• Alexander the Great and His Time

  • By: Agnes Savill
  • Narrated by: Nadia May
  • Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (148 ratings)

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Alexander the Great and His Time

By: Agnes Savill
Narrated by: Nadia May
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Publisher's summary

He was trained by Aristotle in every branch of human learning, conquered much of Asia, and was one of the greatest leaders in the history of the world. He greatly influenced the spread of Hellenism and is responsible for profound changes in the course of world development. "To be mystical and intensely practical, to dream greatly and to do greatly, is not given to many men," says Agnes Savill; "it is this combination which gives Alexander his place apart in history. Aristotle had taught him that man's highest good lay in right activity of mind and body both. [Alexander] gives a strangely vivid impression of one whose body was his servant."

©1955 Agnes Savill (P)1993 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Alexander the Great and His Time

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
  • JD
  • 02-17-21

It's hard to get over the bitter old woman whining.

It’s really hard to listen to an old woman complain about ‘kids today’ whilst nominally narrating a history.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great book, poor editing.

This review is more concerning the narration.

I usually really enjoy Nadia May as a narrator. She's got one of those voices that make things sound interesting. So I'm almost surprised that I would rate the narration very low on this one.

But it appears that many lines here and there were re-recorded and edited in. But they were not edited in with the same volume and it is very obvious when it was done. In the first few chapters it happened multiple times. Very annoying and this should have been edited better to make it smoother.

These aren't paragraphs or sections - just a sentence or part of a sentence, all throughout.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Refreshingly an Author who loves her topic

It was delightful, the reader's voice was absolutely soothing, lyrical, and engaging. The author clearly respects and things highly of Alexander. She's almost defensive about other authors denigrating or dismissing him. I read many critical historical pieces, that tear down historical figures in attempt to be relevant and objective. but sometimes it's good to remember why great historical figures were considered great, why the people who followed them genuinely loved them. About half the book it seems is an appendix of sort, but it's a delightful walk through the classical works related to Alexander.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • cz
  • 11-15-20

I have read 2 0ther Alexander The Great Bio.

This one was just as good. as the other two I have read. I would recommend this Biography.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

superb

Superb account. well researched and providing a fresh look over one of my favorite historical characters.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Outdated western chauvinism

The author conveys a reasonably accurate narrative including some limited and biased discussions of sources. But it’s hard to trust her conclusions when she stumble over herself to provide a fawning glorification of Alexander, the Greeks and the west, in contrast to, “decadent, subservient asiatics”. Do not read if this is your only entree to the topic. In truth the Greeks were learning at the feet of the Persians in terms of law, finance, feminist, social equality, science and culture. Also the only reason any of the surviving Greek writings survived is due to the curation and conservation of Muslim academics in the 8th-10th centuries.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of the Best Alexander Biographies

This is perhaps one of the best Alexander the Great biographies I have ever read/listened to. It is well researched, well reasoned and extremely well written. I would recommend it to any enthusiast of Alexander and anyone interested in his amazing history and profound legacy.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

This is a good book that goes through the events of Alexander’s life as well as the events that occurred after his death. I enjoyed listening to the speaker, I could tell that she had a great respect for Alexander.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great story and narrator, inconsistent narration

The text is remarkably thorough and is filled with places, dates, and battles that may be overwhelming.
The narrator is professional, but corrections must have been made, because the narrator’s voice changes sometimes from one sentence to the next when fixing a mistake by re-recording. The frequent change in vocal tone and volume can be distracting.
The book really gives the reader a feel for the life of Alexander and his impact on history down to our day.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sound fade outs, good story

The Persian Empire’s internal organisation or lack of it is interesting. Why did it collapse so easily? Because it was a loose confederation and the King of Kings was only really a primus inter pares? Yet it revived under the Parthians and Sassanids…

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