In just 11 years, Alexander the Great's armies marched 22,000 miles,
subjugated Asia Minor, the Levant, and Egypt, conquered the mighty
Persian Empire, and invaded India. By the age of thirty, he had created
one of the largest empires of the ancient world. And even after he died
in 323 BCE, aged 32 and undefeated in battle, his legacy remained in the
form of a Hellenized Asia and the Seleucid Empire. Divided into eight
chapters, In the Footsteps of Alexander traces the physical and
historical journey of the man who conquered Asia and was declared a
god-king. Chapter one examines the Macedonian background and Alexander's
rise to power; chapters two and three explore the invasion of Asia Minor
and his first encounters with Persian armies at the battles of Granicus
(334) and Issus (333); chapter four looks at the siege of Tyre (332) and
the great victory over Persian king Darius at Gaugamela (331); chapters
five and six follow Alexander's conquest of the outer reaches of the
Persian Empire, from the battle of the Persian Gates (330) to the
invasion of India and the battle of Hydaspes (326); while chapter seven
examines the new cities he founded across Asia, including Alexandria,
Antioch, and Kandahar; finally, chapter eight considers his death and
legacy. Including more than 200 photographs, illustrations, paintings,
and maps, In the Footsteps of Alexander is a colorful, accessible
examination of one of history's greatest military leaders.
