Here are 100 books that Alexander fans have personally recommended if you like Alexander. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Okela: Espartanos en Cantabria

Christian Zamora Salamanca Author Of The legacy of Sparta

From my list on the great Spartan Nation.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for the Spartans and ancient history in general comes from the iconic idea that those men needed to have a lot of courage to face the battles they faced and survive that. These soldiers faced terrible deaths in every battle to defend their families, their lands, their cities. More specifically, the ability of the Spartans to understand that through suffering and lack they could become stronger even if that meant suffering it in their flesh or seeing their children suffer. The different ways of understanding the world by the Persians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Celts... is something incredible.

Christian's book list on the great Spartan Nation

Christian Zamora Salamanca Why Christian loves this book

The ease of reading of this author is fascinating. He also manages to tell us a story that he connects in a wonderful way with some Roman remains found in the north of Spain. Definitely a great read if the reader can read Spanish. It is full of exciting and brilliant moments that the reader of ancient history will undoubtedly appreciate.

By Pedro Santamaría Fernández ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Okela as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Madrid. 23 cm. 426 p. Encuadernacin en tapa blanda de editorial ilustrada. Coleccin 'Histrica'. Santamara, Pedro 1975-. Histrica (Ediciones Pmies) .. Este libro es de segunda mano y tiene o puede tener marcas y seales de su anterior propietario. ISBN: 9788496952867


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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of Termópilas (Grandes Batallas)

Christian Zamora Salamanca Author Of The legacy of Sparta

From my list on the great Spartan Nation.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for the Spartans and ancient history in general comes from the iconic idea that those men needed to have a lot of courage to face the battles they faced and survive that. These soldiers faced terrible deaths in every battle to defend their families, their lands, their cities. More specifically, the ability of the Spartans to understand that through suffering and lack they could become stronger even if that meant suffering it in their flesh or seeing their children suffer. The different ways of understanding the world by the Persians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Celts... is something incredible.

Christian's book list on the great Spartan Nation

Christian Zamora Salamanca Why Christian loves this book

The legendary feat of the 300 Spartans who sacrificed for their city and their ideals is narrated in an excellent way in this book that also accurately reflects the way of thinking and understanding the world. A highly recommended reading for those who wish to learn about the world of the Spartans. In this story are the most important events of that historic moment.

By Paul Cartledge ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Termópilas (Grandes Batallas) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Viajero, ve a Esparta y cuenta que aquí hemos muerto en obediencia a sus leyes” dicen las célebres palabras del poeta Simónides que glorifican el heroísmo de los 300 guerreros espartanos que, liderados por Leónidas, dieron sus vidas en el paso de las Termópilas, conteniendo al enorme ejército del rey persa Jejes. Esta batalla fue un auténtico choque entre civilizaciones y la leyenda del heroísmo y sacrificio de la élite de guerreros espartanos en defensa de la libertad de su patria fue esencial para definir la identidad de la Grecia clásica y sus ecos llegan hasta nuestros días. La de…


Book cover of Hunting the Eagles

Christian Zamora Salamanca Author Of The legacy of Sparta

From my list on the great Spartan Nation.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for the Spartans and ancient history in general comes from the iconic idea that those men needed to have a lot of courage to face the battles they faced and survive that. These soldiers faced terrible deaths in every battle to defend their families, their lands, their cities. More specifically, the ability of the Spartans to understand that through suffering and lack they could become stronger even if that meant suffering it in their flesh or seeing their children suffer. The different ways of understanding the world by the Persians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Celts... is something incredible.

Christian's book list on the great Spartan Nation

Christian Zamora Salamanca Why Christian loves this book

A wonderful book that will show us the story of a Roman soldier, his experiences, his way of thinking, and his ability to rebuild himself. We can also learn a lot about Roman culture and their way of seeing the world. A great book that leaves no one indifferent. I really recommend this book because it shows the importance of not giving up in the face of different circumstances and changes that occur in life. I recommend this book to all types of readers.

By Ben Kane ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hunting the Eagles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From 'the rising star of historical fiction' (Wilbur Smith) a new Eagles of Rome novel, by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Eagles at War.

JUSTICE , HONOUR, REVENGE

AD 14: Five long years have passed since the annihilation of three legions in the wilds of Germania.

Demoted, battle-scarred and hell-bent on revenge, Centurion Tullus and his legionaries begin their fightback. Ranged against them is the charismatic chieftan Arminius, determined to crush the Romans for a second time.

Convinced that the eagle belonging to his old legion is close at hand, Tullus drives ever deeper into enemy lands.

But with…


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Book cover of Retrieving the Future

Retrieving the Future by Randy C. Dockens,

Stealing technology from parallel Earths was supposed to make Declan rich. Instead, it might destroy everything.

Declan is a self-proclaimed interdimensional interloper, travelling to parallel Earths to retrieve futuristic cutting-edge technology for his employer. It's profitable work, and he doesn't ask questions. But when he befriends an amazing humanoid robot,…

Book cover of Aretes de Esparta (Histórica)

Christian Zamora Salamanca Author Of The legacy of Sparta

From my list on the great Spartan Nation.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for the Spartans and ancient history in general comes from the iconic idea that those men needed to have a lot of courage to face the battles they faced and survive that. These soldiers faced terrible deaths in every battle to defend their families, their lands, their cities. More specifically, the ability of the Spartans to understand that through suffering and lack they could become stronger even if that meant suffering it in their flesh or seeing their children suffer. The different ways of understanding the world by the Persians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Celts... is something incredible.

Christian's book list on the great Spartan Nation

Christian Zamora Salamanca Why Christian loves this book

I don't know if this book has an English version, but it should still be recommended because it is the book that introduced me to the world of the Spartans, their ideology, and their way of understanding the world. For me, it is a book for seniors written as if it were for children. A fluent reading that guides you through the emotions of the protagonist, getting to share her joys and her illusions. Definitely a must-read if you want to enjoy the exciting world of ancient history.

By Lluís Prats Martínez ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Aretes de Esparta (Histórica) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

«Recuerdo que, de niña, antes de acostarme, me sentaba en las rodillas del abuelo Laertes y él dejaba que acariciara su barba blanca y recorriera con los dedos las arrugas y las cicatrices que adornaban su rostro solemne. Luego el abuelo decía para sí: ―Ha sido el miedo. El miedo al persa, el horror a perder la libertad, lo que ha hecho que Esparta se convierta en lo que es ahora. Es el miedo la causa de que ya no haya tiempo para la música o la poesía». Esparta, 432 a.C. Aretes, anciana lacedemonia, se dispone a recordar los acontecimientos…


Book cover of Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the Bloody Fight for His Empire

Jay Penner Author Of Regent

From my list on Cleopatra and ancient Egypt.

Why am I passionate about this?

The genre I specialize in is Ancient Historical Fiction. I have always been fascinated by history, and my vacations often involve visiting ancient ruins. I’m an avid reader on various periods of our past, especially Egypt, Rome, Mesopotamia, and India, and I enjoy writing about them. On the topic of Egypt and Cleopatra — Egypt is one of my favorite civilizations, and Cleopatra is one of the more interesting figures. I wanted to give her a treatment I felt she deserved—as a capable administrator, brilliant, ruthless, and fighting the circumstances of her times.

Jay's book list on Cleopatra and ancient Egypt

Jay Penner Why Jay loves this book

It is this book, about the successors of Alexander the Great, that inspired me to write my first novel, the Atlantis Papyrus. It is a great read—the pages feel less like an academic paper and more like an action novel and keeps one’s interest until the very end. I learned about so many fascinating figures in Alexander’s world I had never really known about and the tumultuous years following his death. In my work, I drew inspiration from some of the characters and events depicted in this book.

By James Romm ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Ghost on the Throne as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-two, his empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea in the west all the way to modern-day India in the east. In an unusual compromise, his two heirs—a mentally damaged half brother, Philip III, and an infant son, Alexander IV, born after his death—were jointly granted the kingship. But six of Alexander’s Macedonian generals, spurred by their own thirst for power and the legend that Alexander bequeathed his rule “to the strongest,” fought to gain supremacy. Perhaps their most fascinating and conniving adversary was Alexander’s former Greek secretary, Eumenes, now a general…


Book cover of The Landmark Arrian: The Campaigns of Alexander

David Austin Beck Author Of The Greek Prince of Afghanistan

From my list on understanding the Scythians.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an author who believes that history contains an endless number of stories of how our past peers dealt with and contributed to the tension, fusion, and reinvention that is human existence. When writing The Greek Prince of Afghanistan, which focuses on the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom of ancient Afghanistan, I included a Scythian character, because I felt the novel’s story, like humanity’s story, is best told through multiple perspectives. The above books helped me greatly in that effort.

David's book list on understanding the Scythians

David Austin Beck Why David loves this book

Arrian is one of the few primary sources used to illuminate the campaigns of Alexander the Great. It is also one of the few primary sources to focus directly on the Scythians – in this case, the Saka (an eastern group of Scythians). After conquering the Bactrian region, Alexander faced war with the Scythians, as well as local rebellions, which the Scythians played a role in. Arrian’s account is an important source for understanding the Scythians as it speaks directly to the clash of an army built for pitched battle against an army build for more mobile warfare.

By James Romm , Robert B. Strassler ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Landmark Arrian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Arrian’s Campaigns of Alexander, widely considered the most authoritative history of the brilliant leader’s great conquests, is the latest addition to the acclaimed Landmark series.
 
After twelve years of hard-fought campaigns, Alexander the Great controlled a vast empire that was bordered by the Adriatic sea to the west and modern-day India to the east. Arrian, himself a military commander, combines his firsthand experience of battle with material from Ptolemy’s memoirs and other ancient sources to compose a singular portrait of Alexander. This vivid and engaging new translation of Arrian will fascinate readers who are interested in classical studies, the history…


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Book cover of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

What Walks This Way by Sharman Apt Russell,

Nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlife—mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket mice—near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. She guides readers through the basics of identifying tracks and signs, revealing a landscape filled with the marks…

Book cover of Lord of the Two Lands

Jeanne Reames Author Of Becoming

From my list on Alexander the Great.

Why am I passionate about this?

Dr. Jeanne Reames is a professional historian, college professor, and specialist in ancient Macedonia and Alexander the Great. She also earned a degree in creative writing and has published fiction and poetry. She’s been collecting fiction about Alexander the Great for almost 35 years, and previously managed the website Beyond Renault: Alexander the Great in Fiction since WW I, until retiring it after over ten years. She has (almost) every professionally published English-language novel about Alexander, and has penned several articles on Alexander in fiction, including “Alexander the Great and Hephaistion in Fiction after Stonewall,” for The Routledge Companion to the Reception of Ancient Greek and Roman Sexuality (forthcoming).

Jeanne's book list on Alexander the Great

Jeanne Reames Why Jeanne loves this book

Opting to cover just a slice of Alexander’s campaign, Judith Tarr treats the period after the Battle of Issus down to his fateful trip to the Oracle of Ammon in Egypt. Being historical fantasy, magic is present, but Tarr (a trained historian) depicts it as understood by the ancient Egyptians. An Egyptian priestess, Meriamon, has been charged by her gods to bring Alexander to Egypt in order to eject the hated Persians and preserve her people. The novel also contains a love story between Meriamon and the fictional younger brother of Ptolemy—the same Ptolemy who would found a dynasty in Egypt after Alexander’s death. Lord of the Two Lands is a master class in how to utilize magic for historical fantasy in an authentic way.

By Judith Tarr ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lord of the Two Lands as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It is 33 BC and Egypt lies under the yoke of Persia, ruled by governors appointed by the King of Kings. In the temple of Amon in Thebes lives Meriamon - the only living child of the Nectanebo, the last fully Egyptian Pharoah.


Book cover of Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great's Empire

Nicole Sallak Anderson Author Of Origins: Song of the King's Heart

From my list on ancient Egypt and the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since 7th grade, I’ve been reading and researching about ancient civilizations like Greece, the Mayans, Incans, and of course, Egypt, yet I never thought I’d write a book, much less a trilogy set thousands of years ago. While researching rebellions for another novel, I found the Great Egyptian Revolt of 200 BCE, as well as Ankhmakis’s story. Given my lifelong love of ancient mythologies, I spent the next two years collecting books about ancient Egypt. These books are but a small sampling I collected during that time in my life, and I’m so glad to share them with you.

Nicole's book list on ancient Egypt and the Ptolemaic dynasty

Nicole Sallak Anderson Why Nicole loves this book

The forty years after Alexander the Great’s death are rarely studied in history class, yet key to understanding the Ptolemaic rule in Egypt that followed.

Few books have ever covered the warfare waged among his generals as they fought one another for his empire, each one hoping to be the next Alexander, and each falling short. Instead of creating an empire, Alexander’s generals created a world of war, using the native populations of Syria, Indo-Kush, Egypt, and more as fodder in their quest to become Emperor.

Dividing the Spoils is an action-packed read, even if it is nonfiction. I couldn’t put it down.

By Robin Waterfield ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dividing the Spoils as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Alexander the Great conquered an enormous empire--stretching from Greece to the Indian subcontinent--and his death triggered forty bloody years of world-changing events. These were years filled with high adventure, intrigue, passion, assassinations, dynastic marriages, treachery, shifting alliances, and mass slaughter on battlefield after battlefield. And while the men fought on the field, the women, such as Alexander's mother Olympias, schemed from their palaces and pavilions.

Dividing the Spoils serves up a fast-paced narrative that captures this turbulent time as it revives the memory of the Successors of Alexander and their great contest for his empire. The Successors, Robin Waterfield shows,…


Book cover of The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great

Sam Foster Author Of Non-Semper Fidelis

From my list on showing that a man is the sum of his choices.

Why am I passionate about this?

I heard a Jordan Peterson interview in which he boiled down my entire life’s struggle in a single phrase.  The interviewer was pushing Jordon on the subject of male toxicity. Jordon said something like, “If a man is entirely unwilling to fight under any circumstance, he is merely a weakling. Ask in martial arts trainer and they will tell you they teach two things – the ability to fight and self-control. A man who knows how and also knows how to control himself is a man.”

Sam's book list on showing that a man is the sum of his choices

Sam Foster Why Sam loves this book

As a teenager Alexander, to become The Great, is given to one of his father’s warriors – Telamon – to go on a life-threatening winter wolf hunt. A risk of building character and spirit his father is willing to take.  Later in life, during Alexander’s conquest, Telemon never wishes to rise above a colonel’s rank. He wants to remain in the midst of the fighting.  

When Alexander finally departs India to end his conquests Telamon leaves him to go off with a group of monks. When Alexander asks why that choice Telamon responds, “I schooled you as a boy Alexander, to be superior to fear and anger. You vanquished hardship and hunger and cold and fatigue. But you have not learned to master your victories. These hold you. You are their slave.” What more can a man learn from a book?

As for my liking this book, Pressfield is one of my favorite authors and this…

By Steven Pressfield ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Virtues of War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

I have always been a soldier. I have known no other life. So begins Alexander’s extraordinary confession on the eve of his greatest crisis of leadership. By turns heroic and calculating, compassionate and utterly merciless, Alexander recounts with a warrior’s unflinching eye for detail the blood, the terror, and the tactics of his greatest battlefield victories. Whether surviving his father’s brutal assassination, presiding over a massacre, or weeping at the death of a beloved comrade-in-arms, Alexander never denies the hard realities of the code by which he lives: the virtues of war. But as much as he was feared by…


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Book cover of The Bridge: Connecting The Powers of Linear and Circular Thinking

The Bridge by Kim Hudson,

The Bridge provides a compassionate and well researched window into the worlds of linear and circular thinking. A core pattern to the inner workings of these two thinking styles is revealed, and most importantly, insight into how to cross the distance between them. Some fascinating features emerged such as, circular…

Book cover of The Nature of Alexander

F. S. Naiden Author Of Soldier, Priest, and God: A Life of Alexander the Great

From my list on generals and visionaries intertwined.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a scholar of ancient history who was a locomotive engineer, a subway motorman, and union shop steward in New York City. I tried to be a good union man. It was my Monday through Saturday religion. The New York railroads—passenger, freight, yard service, docks—are a big paramilitary enterprise, a subterranean empire where on-the-job deaths are routine. When I became a scholar, Alexander the Great proved to be an appealing subject since he was a killer who kept his own casualties low. Many of the men I worked with were Black and talked about slavery time, so the Civil War turned out to be another appealing subject. 

F.'s book list on generals and visionaries intertwined

F. S. Naiden Why F. loves this book

Mary Renault’s partly fictional biography of Alexander reminds us that the King had more trouble with his courtiers than with his subjects or enemies.

She tells the story of how they poisoned him. That tendency of ours—to shoot the religious messenger bringing strange news—to think that that the strange news is freakish or threatening—is one to remember.  

By Mary Renault ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Nature of Alexander as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The acclaimed biography of Alexander the Great by Mary Renault, the author of Fire from Heaven and The Persian Boy, two best-selling novels about Alexander.


Book cover of Okela: Espartanos en Cantabria
Book cover of Termópilas (Grandes Batallas)
Book cover of Hunting the Eagles

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