Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the Bloody Fight for His Empire

The period of the Diadochi is perhaps more fascinating then the story of the rise and career of Alexander the Great himself. I have always loved this period of history and the author does a very nice job of bringing this to life off the pages. I found this book quite readable and the author does a nice job of keeping to his main objective, covering the motivations, politics and strategies of those who would follow Alexander the Great, while the shadow of Alexander was still relevant. Meaning the period of history is not inclusive of all of the Diadochi and their battles, it only covers those who would fight and battle while his heirs and off-springs were still alive so his empire could potentially be kept alive, in name only. Once the offspring and immediate relations of Alexander died or were killed off the pretense of controlling Alexanders empire in his name could be dispensed with. So when his blood line dies off, the book comes to it's conclusion. Because the book really deals with those who would control his empire in Alexanders name some of the more famous "successors" play only very minor roles, such as Lysimachus and Seleucus. The changing alliances and politics of this period suggests a real life "Game of Thrones". Seeing old friends and allies fight and betray one another, the plotting of marriages of political gain, and the way in which Alexanders companions used the battle hardened lessons they learned from him is fascinating. It appeared to me the author really had a soft spot for Eumenus and spent a bit too much time focusing on him, as Eumenus to me was always more of a secondary member of the Diadochi. In this book I would say he receives top billing.

This book tells the story of the struggle for power after the death of Alexander the Great. It covers the first seven years of this struggle and stops at the point where the line of Alexander(the Argaed House) has breathed it's last. The story of this struggle(and the one immediately following on it untill 279 BCE) constitutes one of the great dramas of antiquity. Even so very few authors have tried to sort out the multitude of events and characters to throw light on this fascinating story. James Romm uses a kaleidoscope of socalled snapshots(short paragraphs of a few pages with a clear heading concerning who, when and where) to draw together the geographic and personnel strands of this enthralling story. This works admirably well. The reader never looses sight of the story and the pace is tremendous. Feels like reading a great novel except that it is true and even stranger than fiction. Narrative history at its best. From first to last page I was drawn into another world. I fervently hope the author and publisher will consider a sequel to bring the story up to around 280 BCE. For readers will surely be curious as to what happens to evil-schemer Cassander, Antigonus "One-Eye" and Ptolemy. But most of all it would be the story of Seleuces and especially Demetrius.

Romm has an easy writing style and his research is excellent. He makes clear the complex interactions among the men and women who struggled to wield the power Alexander amassed, and treats each contestant in depth. I strongly recommend this study.There is one habit in Romm's writing, however, which is annoying. He sometimes uses a double possessive construction which is like hitting a speed bump on a highway. Instead of writing "a friend of Macedon", he writes "a friend of Macedon's", thereby needlessly doubling the possessive. One would never say " the joy of cooking's" or " the friend of John's". It would be " the joy of cooking " or " the friend of John". One wonders why a professional writer would make such an amateurish mistake, and do so repeatedly.

The author weaves together ancient and modern sources into a compelling narrative which reads like an action/drama screen play. Indeed, most of history reads like this. The book is written in a style which makes it accessible to a more 'general' audience. Also, the subject matter is particularly interesting because the story of what happened AFTER the death of Alexander is rarely told in any detail. Most tantalizing are the 'what if's' if Alexander hadn't died young, as some believe he had a campaign to the WEST planned - going into Carthage & perhaps even the Italian peninsula. What happened instead was a total crumbling of his empire into a fractured conglomeration of embittered successors. Easy read, great story - worth it!

Am currently playing GMT's Successors game, which is a 4-player, CDG about the historical fight for his empire following Alexander's death. I know nothing about this period, so I read this book on the subject.Ghost on the Throne is a great, very readable account dealing with Alexander's death and his generals' and families' fight for the throne. Once I started it was tough to stop reading. The author obviously knows how to take a topic and make it interesting. Highly recommended for anyone w/ an interest in the topic.

Great book, the information is broken down in a reader friendly manner! Recommend to anyone interested in learning what happened after Alexander death.

This book is a gem; over the years i tried to read several books about the diadochs but i put down every single one at some point, not this one. History come to life- it reads like a novel.

If you are thinking of buying this book as a gift giver, then think no longer and put it in your basket! I brought this as a Christmas gift for my history loving boyfriend. He does have a particular interest in Alexander the Great, so I considered getting a book focused on Alexander, when I came across this. I thought it sounded interesting, but also thought it might not a topic that the other half was as familiar with. He was really excited upon opening it, and also commented that reading about what happened after the death of Alexander, was not something he had considered that much, but was very interested in now he had the book. He really enjoyed it, and we had many a lengthy conversation about it. My boyfriend was eager to read it every evening, and also commented on how well written it is as well as how well the timeline flows within the book. Its clearly written by someone extremely knowledgeable and is well researched. I would say that if you are a history lover, with a particular interest in the era of Alexander of the Great, then it is a must read, but I also imagine if you have an interest in the Ancient Greeks, the Romans, or warfare in general, then it would tick many boxes. I feel quite smug for having selected such a well received book!

très agréable a lire et passionnant malgré l'aspect essentiellement évènementiel et guerrier; l'auteur ne nous perd jamais ce qui n'était pas a priori évident, idéal pour une découverte de la formation du monde hellenistique.

Bought as a gift. Recipient loved it.