Alexander the Great versus Julius Caesar - Who was the Greatest Commander of the Ancient World

Alexander the Great versus Julius Caesar - Who was the Greatest Commander in the Ancient World written by Simon Elliott and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20.00 - Hardback - Pages 264

In the annals of ancient history the lights of Alexander the Great and Gaius Julius Caesar shine brighter than any other, inspiring generations of dynasts and despots with their imperial exploits. Each has been termed the greatest military leader of the ancient world, but who actually was the best? In this new book Dr Simon Elliott first establishes a set of criteria by which to judge the strategic and tactical genius of both. He then considers both in turn in brand-new, up-to-date military biographies, starting with Alexander, undefeated in battle and conqueror of the largest empire the world had seen by the age of 26. Next Caesar, the man who played the crucial role in expanding Roman territory to the size which would later emerge as the Empire under his great-nephew, adopted son and heir Augustus. The book’s detailed conclusion sets each of their military careers against the criteria set out earlier to finally answer the question: who was the greatest military leader in the ancient world?

This book Alexander the Great versus Julius Caesar reminds me of my childhood days when I would sit with my mates playing Top Trump cards, trying to see who had the best card depending on which attributes you picked. In a way, this is what this cool looking book does in that it takes the attributes of the lives of these two great individuals of history and compares each man against each other. In this beautifully written book, the author Simon Elliott looks at compartments of each individual in each chapter, so we have Alexander’s empire, his life, the Macedonian Army and then Alexander’s campaigns and battles. Then in the second half of the book, he looks at Caesar’s Roman Republic, life, Roman Army, campaigns and battles. 

This then leaves the reader with a neatly stacked up list of achievements to compare, which is then neatly drawn to a conclusion by Simon Elliott. Now I can’t give the game away here and reveal what the conclusion is, you should find out by following this link and purchasing your own copy of this book: Alexander the Great versus Julius Caesar But Simon Elliott makes some very valid points and detailed conclusions in what I would say is a fantastic book and certainly a format Pen & Sword Books should use in other books or maybe other individuals in history. I would like to say that if your after an informed and comprehensive book about two of military history’s leading figures, this is the book you want. I would like to thank Rosie at Pen & Sword Books for allowing me to review this excellent book.