I just completed the Alexander trilogy by Italian author Valerio Massimo Manfredi (the translated version, ofcourse!). If I were to sum up my experiencev in a few words - "What a book it was!!". I just lapped up the three volumes, in every sense of the word. I've always been facinated by medieval warfare, master strategists and bold adventure. 'Alexander' was all of this and more. The books describe in gripping detail the birth, meteoric rise and equally rapid end of a conqueror, who was considered superhuman and a demi-god by his contemporaries. For people (like me) who had just encountered Alexander in their history books at school or in other short stories, this tome would open up a world of interesting information not just about Alexander, but about the contemporaries, cultures and customs of his era.
The author has meted out a brilliant treatment to the subject and you get a feeling of watching the protagonist upclose and you get immersed in his day-to-day activities, his triumphs and also his dark moments. This has led me on a spontaneous quest to works of a similar genre by other leading authors and also of other famed works by this author.
More on this shortly...
