The Perdiccas Years, 323-320 BC: Alexander’s Successors at War
Alexander the Great, a name with universal recognition; an awesome story of rapid conquest and a short life lived to the full. Every student with even a casual acquaintance with history knows this… But what happened when the tallest poppy expired?
Enter Tristan Hughes, host of the fantastic ‘Ancients’ podcast (part of Dan Snow’s History Hit network), with this brilliant debut non-fiction historical narrative tracking the many twists and turns in the real life ‘Macedonian Game of Thrones’ that followed Alexander’s death. This is aptly named the Perdiccas Years, since he was the general who eventually became regent after the initial fallout in Babylon. Hughes expertly navigates the three years of chaos, drama and warfare, in which Perdiccas was the main protagonist.
Alexander gave Perdiccas his ring so why not be king? Read this book to find out. A colourful cast of larger-than-life characters and a story very well told and intelligently explained, with helpful chapter bibliographies for primary and secondary reading, I found this to be an exceptional work of historical narrative, a genre very much back in vogue. Overall, a real triumph for the author’s debut! Highly recommended to military historians, Alexander the Great fans and all those who have had their interest piqued by the brief outline given above.
