Introducing the Greatest Lives Series!

‘Pithy, engagingly written and full of sharp insights’ MICHAEL WOOD, broadcaster and author of In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great

The complex life, conquests, and shifting legacy of the Greek conqueror. This book offers a fresh perspective on the reign of Alexander the Great. It re-examines his military victories, personality, motivations, and ambition for greatness. Moving beyond polarized debates about Alexander, Harrison provides a nuanced discussion of the conqueror’s achievements and the impact of his campaigns on both his own people and those he conquered. By considering the social and intellectual currents of the last two decades, he highlights how changing contemporary experiences shape historical interpretations.

Alexander the Great: Lives and Legacies presents an Alexander for the twenty-first century, complete with thirty-three illustrations, to offer new insights into how and why historical interpretations of him have changed.

The gripping life, times, thought and legacy of Stoic emperor Marcus Aurelius

This book guides us through the fascinating life and writings of Marcus Aurelius, the only Roman emperor celebrated for centuries for his decency and earnest Stoic philosophy.

Philosopher William O. Stephens explores Marcus' reluctant rise to power, his marriage and his efforts to mould his son into a successor. He examines Marcus' Stoic tenets as he describes the struggles of dealing with a fifteen-year pandemic, the betrayal of a trusted general, social upheaval centred on a new 'superstition' Christianity - and how Marcus' determination to stabilize the empire's borders resulted in strife, broken treaties and protracted wars.

This gripping narrative of Marcus' life, times and thought, as well as his complex legacy, will appeal to all those interested in Roman history as well as to aspiring Stoics.

'Stephens writes with vigor and verve' – The Wall Street Journal

'The go-to biography going forward . . . Stephens’ achievement is outstanding.' – Stoicism Today

The life and times that shaped a pillar of Western philosophy.

Plato is a key figure since the beginning of Western philosophy, yet the impact of his lived experience on his thought has rarely been explored. Plato lived in turbulent times, born during a war that led to Athens’ defeat and decline. He grew up in a restored democracy, one that eventually condemned and executed his teacher, Socrates.

Carol Atack considers how Plato’s life in Athens influenced his thinking, how he developed the Socratic dialogue into a powerful philosophical tool and how he used the institutions of Athenian society to create a compelling imaginative world. Accessibly written, this book shows how Plato made Athens a philosophical capital of the world – a place where diverse ideas merged to form new lines of thought about our existence and the societies we create.