PositiveLibrary JournalHis writing is often brilliant, warm, and clever. The stories of present-day Lauzerte are, by turns, gripping and amusing; the details of Allman’s routines and the people of the village are touching and edifying.
Dan Jones
PositiveLibrary Journal... engaging and monumental ... While there is much to cover, the work doesn’t overwhelm, thanks to its thematically organized chapters that follow a relatively loose chronology. Footnotes with modern comparisons and witty asides adorn most chapters; not every reader will appreciate their style. The book’s illustrations and historical maps add deeper context ... While this work does not break new ground, it will satisfy readers of popular history, particularly of the epic variety.
Valerie Hansen
MixedLibrary JournalWhile intriguing, the argument proves insufficient: The presence of the Norse in North America and their potential trade—tenuous and brief—does not a global network make. Plus, trade routes in Afro-Eurasia were neither new nor unique ... When the author focuses on specific developments, particularly in China, the work is engrossing and informative ... Readers of medieval history and anyone interested in the achievements of non-Europeans will enjoy this work. However, readers wanting to get a better understanding of globalism may be disappointed.
Anthony Everitt
MixedLibrary Journal... enjoyable and highly readable ... Frequent excerpts from classical authors and asides into Hellenic culture provide hooks for beginning readers to explore further. But other details will niggle at more serious readers of the period: Everitt struggles with the difference between xenia (guest-friendship rules enforced by Zeus) and philia (committed love felt between friends) and imputes too much explanatory power to erastes/eromenos relationships (a form of pederasty governed by nuanced social conventions). Yet the only significant flaw is Everitt’s emphasis on speculating about Alexander’s untimely and surprising death, which he considers compellingly, but his conclusions are ultimately neither novel nor substantiated better than those of other biographers, ancient or modern ... This work will appeal to fans of \'Great Men\' biographies, initiates in classical studies, and Everitt’s numerous followers.
Edward J. Watts
PositiveLibrary Journal...swift and competent ... Watts\'s latest offers a solid argument and serves as a fine historical companion to Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt\'s How Democracies Die. It will appeal to audiences interested in both popular Roman history and contemporary American affairs.
F S Naiden
PositiveLibrary JournalThis otherwise fine and accessible biography is marred by the author’s unconvincingly extended argument: whenever Alexander fully incorporated local religion, he triumphed, but when he eschewed regional gods, he stumbled ... This solid recounting of the accomplishments of Alexander will appeal to Hellenists and those interested in comparative religion.
