The Virtues of War
A Novel of Alexander the Great
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The Virtues of War
Narrated by:
John Lee
Buy Now for £12.96
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Narrated by:
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John Lee
About this listen
“Simply superb . . . Its expert pace, its vivid detail, its bone-crushing action, and its occasional piercing insights of sad eloquence make [The Virtues of War] an absolutely gripping read.”—Seattle Times
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 his enemies, he was loved and revered by his friends, his generals, and the men who followed him into battle. Often outnumbered, never outfought, Alexander conquered every enemy the world stood against him—except the one he never saw coming. . . .©2004 Steven Pressfield; (P)2004 Books on Tape, Inc.
Critic reviews
“Sharp and colorful . . . An extravagant exercise of the imagination.”—Washington Post Book World
“Simply superb . . . The Virtues of War is a battle book of camp and march, which Pressfield
does better than anyone. . . . Its expert pace, its vivid detail, its bone-crushing action, and its occasional piercing insights of sad eloquence make it an absolutely gripping read.”—Seattle Times
“The story of Alexander the Great is perhaps the greatest tale of battle and glory in human history, and Steven Pressfield tells it in brilliant, thrilling fashion. I turned the pages so fast I didn’t realize how much I was learning.”—Vince Flynn, author of Memorial Day
“If you want to know what it might have felt like to ride into battle with Alexander, read this striking book. From the mad rush of the cavalry to the trumpet of the war elephants, and from the solid bronze wall of the phalanx to the melee around the royal chariot, Pressfield has it all. The Virtues of War blends a scholar’s accuracy and a novelist’s eye.”—Barry Strauss, author of The Battle of Salamis and Professor of History and Classics, Cornell University
“Steven Pressfield has created a cracking, fast-paced contemporary retelling of the legend that is Alexander. This man was the greatest warrior of his time, possibly of all time, and Pressfield brings him alive for the modern audience with the verve and skill with which he conjured the heroes of Thermopylae in Gates of Fire. His first-person Alexander is a man who lives with the heart-blood of war flowing in every vein; he’s a hero, a general, a diplomat, and a scholar, but first and always, he is a warrior, a man who strives to hold his own integrity in the hardest of fields. Now more than ever, we need to remember what it is to live with integrity in the face of adversity. Steven Pressfield reminds us in style.”—Manda Scott, author of Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle
“In The Virtues of War Pressfield has tackled a subject worthy of his enormous talent . . . and triumphed again.”—Stephen Coonts, author of Liars & Thieves
“Wonderfully imagined . . . Stunningly graphic, intense and extraordinary.”—Nelson DeMille
“A tale as magnificent as Alexander, Warrior Supreme.”—W.E.B. Griffin
“Simply superb . . . The Virtues of War is a battle book of camp and march, which Pressfield
does better than anyone. . . . Its expert pace, its vivid detail, its bone-crushing action, and its occasional piercing insights of sad eloquence make it an absolutely gripping read.”—Seattle Times
“The story of Alexander the Great is perhaps the greatest tale of battle and glory in human history, and Steven Pressfield tells it in brilliant, thrilling fashion. I turned the pages so fast I didn’t realize how much I was learning.”—Vince Flynn, author of Memorial Day
“If you want to know what it might have felt like to ride into battle with Alexander, read this striking book. From the mad rush of the cavalry to the trumpet of the war elephants, and from the solid bronze wall of the phalanx to the melee around the royal chariot, Pressfield has it all. The Virtues of War blends a scholar’s accuracy and a novelist’s eye.”—Barry Strauss, author of The Battle of Salamis and Professor of History and Classics, Cornell University
“Steven Pressfield has created a cracking, fast-paced contemporary retelling of the legend that is Alexander. This man was the greatest warrior of his time, possibly of all time, and Pressfield brings him alive for the modern audience with the verve and skill with which he conjured the heroes of Thermopylae in Gates of Fire. His first-person Alexander is a man who lives with the heart-blood of war flowing in every vein; he’s a hero, a general, a diplomat, and a scholar, but first and always, he is a warrior, a man who strives to hold his own integrity in the hardest of fields. Now more than ever, we need to remember what it is to live with integrity in the face of adversity. Steven Pressfield reminds us in style.”—Manda Scott, author of Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle
“In The Virtues of War Pressfield has tackled a subject worthy of his enormous talent . . . and triumphed again.”—Stephen Coonts, author of Liars & Thieves
“Wonderfully imagined . . . Stunningly graphic, intense and extraordinary.”—Nelson DeMille
“A tale as magnificent as Alexander, Warrior Supreme.”—W.E.B. Griffin
Thrilling
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simply superb
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The narration was very good indeed, near faultless. My only quibble, and it is only a quibble, is that it did not sound like the voice of a young man from the provinces, albeit an immensely educated one.
A must listen for all gamers of war and anyone interested in ancient history and philosophy: Mick the Hick
Hugely insightful and thought provoking.
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This book isn't quite what I expected, but it is still well worth a listen.
What it's not is historical fiction in the more traditional format - the narrative moves around quite a bit, and unless you are already familiar with Alexander's battles and wider story, you'll struggle to keep pace.
But I don't think it's trying to be that type of historical fiction. What it is - and does very well - is re-create the main battles that he fought and won. Each account lasts well over an hour, really drawing the listener in to the action. The rest of the book is more like a first person diary of key moments in Alexander's life, and why he made the decisions he did. There are several speeches included - I'm not sure how closely they resemble what we already know, but they certainly felt atmospheric.
A very minor criticism would be that the narrator - whilst giving good pace to the story and keeping the listener engaged throughout - pronounced one or two names very differently to the recognised format. Perhaps there's no way of knowing how these should sound! But it did throw me a bit....
Overall, it's excellent at re-creating the military aspects of Alexander's conquests, and explaining what drove him ever further forward. Highly recommended if you are already familiar with the Alexander story.
Very good - in it's own way
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The philosophical core that is added is intriguing contrasting knightly virtue against the reality of war and Alexander grows into almost a domestic abuser (why won't Tyre let me show my generosity, now I must hurt them) because any virtue (eg chivalry) followed to the extreme becomes a vice.
It's given me a good blueprint to read other historical accounts of Alexander although I did have to read it twice back to back as I poorly followed the Greek names and relationships the first time (although Pressfield alleviates this somewhat with nicknames).
Any virtue followed to its extreme becomes a vice
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