July 16, 2024.
A biography of Alexander the Great’s final years, when the leader’s insatiable desire to conquer the world set him off on an exhilarating, harrowing journey that would define his legacy. Meticulously researched and grippingly written, Alexander at the End of the World is an unforgettable tale of daring and adventure, an inspiring portrait of grit and ambition, and a powerful meditation on the ability to learn from failure.
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Praise for Alexander at the End of the World
“Get ready for a heart-pounding, mind-bending adventure with Alexander the Great, as you have never seen him before, in Rachel Kousser’s stunning achievement of a book. Sensitively rendered, beautifully narrated, and packed with revelatory insights from a world-class Classics scholar, ALEXANDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD mirrors the storied greatness of its hero: bold, adventurous, seemingly unstoppable, and fascinatingly complex. Kousser powerfully turns the camera to reveal not just the legendary conquerer, but those he sought to conquer, brutal warfare but also love—all unfolding against a panoramic view of a vast, ancient world that is awesome in its diversity. Here is a modern epic, set in distant times but astonishingly of-the-moment. Journey to the end of Alexander’s world to better grasp ours.” Ilyon Woo, author of Pulitzer Prize winner Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom
“In Rachel Kousser’s vivid tale of the last decade of Alexander the Great’s life, he comes off the page in all his complexity – his ferocious ambition, lust for conquest, charisma — and his ruthless, often gratuitous violence. Kousser’s true achievement, however, is capturing Alexander’s genius at welding it all together – fractious Macedonians, Greeks, Persians, and Egyptians — into the world’s greatest empire in classical times.” –William Carlson, New York Times bestselling author of Jungle of Stone
“A wonderful and insightful account about one of the most famous figures in all history – told with real style and panache. Kousser’s Alexander almost springs to life off the page.” Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
“In her latest book, Rachel Kousser explains why Alexander the Great is one of the first figures in human history to achieve enduring fame on a truly global scale. Tracking the last seven years of his short life, she reminds us that the ancient world was a big Eurasian stage spanning powerful states in modern-day Greece, Iran, central Asia, and Pakistan. Without glossing over the horrific violence Alexander wreaked, Kousser delves into his bold attempt to meld Macedonians, Greeks, Persians, and other groups into a transcultural governing elite that would help hold his conquests together. An expert scholar and dramatic story-teller, she has woven ancient literary and archaeological sources into an exciting narrative that invites us into Alexander’s world and shows the significance of understanding that world today.” Joy Connolly, President, American Council of Learned Societies
“Writing with the eye of an archeologist, the mind of a tactician, and the pen of a novelist, Kousser gives us a very human Alexander, struggling towards greatness. Her fascinating, truly empire-wide portrait reveals how much of our uneasily interconnected world sprang from Alexander’s ambitions – and how little of his dream of cross-cultural harmony we have yet to achieve.” Erin Thompson, author of Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America’s Public Monuments
“A thought-provoking portrait of audacious ambition, triumph, and tragedy in the short, glorious life of Alexander the Great, Rachel Kousser’s compelling account of the tumultuous last years of the young, and wildly successful world conqueror is at once exhilarating and melancholy.” Adrienne Mayor, author of National Book Award Finalist The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome’s Deadliest Enemy.
