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Ghost on the Throne

The Death of Alexander the Great and the Bloody Fight for His Empire

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Ghost on the Throne

By: James S. Romm
Narrated by: Michael Page
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About this listen

When Alexander the Great died at the age of 32, 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.

©2011 James Romm (P)2020 Tantor Ancient Europe Greece Middle East Military Ancient History Ancient Greece

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All stars
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Wonderfully written history of a magnificent true story of the human desire for power. Great narration. Found myself desperately rooting for Eumenes, the ultimate underdog who simply never knew when to quit.

Better than Game of Thrones.

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This is the best history book I have read or listened to in many years. It's a page turner narrative history. It covers the 7 years or so after the death of Alexander the Great. This was a time of chaos that makes a fantasy like Game of Thrones look boring. The Author does a great job of telling a very complex story in an understandable, exciting and very entertaining way. The characters involved are larger than life male and females either vying for power, trying to do the right thing, or just trying to survive. The characters really come to life and you can understand everyone's motivations and point of view. There are great battle scenes, and political machinations. It takes a genius to tell such a massive story in a clear way. If like narrative history read this book.

Bloody brilliant !

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The story and writing seem good. Michael Pages reading is clear and pleasant, but somewhat bland. The announcement of the end of a war is announced as mildly as a discussion about the weather.
As a result, it becomes an unchanging recital, which detracts from its overall quality a little
That said his reading is decent, and unlikely to irritate the listener.

Clear and pleasant,but slightly bland, reading of interesting book.

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Brilliant narration and fascinating history! I’ve listened to the same narrator before and would recommend more of his work! The book is well written and very very interesting

Brilliant!

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Listened to this after finishing "Philip & Alexander" by Adrian Goldsworthy. It tied up almost every loose end.

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