"Alexanders Successors-books?" Topic

Hi everyone;
I really enjoyed "Alexander the Great" by Phillip Freeman.
Now I want to learn more of the story or stories about what happened to his empire after he died, who ruled what and for how long, etc.
Any good book recommendations.
Thanks
Joe

Funeral Games by Mary Renault
highly recommended

I just finished reading Dividing the Spoils – The War For Alexander the Great's Empire by Robin Waterfield. It is a pretty good overview and easy read if you take it slow and pay attention to the names (which are often duplicated) and the places (study the maps in the front well). It focuses on the original successors and their children. The weak point is when it tries to add in the social and cultural aspects of the times. Those seemed to be seen through a modern prism a bit too much for my taste. But as a recitation of who did what to whom when it succeeded in filling a gap in my knowledge.

Some older ones;
Successors of Alexander the Great--C.A.Kincaid
The Greeks in Bactria and India--W.W.Tarn,author of a classic Alexander bio.

Two by Edwin R.Bevan:
The House of Ptolemy,and The House of Seleucus

The Mercenaries of the Hellenistic World--G.T.Griffith

And a more recent one: A History of Macedonia--R.Malcolm Errington.

You might be able to find some of these on line.

D6:Funeral Games--a real laugh riot,don't you agree?
It's the last of the Alexander Trilogy,after Fire From Heaven and The Persian Boy.

Another novel is by Alfred Duggan--Besieger of Cities,about Demetrius Poliorcetes.

Don't forget Christian Cameron: the "Tyrant" series. link

Cameron is a re-enacter who knows what it means to stand in a phalanx and his novels are very good !

John D. Grainger has 1 on the Seleucid empire

Michael Taylor: Antiochus the Great

Bob Bennett & Mike Roberts have 2 volumes on the Wars of Alexander's successors (excellent)

I second the Christian Cameron recommendation … The Tyrant series is very good. Even better is the Killer of Men series about the Greek and Persian Wars.

Mike B

The Bennett & Roberts "Wars of Alexander's Successors" books are good, but the format – one book on campaigns and the other on battles – is odd.

I recently read James Romm's "Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the Bloody Fight for His Empire", which I'd recommend; the hardback is available in various discount outlets at the moment.

Joseph Roisman's "Alexander's Veterans and the Early Wars of the Successors" is another good one, centering on the Silver Shields.

Finally, there's a good biography of Antigonos One-Eye by Richard Billows.

Sorry, Grainger has 3 on the Seleucid empire.

You may also wish to check out "Ancient Warfare" magazine. They have a number of back issues/articles etc that deal with the Successor Wars. Current issue seems to be about the Ptolomies…

link

3rd for Christian Cameron, I'm busy reading his 'Ill Made Knight' series now, and awaiting delivery of 'Salamis'.
'Tyrant' series was brilliant, 'Killer of Men' even better

"Alexander to Actium" is great overview of the period by the noted Alexander biographer Peter Green.

Peter Green also produced a later revised and updated version of 'Alex to Actium' as 'Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age', still mainly about the Successors…

link

I just bought this but haven't read it yet

The Roman Conquests: Macedonia and Greece Hardcover
by Philip Matyszak
link

Meant to say it includes Cynoscephelae and Pydna and the demise of Macedon

Wow!!
Thanks everyone, outstanding lists here.
I'll be doing some shopping.
Joe

The Bennett & Roberts "Wars of Alexander's Successors" books mentioned previously are, in my view, first class. There is now a third volume which is also very good. I would recommended all three.

Have you got a link to Vol3? Can't find anything about it.

TIA Andy

The third volume is "Twilight of the Hellenistic World"

link

Here is a site with an 8 part essay on the wars of the Successors

link

The Wargames Room, thanks for the info.

Cheers Andy