This historical fantasy, written by the son of the well-known German novelist Thomas Mann, takes Alexander the Great for its subject, looking at his life and career, and examining his obsession with conquest and supremacy, regardless of its effects on his friends and lovers. A novel that also explores Klaus Mann's ambiguous sexuality, it was written in 1920s Germany in the aftermath of World War I and can be viewed as a fascinating study of power with highly political connotations.

Author Biography

The son of German writer Thomas Mann, Klaus Mann (1906-1949) worked as a theatre critic and wrote prolifically, publishing novels, collections of short stories and plays. His most famous work is the 1936 novel 'Mephisto'. Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) was a French poet, novelist, dramatist and filmmaker with a varied career that also extended to the ballet, the opera and painting. A member of the Academie Francaise, his work includes the novel 'Les Enfants Terribles' (1929).