Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the Bloody Fight for His Empire

Written by James S. Romm

Narrated by Michael Page

When Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-two, his empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea in the west all the way to modern-day India in the east. In an unusual compromise, his two heirs-a mentally damaged half brother, Philip III, and an infant son, Alexander IV, born after his death-were jointly granted the kingship. But six of Alexander's Macedonian generals, spurred by their own thirst for power and the legend that Alexander bequeathed his rule "to the strongest," fought to gain supremacy. Perhaps their most fascinating and conniving adversary was Alexander's former Greek secretary, Eumenes, now a general himself, who would be the determining factor in the precarious fortunes of the royal family. James Romm, professor of classics at Bard College, brings to life the cutthroat competition and the struggle for control of the Greek world's greatest empire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jan 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781541432123

Reviews for Ghost on the Throne

[la2bkk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Kudos to any author who attempts to address this incredibly complicated and often confusing period- the initial successors following the death of Alexander the Great. Unfortunately, the author simply included too much detail throughout the narrative. Given so many characters, places and events a better approach would have separated the significant from the minutia. Instead, the author's style takes away from more significant aspects of the book, and frankly, makes it a less compelling read than it should be. A serviceable work but nothing more.

[stbalbach_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the "rest of the story" after Alexander's wholly unsatisfying end to an otherwise amazing life. Romm writes in the tradition of Edward Gibbon assigning motivation to fill in the empty places with a large cast of characters who die in one fantastically gruesome backstabbing way or another. Contingencies rule the day. This is densely packed book that requires a slow and dedicated reading with a detailed character sheet to fully appreciate because so there are so many twists and turns. But even for the casual reader there are remarkable scenes, and the writing style is enjoyable for what it is. I was particularly impressed by the Silver Shields who seemed to be the core the reason for Alexander's successes, many of them still fighting into their 70s. They were unstoppable but also a two-edged sword to whoever wielded them. One senses Alexander kept going because to stop feeding the beast meant death at their fractious hands, which may in fact be what happened.

[leonardgmokos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

How good is this?

How good is cake?

I am always amazed that so many know so little about Alexander the Great or the Wars of the Successors. Probably Arrian's Anabasis is a good place to start - doesn't that filter through your heart and brain like beach sand through your fingers? Great stuff. Let me refocus on this utterly perfect (caveat coming) masterpiece of history-drama.

Alexander over runs a big chunk of the world, dies with a mentally disabled half brother of doubtful lineage, a pregnant foreign wife (all non-Greeks are to the Macedonians, mere barbarians), and a plethora of amazingly skilled and experienced generals.

Generals with battle hardened veterans.

They'll all get along great, right?

Nah.

And so the wars begin, and this book covers everything from Alexander's death to roughly the middle of the successor wars, which doesn't diminish it because it ends right around the "OVERTURE" pause, the way we might divide WWI & WII as if they are something other than one war with 2 parts. Read this, it is brilliantly researched and written like a Ken Follet page turner. 100 Stars.

[cjwedwin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the War for Crown and EmpireIn his book, Ghost on the Throne, author James Romm transports the reader back to the years of 323-317 BCE, a turbulent seven-year period following the unexpected death of one of the greatest military commanders in history: Alexander the Great.According to legend, Alexander left the succession of his empire “to the strongest”, ensuring that Alexander’s military commanders, or “bodyguards”, would use their individual power and influences to lay claim to both the empire and to the crown — two very separate entities. Control of the military guaranteed one power, if only temporarily, of the empire. But it was the connection to the royal family through marriage that validated one’s claim to the royal crown through divine providence. An intriguing part of Romm’s narrative revolves around the power one held if in possession of Alexander’s newly mummified corpse—the ghost. Simply put, possession of the body, entombed in a gold sarcophagus, translated to the personal blessing of Alexander himself, and therefore legitimized the claimant’s assertion to rule the empire. Ghost on the Throne provides thought-provoking insight into the machinations of the various claimants to a post-Alexander empire. Presenting his research in a chronological format, Romm successfully tells the story of heroes and villains, victims and victors—and women—strong females who play an instrumental role in the future of the empire.