The age of Alexander and his conquest of the Persian or 'Achaemenid' Empire, which had existed for over two centuries, represents a watershed in the history of the world. This book offers a fascinating insight into the achievements of one of the greatest generals ever known. Alexander's conquests are of profound significance. By perfecting the new weapons and tactics developed by his father, Philip II, and combining them with the use of specialist units and advancements in siege warfare, Alexander enabled the Macedonian kingdom to move beyond the restrictions of city-state armies and on to the stage of world conquest.

Author Biography

Waldemar Heckel is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Calgary. His publications include numerous articles on the history of Alexander the Great., 'The Last Days and Testament of Alexander the Great' (Stuttgart 1988) and 'The Marshals of Alexander's Empire' (London 1992). Together with John Yardley he has produced the Penguin edition of 'Quintus Curtius Rufus: The History of Alexander' (1984), a commentary on Justin's books on Alexander (OUP 1997) and most recently, 'Livy: The Dawn of the Roman Empire' for Oxford World's Classics (2000).