This biography details the life and times (or escapades) of Alexander the Great.
Peppered with casual comments directed toward the reader, it offers both an intimate and a broad view of Alexander's upbringing, education, military campaigns and leadership as ruler of Macedonia, Greece, Persia, Egypt, etc, etc, etc. The author is able to imbue a sense of Alexander's power, charisma, and progressive thinking.
Humorous text and the common threads of adolescence (pre-and early adolescents being the target audience) are employed to draw in the reader. Of course, the subject matter is pretty interesting, too.
Shecter includes a timeline, a bibliography, chapter end notes, and a decent index. Illustrations, photographs of artifacts, maps and other visual aids, and quotes from famous dead guys help make the book a breezy read.
My favorite quote, from pages 51-52, "After uniting Greece, he had a new obsession-Perisa. He wasn't alone. The Greeks, in general, shivered in ther tunics whenever the subject of Persian aggression came up. They especially feared the powerful Persian ruler, King Darius III. Why? Because King Darius served the Dark Lord Sauron and sought the One Ring that would give him power over the hobbits and Middle Earth. Oh, wait. Wrong story."
4th grade - 8th grade
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
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This book provides a wealth of high-interest information about Alexander the Great and the classical world. Its style can be described as highly informal. Consider this comment a second, but I have some serious misgivings about the title. It needs discussion. One concern is book design. The author has assembled an impressive array of illustrations: pictures of sculptures, paintings, architecture, etc., but they are so small and gray as to be almost impossible to appreciate. They are coupled with cartoon-style drawings by "super artist" Terry Naughton. My main concern, though, is the casual, slangy tone of the text. I know it is supposed to capture the interest of pre-adolescent boys, but I think this could have been done without such references to Homer as, "Not Simpson, but the other Homer..." Low point: A description of India's copying of Greek clothing styles ends with,"...chic happens." Please. I did like the book and think it definitely has a place in elementary and middle school libraries. I'm just not sure I'd call it a "best book." Am I just too old and stuffy?
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