Alexander the Great’s Campaigns: A Guide to Ancient Political and Military Gaming

 Upon request I have just republished a classic book by the one and only Phil Barker.

  

The story of Alexander the Great is of a young titan who took control of what its neighbours thought of as a backward nation, used an army of radically new kind invented by his father to impose unity on the highly civilised but bitterly quarrelling states of Ancient Greece, then turned east as the champion of civilisation. His strategic and tactical genius quickly crushed the huge Persian Empire, the most feared military power of his day. Continuing east, he imposed his rule on nations beyond the boundaries of the then-known world, battling against armies relying upon huge and terrifying unknown beasts. Before his premature death at the age of 32, Alexander had conquered the Middle East, Asia Minor and large tracts of India, and was about to turn his attention on Rome and Carthage. Had he succeeded, known history would have been significantly different.

The chances he took in leading his troops personally into battle, exposing himself to end-less danger and being frequently wounded, give wargamers endless opportunities to alter history for themselves. The continuous intrigues, betrayals and jealousies between the various military and political leaders give tremendous scope for imaginative and Machiavellian players, while the individual battles - which are described in vivid detail - will certainly tax wargamers’ tactical skills.

This book includes a detailed and accurate account of Alexander as a military commander as well as all the information on march rates, logistics, pay, loot, sieges, armament, organisation and other related factors required by wargamers. It describes the troops of Alexander’s own armies and their opponents, their tactics and weapons and how these altered to meet changing circumstances, As well as being a tremendously exciting and imaginatively stimulating read, the book is thus an essential reference source, at once of immense value to Ancient wargamers and food for thought to serious historians.

The author is widely acknowledged as an authority on the period and. as well as being co-author of the famous Wargames Research Group ‘Ancient’ rules, has written widely on the ancient world.