Alexander the Great
His Life and His Mysterious Death
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 3 months for $0.99/mo
Alexander the Great
Buy Now for $29.14
-
Narrated by:
-
John Lee
-
Written by:
-
Anthony Everitt
About this listen
“[An] infectious sense of narrative momentum . . . Its energy is unflagging, including the verve with which it tackles that teased final mystery about the specific cause of Alexander’s death.”—The Christian Science Monitor
More than two millennia have passed since Alexander the Great built an empire that stretched to every corner of the ancient world, from the backwater kingdom of Macedonia to the Hellenic world, Persia, and ultimately to India—all before his untimely death at age thirty-three. Alexander believed that his empire would stop only when he reached the Pacific Ocean. But stories of both real and legendary events from his life have kept him evergreen in our imaginations with a legacy that has meant something different to every era: in the Middle Ages he became an exemplar of knightly chivalry, he was a star of Renaissance paintings, and by the early twentieth century he’d even come to resemble an English gentleman. But who was he in his own time?
In Alexander the Great, Anthony Everitt judges Alexander’s life against the criteria of his own age and considers all his contradictions. We meet the Macedonian prince who was naturally inquisitive and fascinated by science and exploration, as well as the man who enjoyed the arts and used Homer’s great epic the Iliad as a bible. As his empire grew, Alexander exhibited respect for the traditions of his new subjects and careful judgment in administering rule over his vast territory. But his career also had a dark side. An inveterate conqueror who in his short life built the largest empire up to that point in history, Alexander glorified war and was known to commit acts of remarkable cruelty.
As debate continues about the meaning of his life, Alexander's death remains a mystery. Did he die of natural causes—felled by a fever—or did his marshals, angered by his tyrannical behavior, kill him? An explanation of his death can lie only in what we know of his life, and Everitt ventures to solve that puzzle, offering an ending to Alexander’s story that has eluded so many for so long.
You may also enjoy...
-
Alexander at the End of the World
- The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great
- Written by: Rachel Kousser
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0
-
Performance0
-
Story0
“A heart-pounding, mind-bending adventure.” —Ilyon Woo A riveting biography of Alexander the Great’s final years, when the leader’s insatiable desire to conquer the world set him off on an exhilarating, harrowing journey that would define his legacy. By 330 B.C.E., Alexander the...
Written by: Rachel Kousser
-
The Year 1000
- When Explorers Connected the World—and Globalization Began
- Written by: Valerie Hansen
- Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall2
-
Performance2
-
Story2
*A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice* From celebrated Yale professor Valerie Hansen, a “vivid” and “astonishingly comprehensive account [that] casts world history in a brilliant new light” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) and shows how bold explorations and daring trade...
-
-
A story of the world around 1000, and the start of globalization.
- By J. Bird on 2025-12-01
Written by: Valerie Hansen
-
Ten Caesars
- Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine
- Written by: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall11
-
Performance10
-
Story10
Bestselling classical historian Barry Strauss delivers “an exceptionally accessible history of the Roman Empire…much of Ten Caesars reads like a script for Game of Thrones” (The Wall Street Journal)—a summation of three and a half centuries of the Roman Empire as seen through the lives...
-
-
Excellent career summaries for ten emperors
- By presterjohn1 on 2025-07-18
Written by: Barry Strauss
-
Evil Geniuses
- The Unmaking of America: A Recent History
- Written by: Kurt Andersen
- Narrated by: Kurt Andersen
- Length: 16 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall38
-
Performance37
-
Story36
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER When did America give up on fairness? The author of Fantasyland tells the epic history of how America decided that big business gets whatever it wants, only the rich get richer, and nothing should ever change—and charts a way back to the future. “Essential...
-
-
A Chilling Narrative
- By Gerald Demooy on 2020-09-03
Written by: Kurt Andersen
-
Hunting the Falcon
- Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage That Shook Europe
- Written by: John Guy, Julia Fox
- Narrated by: Stephanie Racine
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0
-
Performance0
-
Story0
“A fierce, scholarly tour-de-force. . . . Hunting the Falcon brilliantly shows how time, circumstance and politics combined to accelerate Anne’s triumph and tragedy."" —Tina Brown, New York Times Book Review “A sumptuous drama of lust, intrigue, and betrayal, underpinned by the harsh...
Written by: John Guy, and others
-
Julius Caesar
- Written by: Philip Freeman
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall18
-
Performance15
-
Story15
More than 2,000 years after his death, Julius Caesar remains one of the great figures of history. He shaped Rome for generations, and his name became a synonym for "emperor" - not only in Rome but as far away as Germany and Russia. He is best known as the general who defeated the Gauls and doubled the size of Rome's territories. But, as Philip Freeman describes in this fascinating new biography, Caesar was also a brilliant orator, an accomplished writer, a skilled politician, and much more.
Written by: Philip Freeman
-
Alexander at the End of the World
- The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great
- Written by: Rachel Kousser
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0
-
Performance0
-
Story0
“A heart-pounding, mind-bending adventure.” —Ilyon Woo A riveting biography of Alexander the Great’s final years, when the leader’s insatiable desire to conquer the world set him off on an exhilarating, harrowing journey that would define his legacy. By 330 B.C.E., Alexander the...
Written by: Rachel Kousser
-
The Year 1000
- When Explorers Connected the World—and Globalization Began
- Written by: Valerie Hansen
- Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall2
-
Performance2
-
Story2
*A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice* From celebrated Yale professor Valerie Hansen, a “vivid” and “astonishingly comprehensive account [that] casts world history in a brilliant new light” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) and shows how bold explorations and daring trade...
-
-
A story of the world around 1000, and the start of globalization.
- By J. Bird on 2025-12-01
Written by: Valerie Hansen
-
Ten Caesars
- Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine
- Written by: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall11
-
Performance10
-
Story10
Bestselling classical historian Barry Strauss delivers “an exceptionally accessible history of the Roman Empire…much of Ten Caesars reads like a script for Game of Thrones” (The Wall Street Journal)—a summation of three and a half centuries of the Roman Empire as seen through the lives...
-
-
Excellent career summaries for ten emperors
- By presterjohn1 on 2025-07-18
Written by: Barry Strauss
-
Evil Geniuses
- The Unmaking of America: A Recent History
- Written by: Kurt Andersen
- Narrated by: Kurt Andersen
- Length: 16 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall38
-
Performance37
-
Story36
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER When did America give up on fairness? The author of Fantasyland tells the epic history of how America decided that big business gets whatever it wants, only the rich get richer, and nothing should ever change—and charts a way back to the future. “Essential...
-
-
A Chilling Narrative
- By Gerald Demooy on 2020-09-03
Written by: Kurt Andersen
-
Hunting the Falcon
- Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage That Shook Europe
- Written by: John Guy, Julia Fox
- Narrated by: Stephanie Racine
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0
-
Performance0
-
Story0
“A fierce, scholarly tour-de-force. . . . Hunting the Falcon brilliantly shows how time, circumstance and politics combined to accelerate Anne’s triumph and tragedy."" —Tina Brown, New York Times Book Review “A sumptuous drama of lust, intrigue, and betrayal, underpinned by the harsh...
Written by: John Guy, and others
-
Julius Caesar
- Written by: Philip Freeman
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall18
-
Performance15
-
Story15
More than 2,000 years after his death, Julius Caesar remains one of the great figures of history. He shaped Rome for generations, and his name became a synonym for "emperor" - not only in Rome but as far away as Germany and Russia. He is best known as the general who defeated the Gauls and doubled the size of Rome's territories. But, as Philip Freeman describes in this fascinating new biography, Caesar was also a brilliant orator, an accomplished writer, a skilled politician, and much more.
Written by: Philip Freeman
-
The Verge
- Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World
- Written by: Patrick Wyman
- Narrated by: Patrick Wyman
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall67
-
Performance59
-
Story59
The creator of the hit podcast series Tides of History and Fall of Rome explores the four explosive decades between 1490 and 1530, bringing to life the dramatic and deeply human story of how the West was reborn. In the bestselling tradition of The Swerve and A Distant Mirror, The Verge tells the...
-
-
Excellent book
- By Justin Currie on 2021-07-28
Written by: Patrick Wyman
-
Indianapolis
- Written by: Lynn Vincent, Sara Vladic
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall9
-
Performance7
-
Story7
Just after midnight on July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis is sailing alone in the Philippine Sea when she is sunk by two Japanese torpedoes. For the next five nights and four days, almost 300 miles from the nearest land, nearly 900 men battle injuries, sharks, dehydration, insanity, and eventually each other. Only 316 will survive. Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic tell the complete story of the ship, her crew, and their final mission to save one of their own.
-
-
There seemed to be no end, yet I listened to the very end
- By Zinchuk on 2019-01-30
Written by: Lynn Vincent, and others
-
Victoria: The Queen
- An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire
- Written by: Julia Baird
- Narrated by: Lucy Rayner
- Length: 21 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall2
-
Performance2
-
Story2
The true story for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen—a Victoria for our times. Drawing on previously unpublished papers, this stunning portrait is a story of love and heartbreak...
-
-
A glimpse into the life of such an important queen
- By Mikespoon on 2024-09-15
Written by: Julia Baird
-
The Great Mortality
- An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time
- Written by: John Kelly
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3
-
Performance2
-
Story2
“Powerful, rich with details, moving, humane, and full of important lessons for an age when weapons of mass destruction are loose among us.” — Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb The Great Plague is one of the most compelling events in human...
-
-
Very average, repetitive.
- By Amazon Customer on 2025-05-21
Written by: John Kelly
-
The Habsburgs
- To Rule the World
- Written by: Martyn Rady
- Narrated by: Simon Boughey
- Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall28
-
Performance22
-
Story22
The definitive history of a powerful family dynasty who dominated Europe for centuries -- from their rise to power to their eventual downfall. Habsburgs ruled much of Europe for centuries. From modest origins as minor German nobles, the family used fabricated documents, invented genealogies...
-
-
Excellent History
- By L. C. on 2020-10-05
Written by: Martyn Rady
-
Assad or We Burn the Country
- How One Family's Lust for Power Destroyed Syria
- Written by: Sam Dagher
- Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann
- Length: 19 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall14
-
Performance13
-
Story13
From a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist specializing in the Middle East, this groundbreaking account of the Syrian Civil War reveals the never-before-published true story of a 21st-century humanitarian disaster. In spring 2011, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turned to his friend and army...
Written by: Sam Dagher
-
The Middle Kingdoms
- A New History of Central Europe
- Written by: Martyn Rady
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 22 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall2
-
Performance2
-
Story2
An essential new history of Central Europe, the contested lands so often at the heart of world history Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where empires clashed and world wars began. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martyn Rady offers the definitive history...
-
-
More of a personal vendetta than a history book
- By Anonymous on 2025-08-13
Written by: Martyn Rady
-
The Mighty Moo
- The USS Cowpens and Her Epic World War II Journey from Jinx Ship to the Navy's First Carrier into Tokyo Bay
- Written by: Nathan Canestaro
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0
-
Performance0
-
Story0
THE MIGHTY MOO is the tale of how a scrappy little World War II aircraft carrier and its untested crew earned a distinguished combat record and beat incredible odds to earn 12 battle stars in the Pacific. The USS Cowpens and her crew weren’t your typical heroes. She was a flattop that the...
Written by: Nathan Canestaro
-
Visionary
- The Mysterious Origins of Human Consciousness (The Definitive Edition of Supernatural)
- Written by: Graham Hancock
- Narrated by: Graham Hancock
- Length: 21 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall40
-
Performance35
-
Story35
Less than 50,000 years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history," all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers. In Visionary, Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious "before-and-after moment" and to discover the truth about the influences that gave birth to modern human mind.
-
-
We’ve forgotten more than we know.
- By Liam on 2023-09-27
Written by: Graham Hancock
-
The Odyssey of Echo Company
- The 1968 Tet Offensive and the Epic Battle to Survive the Vietnam War
- Written by: Doug Stanton
- Narrated by: CJ Wilson
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5
-
Performance4
-
Story4
SELECTED BY MILITARY TIMES AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * SELECTED BY THE SOCIETY OF MIDLAND AUTHORS’ AS THE BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR The New York Times bestselling author of In Harm’s Way and Horse Soldiers shares the powerful account of an American army platoon fighting for survival...
-
-
I want my credit back! Doesn’t audible vet this crap!!!
- By Anonymous on 2025-09-22
Written by: Doug Stanton
-
Dead Reckoning
- The Story of How Johnny Mitchell and His Fighter Pilots Took on Admiral Yamamoto and Avenged Pearl Harbor
- Written by: Dick Lehr
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall2
-
Performance2
-
Story2
The definitive and dramatic account of what became known as ""Operation Vengeance"" -- the targeted kill by U.S. fighter pilots of Japan's larger-than-life military icon, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the naval genius who had devised the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. “AIR RAID, PEARL...
-
-
Excellent in every aspect
- By Anonymous on 2024-04-18
Written by: Dick Lehr
-
Roman History
- Volume One
- Written by: Appian of Alexandria
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall1
-
Performance0
-
Story0
Appian of Alexander was a Greek historian who lived at the height of the Roman Empire during the first half of the 2nd century AD, having been born around AD 95 and died about AD 165. Very little is known about him beyond what he reveals about himself, along with the fact that he lived in Alexandria. He was a Roman citizen and held several senior-level public offices, both in Alexandria and in Rome.
Written by: Appian of Alexandria
What the critics say
“Everitt, an expert storyteller, has written a riveting narrative that restores Alexander to his own context—and takes a whack at solving the remaining mysteries. . . . Along the way, he takes us on a spirited passage through the ancient world, from the Balkans to South Asia.”—BookPage
“Ancient history expert Everitt attacks the young Macedonian king’s astonishing conquests on three continents—Africa, Asia, and Europe—with relish. . . . This detailed account of the intriguing ancient military genius will fascinate military history readers eager to learn more about Alexander’s motivation and the lifelong fearlessness that propelled him to near-mythic status.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for Anthony Everitt
The Rise of Rome
“Fascinating history and a great read.”—Chicago Sun-Times
“Everitt writes for the informed and the uninformed general reader alike, in a brisk, conversational style, with a modern attitude of skepticism and realism.”—The Dallas Morning News
Cicero
“An excellent introduction to a critical period in the history of Rome . . . Cicero comes across much as he must have lived.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Riveting . . . a clear-eyed biography [offering] vivid lessons about the viciousness that can pervade elected government.”—Chicago Tribune
Augustus
“Fascinating and brisk to read . . . All the stuff of adventure is here, from court intrigue to roving armies to shipwreck.”—The Washington Post Book World
“A narrative of sustained drama and skillful analysis . . . an accomplished biography.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
Excellent..!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.