annieb123's Review of Antigonus the One-Eyed

by Jeff Champion

Plutarch described Antigonus the One Eyed (382-301 BC) 'as 'the oldest and greatest of Alexander's successors.' Antigonus loyally served both Philip II and Alexander the Great as they converted his native Macedonia into an empire stretching from India to Greece. After Alexander's death, Antigonus, then governor of the obscure province of Phrygia, seemed one of the least likely of his commanders to seize the dead king's inheritance. Yet within eight years of the king's passing, through a combination of military skill and political shrewdness, he had conquered the Asian portion of the empire. His success caused those who controlled the European and Egyptian parts of the empire to unite against him. For another fourteen years he would wage war against a coalition of the other Successors: Ptolemy, Lysimachus, Seleucus and Cassander. In 301 BC he would meet defeat and death in the Battle of Ipsus. The ancient writers saw Antigonus' life as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hubris and vaulting ambition. Despite his apparent defeat, his descendants would continue to rule as kings and create a dynasty that would rule Macedonia for over a century. Jeff Champion narrates the career of this titanic figure with the focus squarely on the military aspects.

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Antigonus the One-Eyed is a comprehensive scholarly look at one of the generals who succeeded Alexander the Great on his death in 323BCE. Originally published in Great Britain in 2014 this reformat and re-release from Pen & Sword 13th May 2020 it's 256 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. (Earlier editions available in hardcover format).

The author writes accessibly but meticulously, and builds up the necessary background context for the compelling history of the time and manages to humanize the major players despite the intervening millenia. The author uses a chronological chapter format, starting with Macedonia of the period, through the Alexandrian period, Antigonus' rise and solidification of power, then through the successor war and battles which followed Alexander's death.

The book is meticulously annotated throughout. The author has cited period and later scholarly research to support the narrative. There are 5 appendices as well as copious chapter notes, an exhaustive bibliography, maps, photos (of period artifacts) and a cross referenced index.

The author has a casual academic style of writing; accessible and careful, with proper annotation, but not overly convoluted or impenetrably difficult to read. My only quibble with the editing is that no fewer than 7 places in the text, the author uses "infer" when he clearly means "imply". There were a few other similar errors, but nothing truly egregious.

This would be a great selection for fans of military history, as well as a superlative support text for related academic studies on the time period.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Antigonus the One-Eyed

by Jeff Champion

Reviewed by annieb123 on Jun 24, 2020

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