Alexander, Pharaoh of Egypt is out!
Available in most western countries, it can be obtained through your local retailer. If you prefer digital copies, or do not live in the countries where you can pick up a copy, you can obtain it from Kobo, Amazon or Nook.
Readers often describe my book as an intimate psychological portrait of Alexander the Great. This amused me—until I recalled my attempt, twenty years ago, to inhabit his mind as one would in method acting. The process was so grueling that I abandoned the novel. How could I write about a man I actively disliked? Once admired as a young blond hero, he emerged instead as a violent, psychopathic dictator whose temperament rivaled even history’s darkest figures.
But as actors will tell you, the method is overrated. A novelist does not need to act—only to write, guided by empathy.
Alexander remains an Everest for any writer or filmmaker, not only because of his legend but because so little is known about him. Even his famed battles studied at West Point are largely conjecture. His physical appearance? A mystery—though popular Western films insist on portraying him as a peroxide blond. His thoughts? Entirely unknown. We rely on legend and craft our own interpretations.
For academics, evidence must rule over imagination, though history shows that theories, no matter how carefully constructed, inevitably unravel. This is where novelists thrive: in the magical, faith-filled realm of creation. It takes faith to write. It takes wonder. These gifts have shaped my decades-long fascination with the Macedonian warrior.
As I wrote, I walked—seeing him in the shifting clouds, transforming parks into battlefields, slipping between centuries in the rural quiet of New Zealand, so similar to ancient Macedonia. Time itself is a construct, even Einstein recognized its fluidity.
Historical novels do more than retell myths. They challenge the heart and mind, linking the past to the present, making figures like Alexander deeply personal.
I hope you find value in reading this book—and in learning about Alexander the Great. Read history, even if built on speculation, because knowledge evolves. And if you feel inclined, leave a review to guide other readers.
Most of all, enjoy. Read and wonder. Think of Alexander as you walk. Perhaps even glimpse him in sacred texts. He lingers there, a fabled presence we have inherited, waiting to teach us.
M