By the Spear: Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire

University of Missouri history professor Worthington (Demosthenes of Athens and the Fall of Classical Greece) composes a dual biography of father and son conquerors, giving equal consideration to Philip II as architect and his scion Alexander as master builder of the Macedonian Empire. Philip, with his abolishment of the Second Athenian Confederacy in 338 B.C.E., his military victory at Chaeronea that same year, and his founding of the League of Corinth the following year, put an end to the Greeks' cherished political autonomy and personal freedom. But it fell to the ambitious Alexander to outdo his father and throw his spear onto Asian soil to announce his intended conquests. Worthington provides detailed analysis and schematics of Alexander's numerous battles with Eastern peoples, most notably the formidable Persians whose empire he finally overthrew upon his victory at Gaugamela. He does not shy away from Alexander's many blemishes, including his condoning of the ravaging of Persepolis, his purging of his own dissenting generals, and his overweening designs checked only by his soldiers' mutinies which finally forced the limit of his empire at India's Hyphasis River. Worthington's work is thorough and well-researched, offering insights into%E2%80%94and cautions concerning%E2%80%94the achievements of the mighty. (June)