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The Virtues of War (Abridged): A Novel of Alexander the Great Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,750 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
I have always been a soldier. I have known no other life. So begins Alexander’s extraordinary confession on the eve of his greatest crisis of leadership. By turns heroic and calculating, compassionate and utterly merciless, Alexander recounts with a warrior’s unflinching eye for detail the blood, the terror, and the tactics of his greatest battlefield victories. Whether surviving his father’s brutal assassination, presiding over a massacre, or weeping at the death of a beloved comrade-in-arms, Alexander never denies the hard realities of the code by which he lives: the virtues of war. But as much as he was feared by his enemies, he was loved and revered by his friends, his generals, and the men who followed him into battle. Often outnumbered, never outfought, Alexander conquered every enemy the world stood against him–but the one he never saw coming. . . .
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"The Virtues of War provides quite a different perspective than the typical academic world history class -- for once, military strategy has become both interesting and understandable!Now, I would love to see a similar book written from the perspective of Cleopatra... "
— Ann (5 out of 5 stars)
The Virtues of War Listener Reviews
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" I own this amazing book. It opens the world of Alexander the Great like nothing else I have ever read. "
— Alycia, 2/16/2014 -
" Good read, and it really gives you an understanding for Alexander as a man, but I found the battle scenes to be uninspired. "
— Sean, 2/15/2014 -
" Another great Pressfield book. Loved it. It was a choice book that I had to do a project on, and it was wonderful. Awesome book, another great historical fiction read. "
— Adam, 2/13/2014 -
" Great book. The book left me heart broken at the end for the loss of Alexander to our world. "
— Benjamin, 1/28/2014 -
" I enjoyed this almost as much as I enjoyed "The Gates of Fire". "
— Ed, 1/15/2014 -
" Historical fiction of Alexander the Great. enough said. "
— Riaz, 1/11/2014 -
" Not as good as Gates of Fire or other books about Alexander, but still a good read for Alexander fans. "
— John, 1/8/2014 -
" Good book about Alexander the Great. You'll enjoy this if you like Gates of Fire and Vice-Versa. "
— Garrett, 12/3/2013 -
" I will add a review later....but if you like Alexander the Great it is definetly a good read. "
— Ben, 11/27/2013 -
" I found this book surprisingly easy to read. The author's prose went well together, and told a story of Alexander the Great as seen by his friend. Interesting insight into this great king. "
— Anne, 11/27/2013 -
" Loved reading about Alexander from Alexander's perspective. The writing is so lucid, it makes you feel part of the war councils and seemingly gives you a ring side view of the battles. "
— Raju, 7/24/2013 -
" A great novel about Alexander with himself as the narrator and focussing on his wars rather than his personal life. "
— Denise, 12/18/2012 -
" I was interested in reading about Alexander The Great. This gives a good overview of his battles and his approach to life and war. I didn't really enjoy it but I learned something. "
— Andre, 11/9/2012 -
" Another phenomenal Pressfield book. Takes you into the mind and life of a great leader and warrior: Alexander the Great. "
— Michael, 8/5/2012 -
" Slow to start, great finish. "
— Mattb, 5/31/2012 -
" Very Dry and very boring "
— Tacowsh1t, 5/28/2012 -
" Has some superfluous battle descriptions that really didn't make sense to me, but it was an interesting novel. I was tearing-up during the epilogue narrated by Itanes. "
— Allie, 5/12/2012 -
" Greatest story ever told about Alexander the Great, and my absolute favorite Pressfield epic. "
— JHHK, 4/11/2012 -
" Good, but just not as good as "Gate of Fire." "
— Nathaniel, 1/15/2012 -
" Not as good as Gates of Fire, but a great read nonetheless. "
— Sean, 5/17/2011 -
" Completely loved this book. Just outstanding, particularly for the period detail and the meticulous attention to the mechanics of the strategy and tactics of the era. "
— Matt, 1/2/2011 -
" Tell you later. Not yet finished reading this fine novel about Alexander the Great's military exploits. "
— James, 12/20/2010 -
" So far an interesting and educational book on a great historical figure. Good read, detailed, hardly any gay stuff (good!), great imagination. "
— Nahdi, 10/9/2010 -
" Awesome book about ancient battle, from the viewpoint of one of history's most well known and greatest conquerers. Not that I love war, or anything, but I learned a lot from this historical fiction. Pressfield does his homework. I'll probably pick up another one of his books. "
— Rick, 10/1/2010 -
" Historical fiction of Alexander the Great. enough said. "
— Riaz, 7/27/2010 -
" Imao sam osecaj kao da sam tamo...toliko dobro :) "
— Ivan, 1/7/2010 -
" Discussion of war and empire in Alexander the Great's time "
— Griff, 11/15/2009
About Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield is the author of the hugely successful novels Gates of Fire, Tides of War, and Last of the Amazons, among others. His debut novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was made into a major motion picture starring Matt Damon and Will Smith in 2000. He lives in California.
About James Langton
James Langton, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, trained as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and later as a musician at the Guildhall School in London. He has worked in radio, film, and television, also appearing in theater in England and on Broadway. He is also a professional musician who led the internationally renowned Pasadena Roof Orchestra from 1996 to 2002.