Alexander, killer of men : Alexander the Great and the Macedonian art of war

Alexander the Great was the most successful general in the classical era, perhaps in all of human history.

His career was an unbroken run of successes from his first campaign as a cavalry commander at the age of sixteen until his death at the age of thirty-three.

By the end of his career he controlled an empire that stretched from the Balkans to Northern India, he has worshipped as a god, and had become the lasting epitome of worldly success.

His name is still used today to frighten children in the lands he conquered.

David Lonsdale has been studying Alexander's military techniques for more than ten years, as both a lecturer at the United Services Institute and at the University of Reading.

Here he explores in detail how Alexander developed and adapted the war machine created by his father Philip.

He shows how Alexander supplemented Greek infantry tactics with the innovative use of the specialist and elite units and how Alexander perfected the cavalry charge as a battle-winning manoeuvre based on relentless discipline and heroic leadership. Vital reading for those interested in the history of warfare, Killer of Men reflects the latest understanding of Alexander's war fighting techniques.

It describes a moment in time when the Macedonian army was the most important institution on earth and its young, terrifying commander the fixed point around which the history of the world revolved.

Alexander and his army constitute a historical event from which our civilization has yet to recover; Killer of Men explains how a world was remade in battle.