much of Alexander's later success was due to his father's considerable talents. Nice job all around.

Don Nardo, the leading classical historian in the U.S. young adult market, has turned out yet another fine piece of historical writing. Here, he approaches an often-done subject from a fresh viewpoint. Instead of focusing most of the time on Alexander and mentioning his father Philip in a mere few pages, as so many books of this kind tend to do, Nardo focuses most of the book on Philip and how in an amazingly short span of time he forged a nation out of petty competing factions in a Macedonia that was viewed by Athens and other leading Greek city-states at that time as a backward, uncultured place, and also how he created a formidable army, one that Alexander later used to conquer Persia with. I have read just about all of the important literature in this subject area, and Nardo's is the only non-scholarly study I know of that goes into Philip's life and exploits in such detail. The title of the book is a bit misleading, in that it could be construed by those who have not read the book to mean that the unity Philip and Alexander brought to Greece was complete and/or permanent; and I suspect that this was not Nardo's own title, but rather one imposed by the publisher. However, throughout the book, Nardo makes it very clear that said unity was only partial (Sparta and some other Greek states not taking part), impermanent, and also achieved by brute force, since the Macedonians marched into southern Greece and imposed their will on the residents. This is excellent, well-informed historical writing, of far better quality than some scholarly books I have seen, although admittedly couched in simple terms and language for its young audience.

Don Nardo, the leading classical historian in the U.S. young adult market, has turned out yet another fine piece of historical writing. Here, he approaches an often-done subject from a fresh viewpoint. Instead of focusing most of the time on Alexander and mentioning his father Philip in a mere few pages, as so many books of this kind tend to do, Nardo focuses most of the book on Philip and how in an amazingly short span of time he forged a nation out of petty competing factions in a Macedonia that was viewed by Athens and other leading Greek city-states at that time as a backward, uncultured place, and also how he created a formidable army, one that Alexander later used to conquer Persia with. I have read just about all of the important literature in this subject area, and Nardo's is the only non-scholarly study I know of that goes into Philip's life and exploits in such detail. The title of the book is a bit misleading, in that it could be construed by those who have not read the book to mean that the unity Philip and Alexander brought to Greece was complete and/or permanent; and I suspect that this was not Nardo's own title, but rather one imposed by the publisher. However, throughout the book, Nardo makes it very clear that said unity was only partial (Sparta and some other Greek states not taking part), impermanent, and also achieved by brute force, since the Macedonians marched into southern Greece and imposed their will on the residents. This is excellent, well-informed historical writing, of far better quality than some scholarly books I have seen, although admittedly couched in simple terms and language for its young audience.

The achivements and conquests of the Macedonian king Philip II are summarized in this highly informative volume. The author devotes most of the book to Philip, rather than his illustrius son, Alexander, which is Ok because there are plenty of books about Alexander out there already. It is really refreshing to find out how much of Alexnader's accomplishments were the result of his father's talent and achievements, which tend to get glossed over in a lot of books about Alexander. As one of the reviews above mentions, the author does a really nice job of working in actual quotes from ancient writers, which gives the book a strong feeling of authenticity.

I stumbled upon Bloodline of Kings out of the blue, never having heard of the book or the author. Because of the enthusiastic reviews, I took a chance and ordered it. I'm glad I did. It's a wonderful book.

So little historical fiction has been written about King Philip's life before the birth of Alexander the Great, much less about early 4th century Macedonian culture(s) and politics or the intricacies of tribal dynastic intrigue. Yet this is the setting that shaped Alexander. It is no wonder Alexander loved Homer, for the time and place he grew up in were Homeric.

Philip himself is a fascinating youth and young man, perhaps as talented as his famous son.

I've looked eagerly for additional novels by Thomas Sundell without finding any. I hope one appears soon. If you enjoy reading about Alexander the Great, you owe it to yourself to get this book. Without necessarily contradicting what you already know, Sundell will add a new dimension to your picture of Alexander's life. And, to repeat myself, Philip himself is a fascinating and engaging person, well worth knowing for his own sake.

While Alexander the Great is widely known as a general and conqueror, his father, Philip, has remained a footnote. This novel takes that footnote and brings him to life. Philip is presented to us as an intelligent, thoughtful boy who grows to young manhood. But, more importantly, the entire spectrum of life in ancient Greece, the world of Macedonia and the tribulations and ambitions of those who ruled or wished to rule, are brought vividly to life.

These are more than history book characters. That's why I liked the book so much. They spoke and acted like real people. They loved and hated with an intensity that stayed with me.

Historical novels such as this one take history and present it with all the relevance of today, the panaromic view of a movie, and the incisiveness of cafe table gossip.

I highly recommend Bloodlines to anyone who likes history and wants to know more about what came before Alexander's greatness.

So rare to see in historical fiction a work that gets the things right: the historical facts, the social atmosphere, and the characters. But this book achieved in all three...

My original decision to buy the hardcover copy of a previously unknown author was mainly because I am fascinated by Philip and Alexander of Macedon, while there are so many books about the son; the father has been relatively ignored by fiction writers.

This book turned out to be one of the best historical novels I have read (if not THE best). Because of the author's expertise in ancient warfare, I am not surprised to find the vivid account of battles and the military genius of Philip of Macedon. Beyond the military stuff, the book gives excellent description of the geological, religious, economical, and social realities of that era. This book brings me back in time more than 2,000 years ago, among the Macedonians and Greeks, I can feel and understand their environment, their beliefs, their everyday life, and their struggles; each men and women are creatures of their own time but have meanings for eternity. Among them the most vivid character of all is Philip of Macedon. This is the way a historical fiction should be: as accurate as historical textbook while at the same time vivid and fascinating as telling a great story. You feel you are there, as the history unfolds itself...

...The only problem? The book stopped at Alexander's birth. There are twenty more years of great battle and conquering that follows before Philip's death; I really hope this book has a sequel.

An absolutely stunning book, extremely well written and researched about a man who's fame would be obscured by his more famous son.

The detail is impressive but never bogs the story down:the characters are well developed and the whole story is like an amazingly well woven and rich tapestry.

If you like historical fiction and/or ancient history, you'll love this book.

I really hope Mr. Sundell will someday continue the story with another book !

Thomas Sundell's A Bloodline Of Kings is a superbly crafted historical fiction novel set in the fourth century B.C., and is the story of Philip of Macedon, who in many ways forever altered the world of the Greeks and set the stage for his legendary son Alexander. A riveting book of rivalry and kingship vs. Athenian democracy, A Bloodline Of Kings is filled with conflict from between two men to between disparate ways of life. A fascinating and involving novel that absorbs the reader into the clash of culture past, A Bloodline Of Kings is highly recommended reading from beginning to end!

This book is, in a word, extraordinary; so is the accompanying CD recording, which gives in addition to music of the Macedonian Romany people, a slice of their life in cafes and markets. One hears their daily activities, the sale of pita, and various wares, as well as juke boxes and street sounds as the Mahala awakens.

Mahala, for those unaware, is the village ghetto to which Rom people are generally confined, although the anthropologists who compiled this book do not seem to know that it is Arabic for ghetto, and the same word used in North Africa and other Middle Eastern Muslim nations to describe the Jewish and Christian ghettos in which those dhimmi groups are similarly confined. Dhimmis are the non-Muslim minorities in Muslim lands, and their treatment (and in Muslim nation remains) generally described and defined by the Islamic laws of jihad.

Unlike most other recent books about the Rom, this one contains a massive amount of research on the lives and music of these people, as they live it; but what I like the most are the oral histories that provide readers with a real sense of the hardships suffered by the Rom in Greek Macedonia. While the book mentions the great and disastrous Turkish invasion of Greece in 1922, it does not note the great massacre of an estimated 150,000 Christian Greeks and Armenians in Smyrna on the Aegean coast that year. This undoubtedly included some Rom, as the town was then (as now) central on the Turkish coast.

But without knowing it, the authors have demonstrated some of the ill effects of Muslim rule, for they do discuss, via oral histories, the great liberation experienced by Greek Roma in 1924, when Turks were repatriated to Turkey and 1 million Greeks from Turkey to Greece. The latter may have lost some territory, but she gained liberation from Muslim oppression.

As Greeks from Turkey poured into Greece, the town fathers in Jumaya, for example, and presumably everywhere else the Roma then lived in Greece, began to allow the Roma to go to school with Greeks. Beforehand, the Turks had imposed separation on non-Muslim peoples. But with Turks gone, Greeks exiled the old cast system too, thereby relinquishing the system that had helped imprison Greek Roma in lives without equal education. Now, suddenly, the Rom could attend the same school as everyone else.

There are many wonderful features of this book, including the photographs and the music CD at its end. But make no mistake, the oral histories are the best feature, making this one of the best books on the Rom I have read to date.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

When you get Bright Balkan Morning you are likely to open it up and then leaf through it, looking at the photographs. After a few minutes of this you'll remove the CD from the inside back cover and put it on. Then you continue looking at the photos while listening to the sounds.

That in itself is a rich and satisfying experience. But don't stop there. Read the text!

It tells of Roma (aka Gypsy) musicians who have cornered the market on live music in polyglot Greek Macedonia. While they are at the bottom of the social order, anyone who wishes a proper wedding, festival, or party of any kind hires these musicians. The musicians generally perform in trios, one playing a bass drum while the other two play the zurna - a double-reed woodwind found throughout Eurasia and Africa. Their repertoire is drawn from the peoples who live in the area, or passed through at one time, and is sometimes more Oriental, sometimes more European - whatever the customer wants.

Keil and Keil give detailed accounts of several performances - a baptism, a wedding, and a saint's day festival - tell the life stories of a dozen or so musicians & family, and recount the broad history of the Roma in the Mediterranean as well as presenting a more focused account of their sojourn in Greek Macedonia. Blau's photographs range from intimate portraits, to dancers in full party whirl, through street scenes jumbled or measured, to serene landscapes. Some of his shots are so strikingly composed - the cover image, for example - that the effect is both subjective (Blau's aesthetic) and objective (we're looking at things, out there, in the world). Steven Feld's soundscapes give us the living flow of sound. Not only do we hear the twin zurnas flying through drum rhythms, but dancing feet, shouts of joy and exertion, motors churning, sheep braying, and Stevie Wonder piped in through a tinny sound system.

Bright Balkan Morning is a milestone. See it, hear it, read it. Take pleasure in it.

In the rich and wonderful BRIGHT BALKAN MORNING: Romani Lives and the Power of Music in Greek Macedonia (Wesleyan University Press. Includes a CD), Charles and Angeliki Vellou Keil write of how, since the earliest days of Byzantium, commentators have remarked, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively, on the power of the Romani people to "steal your heart." With its stunning photographs by Dick Blau and its evocative CD produced by Steven Feld, this book is just one more instance of stolen hearts. The Romani, who are sometimes called gypsies, have stolen the authors' hearts and are well on their way to stealing my heart as well.

I urge you to buy this book. I say so as someone who almost never reads anything published by an academic press. I am definitely not an anthropologist or a social scientist of any kind. What I know about the raw and the cooked doesn't get very far beyond my kitchen, but I couldn't put BRIGHT BALKAN MORNING down. This book ought to be that rare thing: an academic book with popular appeal.

The easiest way into the riches of BRIGHT BALKAN MORNING are Blau's black-and-white photographs of the Romani playing their instruments for weddings, wrestling matches, and the little parades that apparently form wherever they go. When the dances started up, I have a feeling that Blau joined in, for these pictures just pulled me along. I could smell the perfume in the grandmother's handkerchief as she held it out to Blau and, through him, to me, as we all danced together. I could see the textures of the road when I took my place in the wedding parade; I could almost hear the sound of the zurna (a kind of outdoor oboe) being played in my ear.

Of course Steven Feld's CD brings the actual sounds to life. The CD begins oh so slyly by introducing Romani music emerging from the ambient sounds of twentieth-century Macedonia. The Romani are, if nothing else, great survivors of history's cultural wars, and you can hear so many diverse musical strains-from the Muslim to the techno pop. Eerily enough, the rhythm of the dauli (a two-headed bass drum) being played sounds exactly like the bass-drum pounding at a high-school football pep rally.

I wasn't as happy with the book's writing style, but then the authors seem to be wrestling with shaping this heartfelt information of theirs into all the requirements of academic publishing, and that struggle oddly mirrors the lives of the Romani. This sometimes awkward prose becomes just one more instance of the dance the Romani inspire everywhere they go as they blend in and out of the moment's culture.

--R. M. Ryan
Duncans Mills, CA

Last night I planned to read this book for just a few minutes before going to sleep. Hours later, instead of sleeping I was transformed into the world of the Balkan Roma musicians and their incredible culture! I simply couldn't put this amazing book down. I love the stories and interviews with the old musicians, the informative history of the Roma people and their culture, the full-of-life photos, and the CD with soundscapes. All these pieces combine to give the reader a great view of a people and their heritage, and one that has been largely overlooked in the past. I found the work ethic of the musicians described in this book to be very inspirational. To be able to play all kinds of requests for days on end is really something to admire. Musicians of any genre could learn a whole lot from reading about the musicians in this book. Years ago, these authors turned me on to the subculture of polka in the USA (and made a polkaholic out of me) with their super "Polka Happiness" book. They have clearly done it again - informed the world about an incredibly rich culture that was largely hidden from view.

This book responds to my interest in the social context of folk music and dance. The focus was on the lives of the people who make the music, in this case the Roma of Jumaya (Iriklia) in Greek Macedonia. The writers give you quite a rounded view, describing how the music is performed, at what kinds of events, how people relate to the music and each other, how the musicians see themselves and their occupation and how making a living as a Roma musician fits into Greek society. There is also a strong sense of history and how things have changed over time in many ways - the history of Roma in Greece and other Balkan countries, the specific history of Roma in Jumaya, and the stories of individual musicians and their families. The consistently positive way that the writers approach their subject is also refreshing - they describe how Roma have used music to survive and, in some cases, prosper, and how in doing so they have contributed to the multi-layered fabric of Greek-Macedonian ethnic identities.

What is especially interesting to me is the authors' view of how multi-ethnic society works in Greek Macedonia as compared to Bulgaria or Former Yugoslavia, and how the strategy of Roma musicians is different in these different countries. In Greek Macedonia the musicians play the music of all ethnic groups in order to maximize their flexibility and income. During multi-ethnic celebrations the musicians follow a strict policy of playing everyone's requests in the order requested, so that no one feels that they have priority. There is a fascinating description of an ethnically mixed wedding where the families have to adjust their various wedding traditions to accommodate each other, making it up as they go along to some extent.

The authors compare and contrast this with the approach taken by Roma musicians in other areas of the Balkans. In Kosovo in the 1980s the Roma musicians are said to have purposely selected music from traditions from other than Serbian and Albanian in order to avoid conflicts. In Bulgaria the wedding band tradition is described as leading to a new pan-Balkan "fusion" style which borrows from many cultures but still feels Bulgarian. Ultimately the motivation behind each strategy is the need of musicians to make a living.

The book is interesting reading from a North American perspective as well. Keil contrasts the multi-ethnic consciousness of Greeks, where the same person may have several types of ethnic and national identities simultaneously, with the concept of "multiculturalism" which he describes as slices of a pizza in which there are lots of ethnicities but everyone is either one thing or another. This raise the question of what is really going on in such immigrant nations as Canada and the United States.

The accompanying CD is a potpourri of sounds, including music of various types, and there is a section of the book describing the contents of the CD. Some of the track titles are Market Day in Jumaya, Afternoon at a Mahala Café, At Home in the Mahala, New Year's Party in Serres, Taverna Party at Nikisiani. The combination of the text, the many high quality black and white photos and the soundscape are successful in putting you into the experience, as much as this is possible. There was also a nice balance between Angeliki Keil's straight-forward and very readable reporting of the lives of the musicians and Charles Keil's more theoretical musings about ethnicity, the music and the role of the musicians. My only complaint about the book is its weight - it's printed on very heavy, glossy stock, no doubt adding to the quality of photographic reproductions, but it is so big and heavy that you pretty well have to read it sitting up. An alternate title could be, "Your Big Fat Roma Music Book."

Alexander III of Macedonia - brilliant, intuitive, decisive, driven was chief, amongst many things, an outstanding commander in chief of arguably the premier military force of the ancient world. It is little wonder that Brassey included Alexander in their series (Dennis Showalter, series editor) of Military Profiles.

Admittedly a biography of Alexander as a military man, Tsouras opens by showing us the forces and experiences that instructed, equipped and empowered Alexander to become a successful leader of military forces. As he does, Tsouras includes most of the standard stories told about Alexander and puts them into their historical perspective.

The bulk of the book follows Alexander's exploits leading the Macedonian army as they secured their home base, conquered Persia and marched on into India and Afghanistan. Tsouras details battles and spends time detailing the ways in which Alexander managed his troops on and off the battle field. He presents in detail and with illustrations the tactics Alexander used in two significant battles. These were illustrative of Alexander's skill in leadership on the battlefield.

This is a short book, easy to read and understandable. I found it well worth the time and effort spent. As a lay person to military tactics I was able to comprehend the material presented.

I did find however, that many questions about Alexander, his life and times, were raised. But the answers to these belong to other books.

I'm a hardcore Alexandrophile (having read nearly 3 dozen books about this remarkable historic figure) and I can say that this work by Peter G. Tsouras is the best concise biography of the man I've read to date. Considering that it's part of a Military Profiles series, I expected the book to be a rather dry military academia that strictly focused on Alexander's military achievements. While it's true that the focus is on the military aspects of Alexander's extraordinary life and career, I was pleasantly surprised by the broad range of Alexander's life that Tsouras covered with such clear prose and lucid writing style.

Tsouras takes a very balanced view of Alexander in light of today's mudslinging between the extreme pro-Alexandrian and anti-Alexander schools of thought. Overall, Tsouras comes to a fairly positive outlook and conclusion when it comes to Alexander's achievements and legacy after having thoroughly examined both sides of the story. I also have a very positive view although I am very well aware of the mistakes Alexander had made during his life. I just do not think it's Alexander's fault that the latter day imitators who followed in his footsteps didn't realize that they didn't have his immense talents and noble intentions and only focused on his military successes of vanquishing his enemies and enjoying the spoils of the victories. Tsouras is very well aware of this as he points out that many have tried to equal or surpass Alexander but fell woefully short and simply committed atrocities on a huge scale.

This is an insightful book that is chock full of interesting information and is easy to read. If you have time for only one concise biography of the greatest conqueror the world has ever known, this is the one to get. It's real history but isn't dry or overbearing with esoteric academia as so many classical history books tend to be. Tsouras also lays out the military aspects of Alexander's career in a manner both military buff and the layman can easily digest and learn from. There has never been a leader and military commander quite like Alexander the Great. Tsouras shows you why in a clear and lucid manner. I ended up finishing this book over a weekend but I expect to come back to it over and over again in the future. It's highly recommended to both serious Alexandrophiles and novices alike.

This slim, 107-page book is superbly written and obviously based on a lifetime devoted to the study of Alexander. Yet, this in-depth understanding of the man and his accomplishments does not slow down the pace of the book. Peter is able to keep the fruits of his exaustive research in a supporting role, never letting it impeed or slow the velocity of Alexander's story, which is fitting. Peter provides just enough detail to explain the importance of each of Alexander's actions and how they were achieved. This is important because I really didn't believe so much insight could be packed into such a small book. Another point, Peter firmly roots Alexander in Macedonia, with its history, politics, traditions and expectations of leadership. Quickly, the reader comes to view the situation as a Macedonian, not a Greek. This distinction is important in understanding Alexander in context of his historical period and cultural background. Given Peter's preparation, the reader will understand that Alexander could become a god in the eyes of his contemporaries, given his unsurpassed military and political accomplishments. I will leave the superlatives to Peter. Within twenty pages you will know in detail that Alexander was superbly prepared for greatness. In another twenty, how Alexander turned his excellent preparation into an unmatched string of victories. Never once does the author loose sight of the man himself. If Alexander seems unapproachable and on a pedestal, it is because he deserves to be there. Peter's genious is to avoid the inclination to dislodge Alexander. Instead, Peter tries to bring us up to Alexander's level and into his world.
This could possibly be the only book on Alexander the historian or student of military art ever needs.

This concise, vivid retelling of Alexander's life is simply without equal. As both an accomplished historian and a military man (and, for that matter, a Greek-American), Tsouras is uniquely qualified to write on the subject; as a result, he's produced an analytical military biography to rank alongside the work of J.F.C. Fuller. Yet, for all the insight, there isn't a dry page in this book. In less than a hundred pages, the author catches the color and fire of a lost world, reminding us why Alexander remains a mythical presence in remote parts where American soldiers are fighting today. One of those sudden geniuses whose appearance changes the world, Alexander has long fascinated a wide range of intellects (beginning with his teacher, Aristotle), and it would seem that nothing new could be added to the library of works that exist on the subject. What Tsouras adds to the Alexandrine story is clarity. Writing for a series that might be called "brief military lives" forced authorial selectivity on the work. The result is not only the most lucid biography available of Alexander the Great, but one of the clearest, most readable biographies of any of the figures of antiquity. The writers of the classical age, from playwrights down to Plutarch, understood the art of capturing the total character in the gesture or the sculpted sentence. Tsouras has produced a highly readable biography that needs not one additional word, but couldn't spare one he included. It's a fine read, more relevant than one might at first think. And, if nothing else, with a big-budget Hollywood "sword-and-sandal" bio-pic of Alexander on the way, it's worth the while of any intelligent reader/viewer to learn about the man himself before settling down with the popcorn. Finally, I have to add that I've been a fan of Tsouras's broad body of work for years. I make no pretense of being anything less than a great admirer of his books--and only wish I could persuade still more readers to give him a try. His biography of Alexander is a great place to start.

I own this book in Macedonian language and I have to say I read it in one pace. some of the previous readers already wrote the "about" part so Im just going to add that it is a must for everyone interested in the Balkan history, the people and the lakes.

The author, Chris Deliso, has an MPhil with Honours in Byzantine Studies from Oxford University and his credentials shine throughout the book. His erudition, depth, narration skills, and exquisite (at times, painful) sensitivity to both human and nature give rise to a resonant, synoptic, panoramic, and thrilling travelogue. Chris, an American who made Macedonia his new home, and a family friend by the name of George, a Greek philosopher, are later joined by Chris's Macedonian wife, Buba, and their son, Marko. Together, they reify the Balkans: foreign influences, internecine rivalries, the resilience and warmth of its denizens, and the brighter future that hopefully awaits them all. Their lakes are the only things that the otherwise fractious Macedonia, Greece, and Albania share. The two and then the four tour the shores of these fabled bodies of water and get immersed in their history, archeology, politics, economy, and peoples. Edge-of-the seat situations lifted straight out of Expressionistic horror movies (the unforgettable foray to the Macedonian settlements on the Albanian side of Lake Prespa) alternate with sun and shimmering water and numerous heart-rending human interest stories as various cameo-protagonists struggle to maintain a modicum of human dignity in the face of the overwhelming odds of both gory history and destitution. Chris studies them all with subtlety and with a curious mix of scientific detachment and empathetic compassion. He is a genuine lover of humanity. His sometimes cynical observations are a mere defense mechanism against the pain and hopelessness that pervade this hitherto doomed region that he so clearly is enamoured with. Thus, Hidden Macedonia combines Dame Rebecca West's penetrating (but rarely merciless) insight with Robert Kaplan's narrative excellence. It joins this rarefied bookshelf as an equal. A must for anyone interested not only in the Balkans and in conflict and peace studies- but in what it is that makes us human and forms our personal identity. Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self-love - Narcissism Revisited"

It was such a pleasant surprise to discover that someone was bold enough to write about the ineffable beauty and spirit that is Macedonia, and particularly its lakes - and succeed in it. As soon as I received my copy of Deliso's Hidden Macedonia, I wasted no time getting into it, and found that I couldn't stop reading it until I finished it. Poetic, vivid, anecdotal and factual - truly a book I recommend to anyone who dares risk or cares to know or is curious, inclined for whatever reason, to ponder (and wonder) over a bit of land in Europe deeply steeped in history, and so naturally almost forgotten - hidden - but for Deliso's careful archaeological, historical eye for things mystical. Deliso's circular journey through three countries in the name of two lakes, Ohrid and Prespa, is one you won't forget. I'll go as far as saying that you should judge this book by its cover.

While many vacationers are jetting off to the likes of London, Paris or the Caribbean, Chris Deliso opens the window on a small, relatively undiscovered part of Europe, and reveals a delightful region of beauty, charm, culture, history and warmth. The lake region of Macedonia, which includes the enchanting lakes of Ohrid and Prespa, is made available to us through this brief travelogue in which Deliso travels with both companions and his family, stopping in little out-of-the-way villages and hamlets in Greece, Albania and Macedonia. Written in an easy, almost laidback style, Deliso throws in archeology, history, art, flora, fauna, geography, gastronomy, culture and a host of other subjects as he takes his readers on bumpy roads and across the placid lakes, spending time with the hospitable and warm folks who live there. Before you're halfway through the book, you might find yourself booking a trip to Macedonia to discover for yourself a unique and unspoiled part of Europe still unknown to most Westerners.

This book describes in detail the enduring leadership lessons from the ruler of the ancient world and analyzes what made him so successful.

You will eventually understand why so many leaders in history have been inspired by Alexander the Great and what lessons have they learned from him.

The book does an excellent job presenting Alexander and identifying his "secrets". It shows how Alexander's timeless strategies have been--and can be--applied to gain a competitive advantage. The author carefully explains the skills and principles valuable to leaders, managers, and strategists.

A must read for leaders and for those who aspire to become leaders.

This book will teach you lessons of leadership by looking back in history to one of the greatest leaders of all: Alexander the Great. You'll enjoy learning timeless leadership skills through history tales from thousands of years ago, and comparative analyses of some contemporary leaders.. Great read!

The author vividly describes the story of this amazing leader's life and battles and masterfully intertwines it with useful tips for today's bussiness life. Enjoyable to read from page 1 till the end. Excellent.

This book distills the essence of the world`s greatest leader.Comparing Alexander with other outstanding leaders and modern theories , the author
explains the most effective ways of leadership and the strategies valuable to modern leaders.

F. E. Adcock's main theme in these lecture is to elucidate in an easy to read book how Greeks and Macedonians applied their minds to the art of war. It covers battle tactics and military strategy from the age of city-states' phalanxes of spearmen to the more complicated combined operations of highly efficient land and sea forces in the Hellenistic Age. He explains how the art of war gradually evolved into new formations used by such imminent commanders as Epaminondas, Philip of Macedon and Alexander The Great. He describes the first use of cavalry, and recounts the ingenious use of siege craft used by the Greeks to great effect.

This is a good introductory work on the ancient art of warfare. Being that I am a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.

This book is a little gem. It is the transcription of a series of lessons, each of which covers an aspect of Greek Warfare from the Heroic Age to the Ellenistic Kingdoms. Although short, the book is exhaustive and definitely worth buying for both the military enthusiast and the general reader. The only criticism I might make is that there are no illustrations; this makes it difficult to visualize the chapter on naval warfare. For this reson, the book should be read together with the "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Warfare" by Warry.

Adcock gives an all-too-brief overview of Hellenic and Hellenistic military art. He begins with the city-state at war and then devotes chapters to infantry and naval matters. Next he turns to the more Hellenistic topics of cavalry, elephants, and siegecraft. He then gives us a chapter on strategy, and concludes with a chapter on generalship. The book was an interesting read, and I got to the last page far too soon.

In 1350 BC, Melanion thinks back to his death bed pledge to his dying mother that he would protect her homeland Thessaly from his father King Kryton of Macedonia without hurting his sire. However, the time to act on his vow has arrived as the King's High Commander Polymus plans to invade and plunder Thessaly, killing anyone in his way.

Artemis names Thessaly Princess Atalante as her war leader by placing her sign on the human's visage. The beautiful princess has never seen the scar as Artemis forbid her to see her own reflection. Thinking she must have an ugly face, Atalante compensates by turning to war activities normally the domain of men. She becomes the swiftest of runners and the greatest of archers.

When Melanion and Atalante meet, he knows she is his soulmate and she loves him very much, but she cannot accept that any man can desire her. Besides her doubts there remain their respective fathers to consider and the whimsy of Artemis so that the probability of anything permanent between these two so in love individuals seems nil.

THE MOON RUNNERS is a tremendous Greek mythological tale that readers will deeply appreciate due to a powerful story line and a fine lead duet. The principal duo is stars of a pending tragedy as even love offers no escape from forces pulling at their strings. The Olympus and Underworld pantheons seem genuine as if Mary Lennox has a residency on the Mount as proven by this fantastic five star fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Mary Lennox breathes new life into familiar characters from Greek mythology. Against the backdrop of stirring honor, staggering trust, and stunning betrayal the love story of Atalante and Melanion will keep you turning the pages far into the night. This superbly crafted tale is sure to remain on your 'keeper shelf' for years to come.

Yet again Mary Lennox has struck gold, bringing us this time to ancient Greece in the age of Gods, Goddesses, and true valor. While The Moon Runners is stamped with her trademark elegant prose and descriptive grandeur, this time her plotting moves to the fore. Moving easily between four major characters and storylines, she pulls us inexorably into her world, replete with historically accurate accounts of ancient rites, athletic competition and the perils of war. Her depictions are rousing and detailed, yet they never let you lose sight of that timeless goal - honor, victory, and most importantly, a love which can transcend all, even death.

One of the best books that I have read. Well written. Once you start reading, you can't put the book down. Kudos to the author! Can't wait for another book by John McLeod.

It is rare that I find a book I can't put down. This is such a book, I couldn't wait to find out how the main characters were going to react to each other or what plot was going to unfold. I recommend this book highly to anyone who enjoys adventure and drama.

The Lion of Macedonia is a dramatized account of the early life of Alexander the Great, and concentrates on the development of Alexander's character and how it was influenced by the people and events around him. It's well researched and informative, and a good read.

Due to the high price of this work, I had been hesitant to buy it. But it is worth every dollar. Heckel is accurate, academic, informative. His stories about the lives of Krateros, Perdikkas, Ptolemy etc. continue from the point where most Alexander biographies have stopped. Don't expect something that is easy to digest: a normal page in Heckel is half narrative, half annotations.

The lives of Alexander's generals are fascinating and tragic stories on their own account. As Heckel puts it: the men that had fought so hard to conquer Persia were never destined to rule it. That sums up the overall tragedy.

Whether you're a professional or an amateur, if you pursue Alexander history, this book is a must-have (despite it's forbidding cost). It's the first recent prosopographical study of Alexander's court, and the only one in English. Heckel uses both textual and epigraphic evidence to present thorough studies of key figures in Alexander's administration: Parmention, Krateros, Hephaistion, Leonnatos, Ptolemy, Antipatros . . . just to name a few.