World Generals
3 total works
Alexander the Great is considered one of the most successful commanders of all time and was known to be undefeated in battle. He is mentioned in the Bible as well as the Qur'an, and is on the shortest of short lists whenever the world's best military leaders are cataloged. When asked to name other great military leaders, Caesar reportedly said Alexander was the only great one. Born in 356 BC, the son of Philip II of Macedonia, Alexander was educated by Aristotle, became a consummate horseman, and commanded a wing of his father's army in the victory over the Thebans and Athenians at the Battle of Chaeronea - all when he was still a teenager. By the time of his death at age 32, he had united Greece and had amassed an empire that stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River and included all of Persia and most of Egypt. He ruled as both the Shah of Persia and as a Pharaoh of Egypt by right of conquest, and he was also crowned King of Asia. As Yenne shows in this masterful biography, Alexander's influence on the course of cultural and political history and the scope of his military prowess remains awe-inspiring to this day.
Julius Caesar: Lessons in Leadership from the Great Conqueror
by Bill Yenne
Published 31 January 2012
No ancient ruler inspired more legends than Julius Caesar. Under his leadership, Rome conquered territory throughout Europe and the Mediterranean, reaching the North Sea and conducting the first Roman invasion of Great Britain. His tactical acumen and intuitive understanding of how armies work birthed a military structure that allowed Roman generals to expand the boundaries of the empire for generations, and his vision of a unified Europe inspired military leaders for hundreds of years. Yet, in addition to his commanding leadership of Roman troops, Caesar was also a gifted orator and skilled politician who successfully maneuvered within the most complex and well-established bureaucratic system in the world. In this fast-paced look at one of the greatest generals the world has ever seen, acclaimed author Bill Yenne charts the major events that shaped Caesar's leadership, his rise to power, and his crashing fall.