By the Spear. Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire by Ian Worthington

In this book, By the Spear, Ian Worthington (ISBN 978-0-19-992986-3) gives an excellent concise narration of the career and power of Philip II of Macedonia and his famous son, Alexander the Great. It may be a good way to get acquainted with the conquests and accomplishments of both rulers, but then it tells the story in a nutshell. This, in fact, may discourage anyone from reading it to the end because it is cramped with so many facts and figures.

Sadly, Ian Worthington in this book merely confirms what he previously wrote in much more detail about these two great Macedonian kings in Philip II, King of Macedonia, and in Alexander the Great, Man and God. I was hoping to find more information about these rulers’ effect on Macedonia during their lifetime as well as their legacy after Alexander’s untimely death. Maybe my expectations ran too high, but I fail to see the value of rewriting (even in a summarized form) what has already been said in his two previous books, especially since the last part of the promising title “Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire” has not really been developed.

Clearly, the author relied on an immense bibliography, which is listed at the back of his book. This, by itself, is an excellent source of information. The added Timeline is somewhat condensed, and so is the Cast of Principal Characters. The maps at the beginning of the book are, however, excellent.