Was Alexander one of history's greatest leaders and visionaries, or a ruthless tyrant who massacred tens of thousands of people and destroyed ancient civilisations in his all-consuming thirst for power?
In this book, Michael Wood retraces Alexander's amazing journey from Greece to India, searching for the truth behind the Alexander legend and experiencing at first hand the tremendous scale of his achievements.
Using the ancient historians as guides, Wood follows Alexander's journey, travelling on foot and by camel, boat, pack horse and jeep; crossing deserts and mountain ranges, rivers, and plains; through Turkey, Israel, Egypt and Iran to war-torn Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
All along the way Wood recreates the drama of Alexander's epic marches and bloody battles, the drunken orgies, murderous feuds and the destruction of cities across the Persian Empire, proving the survival of the legends surrounding Alexander.
