Hi all, I'm new to The Book Forum, and to start off, I was wondering if anyone has read the new Steven Pressfield book The Virtues of War ? I did a search for it and found nothing on this website, so I thought I'd create a new thread.
I just finished reading it and was simply amazed by the way it was written. It's about Alexander the Great, except it's Historical Fiction, and it's written more as a dialogue between Alexander and one of his Pages. It goes into the mind of Alexander and (to be as accurate as possible), gives the reader some insight into the psyche of Alexander from childhood, to his last days as conqureror of nearly the entire known world. It also teaches what it preaches, virtues learned through war that can be applied to today's world. Things you learn from being in battle and as a commander that have great importance (but I'm pretty sure that has already been answered by Sun Tzu, but still good advice).
So...if you're into warfare/Classical Greece/historical fiction or just want to try something new, check this book out. If you HAVE read it, I have a few questions about it and its accuracy:
1. Is it true that generals would take Pages as lovers? In the book he says that and I'm not sure if he means that they are "LOVERS" lovers, or rather they have a loving bond between them.
2. Does Alexander have more than a friendship with his friend Hephaestion? (in other words did he love him more than just a friend)
3. Do you think if Alexander and his men weren't hampered by their internal conflicts, and pursued their goal to reach the Ocean, that they would have actually accomplished that magnanimous feat? Or would they have been defeated by a better army (i.e. Eastern India/China/Japan)?
-Suhizzle
I just finished reading it and was simply amazed by the way it was written. It's about Alexander the Great, except it's Historical Fiction, and it's written more as a dialogue between Alexander and one of his Pages. It goes into the mind of Alexander and (to be as accurate as possible), gives the reader some insight into the psyche of Alexander from childhood, to his last days as conqureror of nearly the entire known world. It also teaches what it preaches, virtues learned through war that can be applied to today's world. Things you learn from being in battle and as a commander that have great importance (but I'm pretty sure that has already been answered by Sun Tzu, but still good advice).
So...if you're into warfare/Classical Greece/historical fiction or just want to try something new, check this book out. If you HAVE read it, I have a few questions about it and its accuracy:
1. Is it true that generals would take Pages as lovers? In the book he says that and I'm not sure if he means that they are "LOVERS" lovers, or rather they have a loving bond between them.
2. Does Alexander have more than a friendship with his friend Hephaestion? (in other words did he love him more than just a friend)
3. Do you think if Alexander and his men weren't hampered by their internal conflicts, and pursued their goal to reach the Ocean, that they would have actually accomplished that magnanimous feat? Or would they have been defeated by a better army (i.e. Eastern India/China/Japan)?
-Suhizzle
