Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy by John Maxwell O'brien

Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy by John Maxwell O'brien

Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy differs from other biographies of Alexander in its assessment of the role of alcohol in his life. John Maxwell O'Brien uses the figure of Dionysus as a symbol of the destructive effects of alcohol on Alexander's psyche. Alexander himself ascribed most of his severe setbacks to the god Dionysus. This deity serves as an agent through whom a cluster of ambivalent considerations is explored: the heroic and the Dionysiac, the rational and the irrational, male and female, sanity and madness. Alexander's story unfolds as a tragedy in the Aristotelian sense of the word. Alexander is treated from birth to death as a total personality. His culture, his gods, his parents, his aspirations, his exploits, his fears, his insecurities, his sexuality, his drinking and the psychology of alcoholism are examined from an interdisciplinary perspective. The book utilizes recent discoveries in archaeology and incorporates new interpretations from anthropology, psychology, mythology, philosophy and literature. The historical context provides a structure for these diverse insights. Key passages in the narrative are illuminated by telling quotations from Homer and Euripides which draw the reader into the thought processes of Greek antiquity. This study of the ancient world's most famous and successful conqueror takes into account the latest scholarship in the field and includes a comprehensive bibliography. The controversial approach and the book's focus are likely to cause wide comment and attract considerable attention among general readers as well as scholars.

`What happened to Alexander? O'Brien's answer is mesmerising.. he brings to the tale a sense of fatalism that Euripides would understand.' - Paul A. Gilster, The News and Observer

`The Invisible Enemy is scholarly, gripping and intensely readable, and can be recommended to student and general reader alike.' - Derek Mahon, The Irish Times

`A carefully balanced and beautifully written general biography that is a model of thoughtful scholarship.' - Roger Forseth, Dionysos

`Suitable for a modern age ... fair and balanced ... The bibliography is the most complete ever assembled on modern Alexander scholarhip and will prove useful to students and scholars alike.' - Eugene N. Borza, Choice

`The author ... [displays] an immense knowledge of ancient Greek literature and history, we have a book that could indeed have been written 2,000 years ago. You don't often get a chance to read a book like this.' - Joseph Losos, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

John Maxwell O'Brien is Professor of History at Queens College of the City University of New York.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780415106177
ISBN 10	0415106176
Title	Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy
Author	John Maxwell O'brien
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Taylor & Francis Ltd
Year published	1994-09-15
Number of pages	360
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.